SMEs and the Global Market Place
SMEs and the Global Market Place

Summary/Abstract: Internationalisation and international entrepreneurship among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has remained a topic of considerable contemporary relevance, principally owing to the observed growth effects of cross-border venturing, and the demonstrated capacity of SMEs to drive economic development at national, regional, and global levels (European Commission, 2007). This realisation was at the heart of the 2006 OECD-APEC study on Removing Barriers to SME Access to International Markets, which provided general findings on the major barriers to SME internationalisation as perceived by SMEs and policymakers in OECD and APEC member economies. This paper seeks to: (i) analyse in-depth the most significant barriers to SME internationalisation identified from the 2006 OECD-APEC research with a view to uncovering new insights into the nature of these top barriers; (ii) review recent work pertaining to factors that drive or motivate the internationalisation of SMEs; and (iii) develop a deeper understanding of the current programmes for SME internationalisation, particularly the specific measures aimed at addressing the top barriers identified.

• Details
• Contents