Background

I am a small business owner and had some advanced business management training. This academic training I underwent lays strong emphasis on critically applying management theories to the reality for business problem solving.

我是一個小企業主，並有一些先進的商業管理培訓。我接受的這種學術培訓非常重視將管理理論應用於解決商業問題的現實。

Applying theories to problem solving

Applying and citing theories is a standard practice in higher education to back one’s claims. I am in favour of this for academic purposes and understand that when in Rome do as the romans do. Those theories taught have been empirically tested and endorsed for decades in the ivory tower. To put it simply, would those theories have induced academic problems, they would have been scrapped a long time ago.

引用理論是高等教育中支持自己的主張的標準做法。我贊成這一點，並明白當在羅馬時，像羅馬人那樣做。這些教授的理論已經經過實踐測試，並在像牙塔數十年獲得認可。簡而言之，這些理論是否會引發學術問題，很久以前它們就會被廢棄。

Are DBAs for small biz owners?

To the best of my knowledge, most management theories taught seem to have been intended for problem solving in big corporation settings. DBAs seem to have been designed for executives working in large corporations. This is where I doubt if DBAs in general or some of the theories there in specific are legitimate and practical for small business entrepreneurs.

據我所知，大部分管理理論似乎都是為了解決大公司的問題。 DBA似乎是為大公司的高管設計的。這是我懷疑一般DBA或某些特定理論對小企業創業者是否合法和實用的問題。

My own screen snapshot

Some of the theories can be rhetorical, daunting, or even impractical. Take the value chain and strategic analysis as two first examples, these models are grounded in the rationality assuming everything is rationally planned and calculated. The models need drawing visually presenting what rationally affects a business and business value (Ambrosini, Jenkins, & Mowbray, 2016).

一些理論是艱鉅，甚至是不切實際的。以價值鍊和戰略分析作為兩個第一個例子，這些模型都是基於假設一切都是合理計劃和計算的合理性。這些模型需要以可視化的方式展示合理影響商業和商業價值的內容

I find the PEST model to be basic at best in helping me get a brief look at the so-called competitive advantage. This kind of strategic analysis focuses on long-term rational planning (Ambrosini, Jenkins, & Mowbray, 2016).

我發現PEST模型在幫助我簡單了解所謂的競爭優勢時是最基本的。這種戰略分析著眼於長期的合理規劃

My own drawing on computer

However, I never find it to be responsive to dramatic business changes that can be unpredicted and irrational. I need to draw countless new PEST diagrams to demonstrate any changes I have seen or found? Can I actually stop what I am doing at desk and then redraw the model endlessly just to show how many changes have been there? It this rhetorical and daunting if the model has not much technical value, isn't it?

但是，我從來沒有發現它能夠應對那些可能無法預測和不合理的戲劇性商業變化。我需要畫出無數新的PEST圖表來證明我所看到或發現的任何變化？我能否真正停止在桌面上做的事情，然後無休止地重新繪製模型，以顯示有多少變化？如果模型沒有太多的技術價值，這種修辭和艱鉅，不是嗎？

The value chain asks me to draw an arrow-shaped diagram where I identify how value is created by an array of inside/outside activities (Magretta, 2012).

價值鏈要求我繪製一個箭頭形狀的圖，其中我確定了一系列內部/外部活動如何創造價值

My own drawing on computer

To date, I still have no clue of how the value chain drawing can be actually applied to my work? To me, it is graphically applied to and rhetorically discussed in academic work. Believe it or not, without the arrow-shaped model, anyone can manage to know how value is created by merely observing how people around are doing business and reflecting on own business practice. The act of drawing the chain itself can create value for any business? Does the theory itself make things complicated? As a student, I found the theory to be systematic. However, as a small business owner, practicality is my concern.

到目前為止，我還不知道如何將價值鏈繪圖實際應用於我的工作？對我而言，它在圖形上適用於學術研究並進行修辭學討論。相信與否，沒有箭頭模型，任何人都可以通過觀察周圍的人們如何做生意並反思自己的商業行為來了解如何創造價值。繪製連鎖本身的行為可以為任何企業創造價值？理論本身是否使事情變得複雜？作為一名學生，我發現這個理論是系統的。然而，作為一個小企業主，實用性是我的顧慮。

Two more examples follow are the balanced score card and six sigma, which were designed for large corporations. Both models need a well-documented library of records where data can be quantified for analysis.

接下來的兩個例子是平衡計分卡和六西格瑪，它們是為大公司設計的。兩種模型都需要一個記錄良好的記錄庫，可以對數據進行量化分析。

The balanced score card creates an overall picture of how well a business is going in holistic terms (Erechtchoukova, Khaiter, ‎& Golinska 2013). I have no clue of how balanced score card can be actually applied in most small businesses where those tools and materials need for the model can be unheard of or do not exist.

