This second biennial report covers SME policy trends in 28 OECD countries and presents findings of recent work undertaken on such themes as enterprise demography, taxation, SMEs and entrepreneurship, SMEs and environmental management, and the implications of global industrial restructuring for SMEs.

Describes recent trends concerning SMEs and entrepreneurship in OECD economies and beyond discussing innovation, regulatory burdens, entrepreneurship education, access to financing, and women's entrepreneurship. Includes a statistical annex.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent over 95 per cent of businesses in most OECD countries, and generate about two-thirds of private sector employment. This is the third edition of this publication which reviews recent trends relating to SMEs and entrepreneurship in OECD economies and beyond, as well as reporting on recent policy initiatives to promote the competitiveness of the SME sector. Issues covered include: regulatory and administrative burdens; entrepreneurship education and training; SME access to financing, technology, innovation and international markets; the growing importance of women's entrepreneurship; and local policy issues. This edition also includes the text of the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration on fostering the growth of innovative and internationally competitive SMEs.

This first biennial report covers SME policy trends in 27 OECD countries and provides an assessment of best practice policies and programmes.

Exploring the technological advantage of nations, their performance and pattern of specialization and the affect of their financial and governance systems, this book discusses changes that need to be made so that they can cope with new challenges.

Russel Cooper and Gary Madden The present volume analyses the frontiers of broadband, electronic and mobile commerce markets. High-capacity and intelligent mobile telecommunication net works have resulted in new services, such as SMS and Internet banking. Growth in mobile Internet network infrastructure and subscription has provided a base for the development of e-commerce. Accordingly, recent research on broadband net works is forward-looking, e. g. , forecasting Internet telephony adoption and the structure of future retail markets. The broadband regime brings with it concerns of identifying appropriate standards and delivery for universal service. Regulation and pricing are matters of importance as well as appropriate investment decisions within a market of ongoing innovation. The volume is divided in five parts: e-commerce business models; network technology and productivity; demand and pricing; market growth, regulation and investment; and issues related to the development imperative. The structure of the volume is guided by the basic themes considered at the International Telecommu nications Society's Asia-Australasian Regional Conference "Mcbusiness, E commerce and the Impact of Broadband on regional Development and Business Prospects", which took place in Perth Western Australia on 22-24 June 2003. The volume contains a selection of papers presented at this conference as well as four additional invited papers, commissioned to augment the volume. The invited pa pers are authored by Jerry Hausman (Chapter 1), Jeffery Bernstein and Charles Zarkadas (Chapter 6), M. Ishaq Nadiri and Banani Nandi (Chapter 8) and Glenn Woroch (Chapter 13).

This book is an important contribution to the field of international entrepreneurship. . . it provides a comprehensive account of internationalization strategies adopted by SMEs in a wide range of European countries, and by drawing on a number of empirical studies, it enriches the theory of SME internationalization with a new theoretical framework that can be useful for understanding the complexity of SME internationalization processes in Europe. Julia Korosteleva, Thunderbird International Business Review From Andorra to Wales with stops in more than 35 other European countries along the way, this comprehensive collection of articles is required reading for scholars interested in international entrepreneurship. It provides information on how entrepreneurs and their firms go international from virtually every country in Europe. This unique volume permits researchers to compare how the process of entrepreneurial internationalization is affected by differences in culture, location, technology, and other influences within Europe. Furthermore, the various authors consider a range of theoretically important issues, such as cooperation and trust, venture capital, research and development, learning, networks, and government policy. This book serves as an essential departure point from which scholars can embark on their study of international entrepreneurship in Europe. Benjamin M. Oviatt, Georgia State University, US This is a timely and interesting book that brings together some of the most insightful contributions on the internationalization of new ventures, with an emphasis on the European experiences. Assembling some of the best scholars, the book offers a distinctively European perspective one that deserves recognition, analysis, and discussion. I applaud the editors for doing such a masterful job in bringing a great group of researchers and ideas together. I highly recommend this book for any serious researcher and scholar. Shaker A. Zahra, University of Minnesota, US This remarkable book provides valuable contributions on how the process of SMEs internationalization is operating in 37 different European countries. Researchers in international entrepreneurship will find new materials for theorization. Numerous facets of international business are carefully documented by a great many well-known scholars. Also, given the variety of situations typical of the European small business sector, the book may prove to be helpful to small-scale entrepreneurs wishing to take steps towards internationalization. Overall, this coordinate work makes you realize why Europe is so fascinating. Jean-Jacques Obrecht, University Robert Schuman, Strasbourg, France This unique comparative study of the internationalization of small firms is a milestone in international business research. It compares the internationalization strategies of fast-growing firms across nearly forty different European countries. It shows that the growth trajectories of firms reflect the investing country s geographical location, natural resource endowments, legal and financial institutions and local culture. There are many important new insights to be gained from a careful study of this important new research resource. Mark Casson, University of Reading, UK This unique Handbook illustrates how entrepreneurs across Europe tackle internationalization. This timely and important book identifies patterns and builds a theory of international entrepreneurship in Europe. The contributors discuss the performances of SMEs on the road to internationalization. Each chapter emphasizes how the process of internationalization of SMEs operates, the challenges and opportunities that arise due to each country s specific political and economic situation, and their subsequent internationalization performance. These processes, challenges and performances can be understood through theories of international business and entrepreneurship. Although at times these theories cannot fully

* Joey F. George I was honored to be asked to open the VI Conference of the Italian Chapter of the Association for Information Systems (ItAIS), held in Olbia, on the Costa Smeralda of Sardinia, Italy, in October 2009. Over 90 research papers were presented over two days, and over 120 people attended the conference. Each day, five par- lel sessions featured papers on diverse information systems topics. Session themes included Information and Knowledge Management; Organizational Change and Impact of ICT; IS Quality, Metrics and Impact; E-Justice and Ethics of Information Systems; Information Systems Development and Design Methodo- gies; E-Services in Public and Private Sectors; Innovation Transfer of IT Research Projects; the Strategic Role of Information Systems; Accounting Management and Information Systems; Human Computer Interaction; and Emerging Issues in a Globalized and Interconnected World. The majority of attendees were from Italy, which would be expected for a meeting of the Italian Chapter of AIS. However, as much as 30% of participants came from elsewhere, from other parts of Europe to be sure, but also from as far away as Nigeria, Mexico and Australia. That the conference was so decidedly international provides support for the 2009 con- rence theme, “Achieving Fusion in the Interconnected World. ” Amid lively d- cussion and intellectual exchanges, professional networks were extended well beyond the Costa Smeralda and new connections and friendships were made.

In many regions the current focus of the state is to initiate and stimulate the emergence of inter-firm networks in order to produce growth. This book takes a management perspective on the operations and processes in these networks and describes and analyzes how and why geographical proximity influences inter-firm networks.

This study looks at the increasingly important role of entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as agents of development. The book also focuses on the new policy initiatives by the different governments as they address the issues affecting the development of SMEs themselves.