Management Practices and Entrepreneurship in micro and small enterprises: An analysis of the Paraiba context

Entrepreneurship is considered one of the oldest practices of humanity, however its origin is associated with the economic thinkers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite presenting high rates of entrepreneurship, Brazil also has one of the highest mortality rates of micro and small enterprises (GEM, 2017). In this context, due to their role in development and social change, the objective of this research was to analyse the management practices and managerial results obtained by small entrepreneurs. The results obtained indicate that the management of companies is almost always based on empiricism, and the vast majority do not use effective management tools and practices. Companies that have more effective management controls and practices stand out from the others, as they analyse their results from indicators and act strategically. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the use of administrative tools and practices by small entrepreneurs has an influence on the management results obtained.