平衡計分卡創建了整體情況下企業發展情況的總體情況. 我不知道如何在大多數小型企業中實際應用平衡計分卡，而這些模型所需的工具和材料可能聞所未聞或不存在。

My own screen snapshot

To put it another way, a small business must have every business procedure and record quantified across the board for the balanced score card to work properly. This may be possible for large businesses where resources can be abundant for that purpose. Can it be the same in most small businesses?

換句話說，一個小企業必須對所有業務流程和記錄進行量化，使平衡計分卡正常工作。對於資源豐富的大型企業來說，這可能是有可能的。在大多數小企業中它可以是相同的嗎？

Six sigma uses quantitative data and statistics for business excellence (Muralidharan, 2015). Again, are every business procedure and record quantified from A to Z for such a purpose in small businesses?

六西格瑪使用量化數據和統計數據實現卓越業務. 同樣，每個業務流程和記錄都是從A到Z為小企業中的這種目的量化的嗎？

My own screen snapshot

I tried six sigma myself, but I fell flat not because I did not have statistical know-how but I could not have an existing pool of quantitative data, either within my company or my business partners (is it realistic for you to access your business partners data which may be trade secrets?), for my endeavour.

我自己嘗試了6個西格瑪，但我不是因為沒有統計知識，而是因為我無法在公司或業務合作夥伴那裡獲得現有的量化數據庫（訪問您的業務對您來說是現實的合夥人的數據可能是商業秘密？），為我的努力。

Small businesses are a symbol of entrepreneurship

The theories I mentioned above have been commonly taught to DBA students. However, I do not think common DBA programs for small business owners.

Small business owners tend to be confronted by limited manpower and time while those theories taught need a substantial amount of time investments if one wants to apply them to reality (from my own experience).

While small businesses to me are a symbol of entrepreneurship. Small business owners tend to be agile and responsive to changes, passionate about what they are doing, and sometimes irrational without being too calculated about consequences.

Above all, I do not think small business owners are full time statistics managers unless they are running consultancy businesses.

我上面提到的理論已經普遍教給DBA的學生。但是，我不認為針對小企業主的通用DBA計劃。

小企業主往往面臨有限的人力和時間，而這些理論教學需要大量的時間投入，如果想要將它們應用於現實（從我自己的經驗）。

雖然對我來說小企業是創業的象徵。小企業主傾向於敏捷並對變化作出反應，對他們所做的事情充滿激情，有時不理會後果。

最重要的是，我不認為小企業主是全職統計經理，除非他們正在經營諮詢業務。

My conspiracy thinking and conclusion

Scholars and theorists may need to make things complicated to have themselves looked up to, sell books, go to various seminars and conferences as guest speakers with high sponsorship fees.

However, I doubt that small business owners need to invest their time and money into DBAs? For knowledge to be applied to reality?

Mintzberg is one of the scholars I truly respect. He has been seen as a rebel in academia. Not surprisingly, he had ‘boos and jeers’ from his competitions because of his disagreement over the structure of business programs driven by the Harvard ‘gang’. He challenged and criticised that post-graduate management learning is not to train scholars but business enablers with practical and flexible minds (Drejer, 2002). He also criticised and doubted that calculated and rational steps merely exist in the laboratory (Mintzberg, 1994).

學者和理論家可能需要使事情變得複雜，讓自己抬頭看，出售書籍，參加各種研討會和會議，作為特邀演講嘉賓，收取高額贊助費用。

但是，我懷疑小企業主是否需要將時間和金錢投入到MBA或DBA？要將知識應用於現實？
明茨伯格是我真正尊重的學者之一。他被視為學術界的反叛者。毫不奇怪，由於他在哈佛“幫派”驅動的商業計劃結構上存在分歧，所以他在競爭中“噓聲吶喊”。他質疑和批評研究生管理學習不是為了培養學者，而是以實用而靈活的思想來培養商業推動者

I have discovered that Hong Kong has been flooded with marketing of DBAs by learning institutions. A DBA can go up to at least HKD$ 500K.

Unless there are DBAs specifically for small business owners with a focus on tactical and hand-to-hand combat knowledge, I doubt if things taught can justify time and money invested.

This is not peer-reviewed journal research but merely my subjective reflection on adults learning stemming from my own experiences. I hope you have enjoyed it.

我發現香港有很多DBA課程, 學費最少可達500,000港幣。
除非專門針對小企業主的DBA專注於戰術知識，否則我懷疑教授的東西是否能證明投入的時間和資金是合理的。

這不是同行評審的期刊研究，而僅僅是我對自己經歷的成人學習的主觀反思。我希望你喜歡它。

Content and photos are original.