Globalization has jarred the traditional role and competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises. This masterful volume comprises leading scholars, policy makers and business leaders who have new insights and strategies for SMEs creating opportunities rather than being victims of globalization. The result is a breakthrough in our understanding of entrepreneurship in the global context. David B. Audretsch, Indiana University, Bloomington, US and WHU, Germany Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often have difficulty competing in the global economy unless they collaborate with domestic or foreign partners or with public sector organizations. This book addresses the resource leverage and innovation challenges that increased global trade represents for SMEs. In doing so, it explores how SMEs can become more competitive at home and in foreign markets as stand-alone firms or as members of supplier and customer networks. SMEs are turning increasingly to innovation as a source of competitive advantage in order to protect their home markets and participate in expanding foreign markets. The contributors to this volume leading experts in entrepreneurship, innovation, and international business provide in-depth coverage of the most compelling issues facing SMEs. These include: innovation as a competitive strategy, network dynamics, ways to leverage technology, internationalization, and the role of the public sector in helping SMEs to overcome resource deficiencies. This comprehensive look at SMEs in the global marketplace will be of great interest to academics who study entrepreneurship, innovation, or international business, officials from public sector agencies with responsibility for helping SMEs to internationalize and become more innovative, and senior executives of SMEs or executives of larger companies who are considering collaboration with SMEs.

Entrepreneurship and globalization are two much-examined forces as we enter the new millennium--yet very little has been published on the intersection of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the global economy. To close the gap, this volume delves into the intricate roles and consequences of such businesses on both global and domestic economies. The first part of the volume provides an overview of the phenomenon of globalization, arguing that entrepreneurial discovery and technological change lead to globalization, which in turn leads to further opportunity for entrepreneurial discovery--no less for SMEs than for multinational corporations. In part two, the essays examine the role of SMEs in the global economy and why they are thriving. Part three reviews the roles of SMEs and innovators and examines their roles in direct foreign investment. Part four explores the role of technological diversity and knowledge spillovers as a way to explain the superior innovative performance of SMEs. Part five looks at the role of SMEs in technology transfer. Finally, part six examines the theoretical and policy implications of the international activities of SMEs, suggesting that policies should aim to reduce the costs in international expansion for SMEs. This volume will provide the foundation for further study in SMEs and globalization. It will appeal to scholars and students in both international business and economics. Zoltan J. Acs is Professor of Economics and Finance, University of Baltimore. Bernard Yin Yeung is Professor of International Business, University of Michigan.

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 100%, University of Sussex, language: English, abstract: Small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) represent about 95% of enterprises in Europe, with a high amount of small companies ranging between 22% - 66% as well as high importance all over the globe. Nevertheless, the sector of SMEs has been ignored and poorly understood for many decades. Eventually, a research conducted by the economist David Birch published in 1979 revealed that especially SMEs are responsible for economic growth in general and are the prime source for job creation, accounting for up to 60% of the overall employment. As a result, the OECD considers them to be the core for economic growth and the dominant form of businesses worldwide in the future, acknowledging the importance of SMEs within global economy. Knowledge about small- and medium-sized enterprises has become even more important due to the fact that the interest of small firms to operate on foreign markets increased in the last decades. This essay depicts the characteristics of small- and medium-sized companies, compares it to multinational companies (MNCs) to determine advantages as well as disadvantages and, finally, examines certain opportunities for SMEs offered by globalization and internationalisation.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in rejuvenating and sustaining the modern economy, generating substantial employment and serving as important innovation engines for the global economy. Global Perspectives on Small and Medium Enterprises and Strategic Information Systems: International Approaches aims to spread research conducted on SMEs internationally and place it at the disposal of academics, practitioners, consultants, the vendor community, and policymakers. The goal of this book is to highlight the challenges faced by SMEs and how they are coping with the adverse environment through skillful use of IT and technologies such as Web 2.0, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), e-commerce, open source software, Business Process Digitization (BPD), and other emerging technologies.

The Changing Global Economy and its Impact on International Entrepreneurship addresses different changes and challenges which small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face in an economy where they need to compete at home and cannot refrain from participating in international markets. This volume presents a collection of 12 carefully selected chapters that highlight challenging real-world cases to illustrate a variety of difficult problems. The book presents an analytical framework with three levels of analysis - entrepreneurial level, firm level, and institutional level - to document comprehensive, realistic and experientially-based entrepreneurial initiatives, potent firm and public policy strategies with solid results.

'The book deserves to be read by those who take an interest in industrial development and SMEs in the region. It provides good basic reading before executing more in-depth study into a particular country or sector.' - Henry Sandee, ASEAN Economic Bulletin This volume presents detailed analyses of the role and significance of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the economies of East Asia. Various aspects of SME operations are studied, including: * the role and significance of networking in the conduct of business * the contribution of culture to business acumen and entrepreneurialism * human resource development constraints and issues * technology transfer processes * the utilisation and application of information technology by SMEs * the impact of electronic commerce * the policy framework needed to stimulate the growth of the SME sector.