Small and Medium Enterprises in Morocco

Résumé du document

The SME's represent more than 93% of the Moroccan enterprises. However, despite of their preponderance in the Moroccan economic context, they employ only 44% of the active population, represent only 38% of the national production and their contribution in the GDP is weak. The SME's are facing multiple challenges due to the different trends affecting the Moroccan economic arena. It is necessary to shed the light on the characteristics of the SME in Morocco and the different factors affecting them. The SME definition is at the same time related to an economic notion and to a structure. The SME can be defined quantitatively in terms of the capital, the number of employees, the added value, the social capital, etc and qualitatively in terms of its internal structure, its organization and its management.

Extraits

[...] Small and Medium Enterprises in Morocco The SME represent more than 93% of the Moroccan enterprises. However, despite of their preponderance in the Moroccan economic context, they employ only 44% of the active population, represent only 38% of the national production, and their contribution in the GDP is weak. The SME are facing many challenges due to the different trends affecting the Moroccan economic arena. It is necessary to shed the light on the characteristics of the SME in Morocco, and the different factors affecting them. [...]

[...] The rate of change is the sixth trend affecting the SME in Morocco. They are increasingly becoming more customer focused, more externally oriented, and risk takers. The increasing rate and magnitude of change requires from SME to be flatter, to focus on continuous learning, to be flexible and in constant alert. The HR practitioners have to be change leaders and actively participate to the change process. They are the major change catalysts and facilitators of change. There are many success story of Moroccan SME that succeeded despite of the threats of the six trends. [...]

[...] The company is not locally known, and this leads to missed opportunities to make more profit. SME in Morocco are facing several difficulties that explain their weak contribution in the economy. Te positive effect of the six trends cited above on the SME in Morocco is not general. Only few of them benefit from the opportunities offered, and the majority undergoes the threats and consequences of the trends. The SME in Morocco lack visibility, subsidiaries, and financial funds (which increases their hesitation). They find it difficult to align with competitors. [...]

[...] Cost containment is a major issue in the management of SME. It is important to keep costs low and increase productivity in order to stay competitive. One outcome of this trend is outsourcing some aspects of the work and focusing on the core of the business, and the use of new technology to reduce costs and avoid waist. Here again, the HR function role is important. Trainings programs provide a better trained and more effective workforce, which subsequently increases productivity and reduces waist. [...]

[...] Many efforts have been made to help the SME dealing with their difficulties, but the government needs to be more engaged in the process and more dynamic. References Rothwell, W.J, Prescott, R.K, Taylor, M.T. (1998). Strategic human resources leaders. California: Davies-Black Publishing. Berrisoule, B. (2004, october, 08). Marakech: Success story d'une PME dans la bougie. L'Economiste. Ambassade de France au Maroc. (November, 2003). La Ligne PME-PMI. [...]