scholarly journals Appraisal of the factors contributing to European small and medium enterprises innovation performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-113
Author(s):  
Michael Amponsah Odei ◽  
Petr Novak
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Intellectual Assets ◽  
Grant Agency ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Productivity And Competitiveness

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in driving job creation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in all economies worldwide. Their increasing importance also means that they must be innovative enough to survive and be sustainable, improve their productivity and competitiveness. It is pertinent for European SMEs to know the contributing factors driving their innovations, which will enable them to channel their limited resources to ensure they achieve their innovation goals. This paper examined the various factors that stimulate innovations within SMEs. Using the ordinary least squares regression analysis and data from the European Innovation Survey, the authors analyzed 296 European SMEs between 2011 and 2018. The results show that intellectual assets, financial support, firm investment, and human resources all significantly contribute to firm’s sales output across Europe. Conversely, it was found that financial support and innovation linkages were not significant predictors of firms’ innovations. The results are important for SMEs managers who are aiming to be innovative and improve their productivity. The study can serve as a practical guide on how SMEs can ameliorate their innovation potentials and activities. AcknowledgmentThe paper has been prepared with the support of the grant TBU No. IGA/FaME/2020/004 provided by the Internal Grant Agency of the Faculty of Management and Economics of Tomas Bata University in Zlín.

AFRICA’S RENAISSANCE AND POTENTIAL IN THE LEATHER SECTOR WITH REFLECTION TO THE GLOBAL PERFORMANCE

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mwinyihija M.
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Individual Member ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Productivity And Competitiveness ◽  
Critical Aspects

Africa’s renaissance is inevitable and rapidly emerging as a reality in tandem with the continent’s continued exploration of its natural resources in a more sustained way than previously done. Currently, the clarion call is to value add, avoid plundering and involve its population through the SME’s to adapt modern methods of entrepreneurship. During the study, critical aspects that are envisaged to trigger the growth and development of Africa, included the entry of major countries of the continent into the global emerging markets such as MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). For the leather sector, certain socioeconomic indicators such as the youthful participation in the value chain, ownership status, literacy levels and acquired experiences are all contributing to a vibrant sector. It was observed that these indicators if well aligned with individual member states of African Union Commission and structured than productivity and competitiveness of leather products will be attained. As such, ease of either foreign direct investment, local recapitalization and development of the SME’s could become feasible. Indeed, with the emergence of over 300 million youth at middle level income level is construed to start building on the impact of the continents purchasing power. Therefore, Africa needs to respond by address on development of ICT, develop affordable financial support to provide stimulus packages to SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) to transform, improve on inter and intra trade to optimize on unexplored synergies and enhance mobility of persons with in Africa as preamble to Africa’s renaissance.

Supporting Small and Medium Enterpries to Access Technological Innovation State Fund: International Experience and Lessons for Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huong Vu Thanh ◽  
Thu Anh Nguyen ◽  
Mai Thi Thanh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Technology Innovation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
International Experience ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
State Fund

Technological innovation state funds supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are not common in the developing countries like Vietnam, but are common in the developed nations like the European countries and Korea. The financial and non-financial support of these funds has contributed significantly to the development of many SMEs. Learning from the funds which have successfully facilitated SMEs in innovating and developing advanced technologies is meaningful to the Vietnamese sicence and techonology management bodies and state funds. This article will review the experience of some typical fund in supporting SMEs, thereby providing some lessons for technology innovation Funds of Vietnam to create a more favorable environment for SMEs to access funds.

THE ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH LEGAL CHANNELS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN FOUR ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Muhamad Marwan
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of networking on SME’s ability to access government financial support through legal channels in Asia Pacific. This study is quantitative in nature in which the data has been gathered from 281 employees and managers working in SMEs through survey questionnaire. The SEM technique was utilised for the purpose of analysing and testing the mediation effect. The study found that there is a partial mediation of government financial support through legal channels among the relationship between networking with officers and access to finance. This study is restricted to the SMEs operating in the region of Asia Pacific.

