Eco-conscious internal communication and psychological drivers of eco-centric creativity: A three-wave PLS-SEM study of Chinese SMEs.

Although Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of economic activity and inclusive growth in Indonesia, and recent data from Jambi Province reveal a disconnect between robust post-pandemic recovery and meaningful poverty reduction. While regional GDP climbed from 0.99% to 6% between 2020 and 2024, poverty declined only slightly, highlighting persistent inequality. This study addresses this gap by examining, for the first time in the context of Jambi Province, how e-commerce adoption mediates the link between Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs’) quality and the achievement of economic growth, innovation, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 9. Using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) on data from 250 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the findings reveal that improvements in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs’) quality alone do not drive growth or reduce poverty unless they are accompanied by the effective adoption of e-commerce. This integrated approach, combining Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs’) capacity, digital transformation and regional Sustainable Development Goal outcomes, offers new empirical evidence and practical recommendations for emerging economies. Despite a sectoral and regional focus, the framework and results are generalizable to similar contexts. Future research should expand into additional sectors and regions, and adopt longitudinal analysis to validate and enrich these findings.

The study focused on assessing the growth challenges and opportunities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Chipata District, Zambia. The specific objectives were to examine the nature of challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs, investigate the factors leading to the failure of start-ups within five years, and develop a practical framework to guide SMEs in Chipata District. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The descriptive survey design was adopted, targeting a finite population of 85 SMEs, SME employees, and industry experts. Using Yamane’s formula with a 5% margin of error, a sample size of 70 respondents was derived. A sample of 70 participants was selected, comprising 60 SME employees chosen through random sampling and 10 experts, including local authority officials and SME owners, selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Service Solutions (SPSS) to produce descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to content analysis to extract key themes. The findings revealed that SMEs face numerous challenges, including a highly competitive environment, financial constraints, outdated technology, insufficient government support, and lack of strategic knowledge. Opportunities were identified in leveraging government programs and local market demand. Start-up failures were attributed to inadequate capital, limited managerial competencies, and difficulties in retaining skilled employees. To address these issues, a framework was proposed, focusing on harmonizing regulatory frameworks, improving access to financing, building managerial and technological skills, and establishing innovation hubs to enhance product development and competitiveness. The study concludes that SMEs’ success depends on fostering managerial skills, embracing innovation, ensuring access to capital and infrastructure, and developing a committed workforce. Sustainable SME operations require enabling regulatory policies, strategic market linkages, and capacity-building initiatives. Recommendations included streamlining regulations, enhancing access to government programs, fostering mentorship initiatives, and creating innovation hubs. Policymakers are advised to prioritize a conducive regulatory environment, improve financing mechanisms, and invest in capacity-building initiatives for SMEs to thrive.

Traditionally, it is believed that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have enough ability to adopt and persistently practice social sustainability. This is because SMEs are not capital-intensive companies and neither are their returns nor skills. At the same time, the wellbeing of the employees in SMEs cannot be ensured and sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without making SMEs socially sustainable, as they account for the majority of world businesses. Moreover, the expectation of the stakeholders and subsequent pressure on SMEs to practicing social sustainability remains. Such pressure from the stakeholders creates a “mismatch problem” between stakeholders’ expectations and SMEs’ abilities to adopt socially sustainable practices. This study aims to explore what factors are responsible for this “mismatch problem”, and how SMEs can handle this mismatch to be socially sustainable firms. Based on a rigorous literature review, this study reveals that both internal issues, such as a lack of resources and awareness, and external issues, such as the non-existence of a tailored social sustainability standard for SMEs and lack of institutional support, are responsible for this gap. This study develops several propositions that highlight the requirements in various situations and provides strategies outlining the implications for SMEs and their stakeholders to make SMEs socially sustainable. Overall, this study discloses that cooperative support from stakeholders, especially during a disruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a finance mechanism, the development of awareness and human capital in SMEs, and a unified standard for SMEs are likely to improve social sustainability practices in SMEs.

