De Gruyter Handbook of SME Entrepreneurship

"A small business is not a little big business."

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the engines of worldwide economies and the main sources of job creation. Management in these companies is different from management in larger/older enterprises with their already established concepts and instruments. In view of the high importance of SMEs in emerging, developing and developed economies worldwide, the De Gruyter Handbook of SME Entrepreneurship investigates the underlying mechanisms and practices of management within these companies with a focus on entrepreneurship, growth and innovation.

It argues that it is time for a dedicated theory of "SME Entrepreneurship" to emerge. Entrepreneurial thinking and behavior in SMEs must be differentiated from that of start-ups and large companies. On the other hand, it also explores the different entrepreneurship manifestations that exist within a widely heterogeneous group of SMEs.

The handbook provides a theoretical framework in which to understand, compare and contrast the complexity of SMEs in both domestic and international processes and addresses the strengths, achievements, and challenges of entrepreneurship in SMEs.

List of contents

Introduction

Section 1: Theories of SME Entrepreneurship

Section 2: Levels of analysis (micro, meso and macro)
Policy action on national or regional level
Risk and challenges in SMEs
SMEs and regional development
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Governance of SMEs
Innovation in SMEs
Marketing/branding in SMEs
Section 3: Education
Responsible forms of entrepreneurial education
Developing responsible SME competencies
Entrepreneurial education
Ethical research questions in SME entrepreneurship

Section 4: Processes in SMEs
Value chain in SMEs
Decision processes in SMEs
Digitilization of SMEs/Technology and AI in SMEs
Growth of SMEs/start-ups
Internationalization of SMEs/Entry modes
Business models in SMEs

Section 5: Entrepreneurial capital of SMEs
Intellectual capital in SMEs
Professional bodies/leadership
Social capital in SMEs
Knowledge sharing/knowledge management in SMEs
Talent development in SMEs
Intellectual property in SMEs

Section 6: SMEs and stakeholders
SMESs and university U-I interactions
Business angels and financial support for SMEs
Social SMEs
Ethnic groups and minorities in SMEs

Product details

• Assisted by: Marina Dabic (Editor), Marina Dabić (Editor), Kraus (Editor), Sascha Kraus (Editor)
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.06.2025
• EAN: 9783112213889
• ISBN: 978-3-11-221388-9
• No. of pages: 694
• Dimensions: 170 mm x 38 mm x 240 mm
• Weight: 1191 g
• Illustrations: 31 b/w and 36 col. ill., 85 b/w tbl.
• Series: De Gruyter Handbooks in Business, Economics and Finance
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > Business administration; Economics, KMU, Entrepreneurship, BUS071000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership, BUS055000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Reference, BUS041000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Management, BUS000000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / General, BUS069030 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economics / Theory, BUS025000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Entrepreneurship, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, BUS048000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / New Business Enterprises, Unternehmerschaft, SME innovation, SME management, SME entrepreneurship, small business management