The aim of this book is to present a much-needed conceptualization of 'the learning region'. The editors scrutinize key concepts and issues surrounding this phenomenon, which are then discussed in the context of recent literature. This unique conceptualization of the learning region presents a...

Preface and acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction: innovation beyond national systems fragility: institutional bricolage for SMEs growth / D. Lauto G. Pittino and F. Visintin -- Part I the context -- 2. Entrepreneurship and technological clusters. the influence of contextual factors on the birth...

Although the role of universities in the knowledge society is increasingly significant, there remains a severe lack of systematic quantitative evidence at the micro-level, with virtually all policy discussion based on country level statistics or case studies. This book redresses the balance by...

V.1Entrepreneurship, public policy and research.Emergence of entrepreneurship policy /Brett Anitra Gilbert, David B. Audretsch, Patricia P. McDougall --Linking entrepreneurship and economic growth /Sander Wennekers, Roy Thurik --Entrepreneurship, economic growth and public policy /Zoltan J. Acs,...

This fourth volume in the Studies of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in East Asia series focuses on regional and sectoral dimensions in a number of regional economies and economic sectors. The contributors place special emphasis on the importance of SME networking and clustering initiatives...

1. The microcredit sector in the United Kingdom : the role of CDFIs / Niamh Goggin, Karl Dayson and Sarah McGeehan -- 2. Microcredit in France : financial support for social inclusion / Stefanie Lämmermann -- 3. The microcredit sector in Italy : small initiatives in a dynamic scenario / Simone...

John Baldwin and Guy Gellatly find that the strategic decisions young firms make play a critical role in determining their odds for survival and growth. New small firms survive by developing a core set of business skills – skills related inter alia to management, human resources, marketing and...

Simon Down's timely ethnographic study takes a philosophically reflective and empirically detailed look at the way in which enterprising people use narrative resources to construct their identity as entrepreneurs. The book draws on a wide range of intellectual sources, from naturalistic...

The performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) has been a subject of continual interest to both researchers and practitioners. This enlightening book investigates the pitfalls which have affected the assessment of SME performance in much of the past research