Edinburgh Napier University

  The literature has neglected the issue of risk management in small and medium enterprises previously largely. It was therefore the aim of the present study, in German SMEs to identify the current state of risk management. From the extensive analysis of a questionnaire survey and structured interviews supported by a multidimensional approach here has been developed for evaluating the risk management capabilities of a company. The present approach is not judgmental, as usual, from a single score value. Instead, it allows a differentiated assessment by the provision of separate scores for each of the components, which should include a comprehensive risk management system. Based on the scoring approach introduces a new typology of the contribution of risk management practices. By the organizations typology of Miles and Snow on the assessment of risk management practices is made applicable, three types of risk management are extracted - Reactor, Defender / Prospector and Analyser. Each of the three types is described by its determinants with respect to the components of a holistic risk management