In line with the priorities set by the OECD Bologna Process on SME & Entrepreneurship Policies and the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration (June 2004), the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development (CFE) participates actively in Working Group 4 of the MENA-OECD Investment Initiative on Investment and Governance for Development through Output 3: “Improving the Policy Environment ...

A strategic approach to how small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) use their marketing networks during a time of change in their operating context is the focus of this article. SME networking is analysed using the structural, relational and usage dimensions associated with network frameworks. Specifically, the paper examines marketing network processes (MNPs) that are investigated through th...

We present a study of ownership and governance structure in the growing Chinese entrepreneurial SMEs sector. The study examines the structures that are embedded in the traditional Chinese values and culture, as well as the institutional environment for Chines SME's and the limitation they present towards the growth SMEs in China. Our findings suggest that Chinese SME ownership, and ownership tr...

Learning technology is seen as one solution to the problem of delivering management training in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This paper investigates how the Higher Education (HE) sector can use its growing expertise in learning technology implementation to develop effective SME management development solutions. It is found that there is potential for the development of new learnin...

This paper reports the outcomes of a two-phase investigation into leadership development in SMEs in the South West of England that aimed to devise an educational programme matched specifically to their needs. Phase One aimed to determine the demand for leadership development in SMEs in the Region by means of face-to-face interviews with 20 SME directors and was supported by interviews with lead...

This paper examines the association between bank debt maturity and relationship lending using a unique survey sample of 3,366 SMEs from 19 European countries. The knowledge of how the institutional environment shapes relationship lending helps us to understand how current institutional changes, such as Basel II, might affect the SME-bank relationship and hence, SME access to financing. Our resu...

Cloud computing (CC) and open source software (OSS) both stand out to be valuable means to address prevailing requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). For instance, such requirements include their demand for flexibility, scarcity of skills and money, and their operative focus. This paper investigates the case of e-commerce adoption by means of CC and OSS in a venture capital dr...

Collaboration and eCollaboration are arguable necessities for firms in today’s economic age. Gone are the times when a firm could stand alone in the market warding off the competitive pressures of rival firms. Today, just the competitive forces of globalization alone are significant drivers to enable collaboration amongst rivals. The advantages of collaboration and eCollaboration for SMEs are p...

This study develops propositions for a benchmarking exercise involving SME and tourism destination brands. In order to reveal the role of SMEs at destinations and their role in the destination brand, the tourism production process is analysed. It is suggested to view destinations as virtual service firms (VSF) as this highlights the interdependencies between SMEs, but also allows the descriptio...

We studied the effect of proton-coupled electron transfer on lifetimes of the charge-separated radicals produced upon light irradiation of the thiomethyl-naphthalimide donor SMe-NI-H in the presence of nitro-cyano-pyridine acceptor (NO(2)-CN-PYR). The dynamics of electron and proton transfer were studied using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy in the UV/vis range. We find that the photoinduce...