An analysis of the activity of SME director using the model demands-constraints-choices

This study analyses 38 interviews with Swiss managers of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) about their daily activity. Our research uses Rosemary Stewart’s Demands-Constraints-Choices model to identify how managers perceive their management role. We highlight that they perceive a set of more or less formalized demands, coming from various stakeholders. Moreover, we identify specific constraints of their management activity, especially in terms of resources and time availability which are linked to their specific position within the company. They manage these constraints by acting on informal and formal structures of the organization.