Purpose – This study aims to analyze how the implementation of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) affects their sustainability reporting, as well as to understand the factors underlying the success or challenges in applying these sustainability principles to MSMEs. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with owners or managers of MSMEs in Indonesia. A total of 12 MSMEs from various sectors on the island of Java were selected as research samples. Data analysis was conducted using a scoring method to identify and interpret the GRI and SDGs practices implemented by MSMEs Findings – The study results indicate that the level of GRI disclosure and SDGs implementation in MSMEs in Indonesia varies. Most MSMEs have an understanding of the importance of sustainability, but their implementation is still limited to basic aspects such as energy efficiency and waste management. The main challenges faced by MSMEs are limited resources, lack of understanding of reporting standards, and cost pressures. Research limitations/implications – This research has an impact on the development of theories regarding the implementation of GRI and the achievement of SDGs in the context of MSMEs. This study has limitations in the relatively small sample size and focus on MSMEs in Java, so the results may not be generalizable to all MSMEs in Indonesia. Future research can involve larger and more diverse samples Keywords: GRI, Sustainability Report, SDGs, MSMEs

The vision of India@2047‚ well on its way to the 100th year of independence (2047) implies a principled approach to development -a development which is developmentally sound, environmentally sustainable and equitable. This paper examines the potent interface of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Indian environment. It also underscores the complementary roles of large corporations as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in fostering inclusive and sustainable development. The study is designed to evaluate how CSR, as a policy and regulatory development, can work towards achieving the country’s long-term development targets, with specific reference to how the MSME sector, alongside large corporations, can help advance SDG-compliant achievements. Aim of the article is to understand status and working dimension of CSR in India, to study the SDG integrated Corporate and MSME strategies, and how these initiatives could be enhanced to meet the vision of India@2047. It discusses CSR guidelines under Sect. 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the lack of compulsory contribution by MSMEs as they are frequently absolved from CSR obligations but significantly contribute in local development and community participation. Based on secondary data from reports, policy papers, lists and publications, sectoral studies and sustainability reports, the study is complemented with case studies showing successful CSR practices of corporate giants and socially oriented MSMEs. A comparison between different countries of same economical, geographical and cultural with India have also been discussed empirically to provide a better insight.The results show that, despite having structured CSR approaches in large organizations, increasingly aligning them with specific SDG, MSME participation is observed through informal and need based community initiatives. This ground presence allows them to be especially well-positioned to address local problems, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. Education, skill training, health care, women empowerment and environment conservation are sectors wherein MSMEs are bringing about significant impact, working hand-in- hand with local partners and NGOs in most cases. But such impediments as inadequate funding, ignorance and nonexistence of a CSR act/ act providing guidelines on CSR policies hinder the complete utilization of MSME’s in advancing SDGs. The article posits that if India@2047 has to become a reality, CSR has to become more than just a statutory obligation for the large companies and be turned into a national movement with the participation of firms of all sizes. Governments through policy incentives and training programs need to support MSMEs to scale their social and environmental investments. Promotion on sustainability reporting, easier-green-finance access, and building collaborative platforms for knowledge sharing between corporates and MSMEs can greatly amplify the above impacts. On the whole the road to well-developed, just and sustainable India by 2047 will be in combining the strength of big and the small. An inclusive CSR policy which encompasses SDGs, uplifts MSMEs and encourages innovation is a necessity to tackle developmental challenges and ensure a robust, future-ready nation.

