De Gruyter Handbook of SME Entrepreneurship

<p>"A small business is not a little big business." </p> <p></p> <p>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 <em>De Gruyter Handbook of SME Entrepreneurship</em> investigates the underlying mechanisms and practices of management within these companies with a focus on <em>entrepreneurship,</em> growth and innovation. </p> <p></p> <p>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. </p> <p></p> <p>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.</p>