SMALL FIRM INFORMATION-SEEKING AS A RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL THREATSAND OPPORTUNITIES

There is good reason to expect that small firm managers do not necessa rily seek information in response to global perceptions of uncertainty , but rather they seek it as they interpret specific issues in their e nvironments. Based on current modesl of organization information inter pretation, perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU), and categorizati on theory, this study of a broad sample of small firms found positive relationships between perceived threats and information seeking and be tween perceived opportunities and information seeking. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between perceived threats and perceived o pportunities, which raised the possibility of selective perception amo ng small firm managers.