Orientation: In the contemporary business environment, employee mental health is neglected, especially in mental health research and practice in African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This occurs even though this sector is the largest contributor to developed economies. This study highlights the importance of psychological well-being in SME performance and the individual employee.Research purpose: To investigate the influence of perceived organisational support, career goal development and empowering leadership on the psychological well-being of SME employees in Gauteng province, South Africa.Motivation for the study: Despite increasing research on SMEs, few studies have investigated the impact of perceived organisational support, career goal development, and empowering leadership on psychological well-being in a Southern African context.Research approach/design and method: This study followed a quantitative approach, using the survey methodology where a structured questionnaire was administered to 250 SME employees. To evaluate the psychometric properties of measurement scales, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.Main findings: Perceived organisational support, career goal development and empowering leadership have a positive and significant impact on the psychological well-being of SME workers. A robust, positive and significant relationship exists between empowering leadership and psychological well-being.Practical/managerial implications: The results indicate that SME managers in South Africa should pay more attention to, or place greater emphasis on, supporting employees in their organisations, recognising and assisting them in achieving their goals, and empowering them to be happy at work. If the psychological well-being of employees is prioritised, SME business performance will ultimately improve.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the current body of Africa’s industrial psychology and mental health literature – a field that has received little research attention in developing countries like South Africa.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), defined in this review as businesses with up to 250 employees, are believed to be both an important tool in the fight against poverty and an important contributor to economic growth in developing countries. SMEs are responsible for the majority of employment generation in developed as well as in developing countries (Ayyagari et al., 2007). Given that SMEs play an important role in the formal labour force, the health of the sector has implications for employment generation policies and growth. Ayyagari et al. (2007) show that formal SMEs are responsible for most of the private sector employment in developed countries - for example, SMEs are responsible for around 60-70 per cent of employment generation in Germany, Finland, Belgium and Canada. However, in African countries SMEs are responsible for a smaller share of formal employment generation, providing only about 20 per cent of employment in Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon. Ayyagari et al. also note that the SME sector's contribution to employment shows a strong positive correlation with GDP per capita. Thus, the evidence suggests that increasing this sector's contribution to employment might generate growth (Ayyagari et al., 2007; Beck et al., 2005), and therefore that effective business support services may positively affect GDP per capita. African economies have a lower percentage of formal workers in SMEs due to the fact that these economies have a larger (not computed) and less productive informal sector. Thus, in the path towards a more formalised labour market, employment generation by the SME sector plays a very important role. SMEs can further be linked to economic growth through their ability to link knowledge, product commercialisation and total factor productivity (Acs et al., 2009; Solow, 2007). A seminal study using a cross-section of countries to analyse SMEs and growth was provided by Beck et al. (2005), who found a positive but not causal relationship between SMEs and growth. An exploration of other available empirical evidence however, shows that while studies that focus on developed nations suggest a positive impact of SMEs and entrepreneurship on economic growth, studies examining developing countries suggest a negative impact (for example, Audretsch and Keilbach, 2004; Mueller, 2007; Cravo 2010; Cravo et al., 2012; Cravo et al., 2014).1 Acs et al. (2008) have attributed these differences in empirical results to different entrepreneurship responses to institutional arrangements. Moreover, heterogeneity in institutional arrangements is likely to provide different incentives to rent-seeking activities (Baumol, 1990). Thus, the role of SMEs in a given economy can be expected to vary depending on the institutional settings and level of development. Development agencies provide a considerable amount of targeted assistance to SMEs in low-and middle-income country economies (Beck et al., 2006). For instance, the World Bank devoted US$9.8 billion to SME projects during the period 2006–12 (IEG, 2013). For the same period, the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group directed to SMEs amounted to US $25 billion. However, there is limited evidence on the impact of SME support in the literature, due either to an insufficient number of studies employing convincing identification strategies to isolate the causal impact of the intervention under consideration, or to limited information regarding the mechanism underlying such interventions. This systematic review will draw on economic theory and qualitative studies to uncover the channels through which a particular intervention can affect the outcomes of interest. This research will therefore separate the outcomes into two categories, intermediate and final, wherever possible in order to uncover the theory of change of each intervention. In developing countries, programmes that support SMEs are based on the view that there are institutional constraints that impede SMEs from reaching their full potential to generate jobs and profits. Thus, the large amount of financial resources allocated to the development of the SME sector by governments and development organisations is designed to address institutional failures, and allow SMEs to operate more efficiently, thus leading to productivity growth (Beck et al., 2005).2 Various approaches are used to provide support services to SMEs. These mainly aim to improve the institutional setting and to remove those institutional constraints that prevent these firms from reaching their full potential and