scholarly journals THE ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE SECTOR OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Boban Sašić
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Business Activity ◽  
Financial Instruments ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The aim of this paper is to analize the role and importance of financial and non-financial instruments of supporting the sector of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Republic of Srpska (RS). For that purpose, in late 2013 and early 2014, there was conducted a quantitative research on a sample of 110 respondents on the whole territory of RS, with the aim of finding the answers to the following question: What is the reason that a large number of SMEs in RS fail to provide adequate financial and non-financial support to their business activity and what measures should be taken in order to improve the current situation? In order to specify the research problem, we ask ourselves if the existing instruments of financial and non-financial support to the sector of SMEs in the RS are sufficiently developed and accessible, as to contribute to the successful growth and development of the said enterprises? We found that the above mentioned instruments of support to the SME sector in RS are not sufficiently developed. Respondents were acquainted with the sole instruments and models of financial and non-financial support that exist in RS. According to the results of the empirical research, we conclude that creating and mastering the models and instruments of financial and non-financial support to SME sector in the RS and providing the adequate business climate for their successful functioning, will increase the availability of favourable financial means for SMEs, as well as the possibility of using the positive aspects of clusters, guarantee funds, factorings and other forms of entrepreneurship infrastructure.

Borrower Discouragement: Loan Delays and Loan Rejection: Evidence from MSMEs in the State of Assam in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-103
Author(s):  
Rashmi Sarda ◽  
Devi Baruah
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Export Promotion ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
The State ◽  
Bank Credit ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprise ◽  
Medium Enterprise ◽  
Employment Generation ◽  
Medium Enterprises

In India micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a vital role in the development of economy through their contribution to GDP, employment generation, regional development, export promotion, etc. Irrespective of the achievements of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, there are certain issues which eclipse desired growth. Availability of ample and timely credit at reasonable rate of interest is vital for the development of these sectors. There seems to be a gap between demand for and supply of the bank credit to SMEs. The delay in processing of credit and the rate of rejections discourage the borrowers from applying for credit. Hence, this article aims to analyse the discouragement faced by MSME loan applicants from the evidence of rejections and delays in advancing loans in Jorhat district in the state of Assam in India.

scholarly journals The Role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Employment Generation and Economic Growth: A Study of Marble Industry in Emerging Economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
Lara Al-Haddad ◽  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Imdad Ali ◽  
Rahmat Alam ◽  
Nguyen Vinh Khuong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
Employment Generation ◽  
Medium Enterprises

This study is undertaken to find out how SMEs contribute to the economy in terms of employment generation and its impact on the economic growth of the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) is accepted globally as a tool for empowering the citizenry and economic growth. In Pakistan efforts have been made by successive governments to increase employment opportunities, reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth by increasing foreign direct investment, diversifying the economy, enacting policy frameworks which favor small business ownership and entrepreneurship programs. Specifically, this study tends to figure out: how SMEs contribute to employment generation, whether a significant number of people is employ within the SME sector; whether the SMEs increase the income level of people. The total number of employees was 255 being selected randomly from Swat marble industries. A questionnaire was constructed and distributed to the selected respondents. The responses were collected and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) analytical tool. The study exposes that SMEs play a vital role in employment generation. There is a positive relationship between SMEs and unemployment reduction. The result also shows that there is a positive relationship between SMEs and increase in income level. This study may be beneficial both for practitioners and academicians. For practitioners, the current study may help to devise policies and strategies concerning SMEs to generate employment opportunities. The current study may lead to the generalizability of existing research in the same field as for academic aspect is a concern.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Business Profile of Women Owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): A Case Study of the Tamale Metropolitan Area

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Atu Alhassan ◽  
Mabel Akosua Hoedoafia ◽  
Elvis Adam Alhassan
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Entrepreneurial Characteristics ◽  
Medium Enterprises

<p>Despite the vital role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and countries, it has been revealed that they have low business performance compared to their male counterparts. In this paper, an analysis of the business profile and entrepreneurial characteristics of women owned Small and Medium Enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis has been carried out. A cross-sectional design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs who have benefited from microcredit were selected using simple random sampling. They were then categorized based on their economic activities. The study found that, the level of education of the respondents was generally low; over 69% had no formal education, 20% had primary education, 9.5% had secondary and 1% had tertiary education. Furthermore, 54.2% of the enterprises were managed by the entrepreneurs’ themselves whiles 7.8% were run by the owner and other non-family employees. Also Only about 3% of the businesses surveyed were registered.</p>

scholarly journals Factors Considered Important for Establishing Small and Medium Enterprises by Women Entrepreneurs—A Study on Khulna City

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
S. M. Towhidur Rahman ◽  
Md. Khasrul Alam ◽  
Shanta Kar
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Half of the population is women who need to be incorporated in nation’s workforce for the sustainable economic development. In the context of Bangladesh, the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can be considered as a vital instrument for poverty alleviation and can ensure the rapid industrialization. This study attempts to explore the forces that encouraged women entrepreneurs to start their SMEs. The study was made on the entrepreneurs of Khulna, a metropolitan city of the country. The data was collected through a survey on five major dimension those are assumed to have influence on entrepreneurial decision namely socio-demographic, motivational, financial, regulatory and business environmental dimensions. Respondents’ opinions from the survey were analyzed through simple descriptive statistics such as percentage and mean to draw findings. From the study it was found that women entrepreneurs in Khulna were mostly encouraged to start SMEs for motivational or pull factors such as gaining self-independence, providing financial support to family, improving quality of life and passing leisure time etc. Among the others factors found to be influential were inspiration from friends and relatives, availability of markets, profits potential etc. The study also revealed that as like other developing countries, women entrepreneurs of Khulna suffer from lack of financial support, complexity of regulatory systems, gender based discrimination, lack of adequate training facility and environmental support. Government and private initiative is important in this regard to overcome the hurdles and encouraging more and more participation of women in SME sector.

scholarly journals Determinants of Training Implementation and Intention in Lao Firms

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-20
Author(s):  
Yoshi Takahashi ◽  
Vadsana Somphon
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Training Plan ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Enterprise Survey ◽  
Positive Effect

The present study aims to investigate determinants of training implementation and intention for firms in Lao PDR. In developing countries like Lao PDR in particular, enterprises are increasingly required to be internationally competitive through such efforts as developing human resources to deal with regionalization and globalization. Training is seen as a major way to develop human resources, but it has not yet been implemented intensively enough. Therefore, it is worth investigating the determinants of training in these firms. We utilize data from the Enterprise Survey 2013 by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and analyze stratified random sample of 658 small and medium enterprises using ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regressions. The results are non-uniform among the different dependent variables, such as engagement in vocational training, the existence of training intention for entrepreneurs and employees, and skills variety of training premeditation for employers and employees. For instance, a gender of entrepreneur has a significantly positive effect on training implementation but an insignificant effect on training plan. Education of entrepreneur has an unconvincing effect on training execution but a significantly positive outcome on training will. Some other independent variables show more inconclusive but explainable results (e.g., firm size, competition problems, membership of a business organization, and age of entrepreneur). However, located in Vientiane Capital has a significant effect but firm-age and ethnicity of entrepreneur are insignificant. The results suggest to pay more careful attention to the potential differences among different training-related variables.

scholarly journals ISO 14001 and 26001, Agents of Change in the SMEs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Enrique Valdez-Juárez ◽  
Elva Alicia Ramos-Escobar ◽  
Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez ◽  
Edith Patricia Borboa-Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
The One ◽  
Medium Enterprises

At present, business strategies in SMEs (Small and medium enterprises) are crucial for consolidation in highly competitive markets, in achieving a better image and in business profitability. One of the strategies that have the most success and business success are sustainable practices and social responsibility such as: ISO 14001 and ISO 26001. The literature related to sustainable business is based mainly on the theory of resources and capabilities, and in theory based on Stakeholders. These currents state that companies should focus on profitable strategies to ensure significant and long-term results, in order to achieve organizational and financial results for stakeholders. In this work, the sample consists of 215 companies from the commerce, services and industry sectors, located in the southern region of the State of Sonora in Mexico. The objective of the work is to analyze the influence of ISO 14001 and 26001 standards on the image and profitability of SMEs. The statistical analysis of the data has been carried out through the linear regression technique by OLS (Ordinary Least Squares). The findings prove that the ISO 14001 standard is the one that most influences the improvement of the business image and the level of profitability of the SME. In addition, we discovered that ISO 26001 has a partial influence on the image and profitability of the SME.

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