thus contributing effectively to economic growth and poverty alleviation. Based on a preliminary review of the literature, we have identified the main approaches to SME support as programs related to formalisation and the business environment, access to external markets, value chains and clusters, training and technical assistance, SME financing and innovation policy. This literature can be divided into two distinct themes. The first considers indirect support that addresses the constraints that prevent SMEs from getting access to credit, whereas the second addresses the impact of direct business support to SMEs. In the first strand, many studies look at the impact of an indirect type of public support aimed at SMEs, such as tax simplification, which intend to provide incentives for informal SMEs to formalise. The underlying assumption is that formal firms are less credit-constrained than their informal counterparts and therefore formalisation would be an effective way of helping entrepreneurs. Formalised firms are expected to have higher economies of scale and consequently be more productive, demand a more skilled labour force, and have higher profits. If informal firms are prevented from growing due to credit constraints, reducing the cost of formalisation should, indirectly, give firms the opportunity to escape from the low-scale-low-productivity trap. This intervention is an indirect form of public support because it is targeted to all firms with annual revenues below some threshold. All informal firms are incentivised to formalise through tax simplification. Those that decide to formalise are not directly offered any other type of public support. The second group of studies addresses the impact of direct business support to SMEs. They generally estimate the impact of a support programme to SMEs within a specific sector in a specific country, with the intervention based on the assumption that SMEs face constraints such as a limited pool of skilled labour, limited innovation capability and coordination failures. In this view, SMEs need public support to break the vicious circle of low investment and low productivity. A successful intervention might even generate (spillover) effects on firms that do not belong to the target group of the programme – firms from other sectors and/or informal firms in the same sector. This kind of support comes in the form of training programs, support for innovation or value chain and association strategies (for example, clusters) to address coordination failures. Notice that, unlike the indirect public support programmes, the unit of intervention is the firm itself. Firms are directly targeted with programmes that aim to help them shift from a low equilibrium (small size and scale) to a high equilibrium (bigger scale and dynamism). Workers are offered training, and transportation costs, spillover effects and coordination failures are directly affected by the creation of productive agglomerates. Since this review will investigate the impact of a diverse array of interventions, it is challenging to come up with a general theory of change. Although we provide a general theory of change based on our preliminary search of the literature in this section, it is with the caveat that each type of intervention identified in the initial search of the literature is based on an institution's belief in a particular causal chain. Therefore our approach to building out this theory of change will involve taking a case-by-case perspective on the assumptions regarding the causal chain of each of the programs analysed. As mentioned in Section 1.2, in general, support to SMEs is related to productivity growth and employment generation. Overall, the theory of change behind SME support services is linked to the improvement or creation of institutions that allow SMEs to reach their full potential. Figure 1 below provides a more general illustration of the theory of change for the intervention models we aim to survey in this review, as detailed in Table 1. Theory of change Within this general theory of change are contained those which are specific to the particular interventions shown: Tax simplification initiatives can be seen as a type of indirect business support to SMEs. These interventions aim at improving firm performance through the channel of formalisation. Economic theory suggests that formal firms will be able to grow with access to credit markets and by taking advantage of economies of scale. A tax simplification program could affect outcomes such as employment and profit through two intermediate outcomes: 1) formalisation rate, and 2) access to credit. The causal chain could be simplified as following: The necessary conditions for a tax simplification program shifts the informal entrepreneurs trapped in one equilibrium, characterised by low productivity and profits, to another where they face less constraints to growth after formalisation. There are plenty of studies that concentrate only on final outcomes, however, and shed no light on the mechanisms. Consequently, policy makers interested in knowing how such an intervention worked are given no guidance. We note that sub-components within the business support interventions that this review analyses may overlap. We will develop a conceptual model of intervention types to ensure appropriate categorisation of interventions for the analysis. A review such as this has the potential for significant policy relevance, given the amount of attention governments, development agencies and organisations around the world have dedicated to sponsoring a range of assistance programs targeted to SMEs and aimed at spurring firms' performance regarding innovation, productivity, exports and employment generation. Broader impacts on the economy such as higher wages and poverty reduction are also seen as by-products of such interventions (Beck et al., 2006). However, in spite of their prevalence worldwide, too little is known about the impact of SME support interventions. In a recent survey on SME policies in African countries, McKenzie (2011) shows that African firms are in general small, with up to 10 employees, but very heterogeneous in terms of employment, sales and access to external market. He also shows that although SMEs have been supported in several ways in African countries, rigorous evaluation of such policies is scant. This is surprising given that the SME sector is one of the main targets of international and national aid agencies (Cravo et al., 2014). This research intends to fill part of this gap by summarising systematically the rigorous evaluations done in the field so far, and feeding back the results to policymakers working on this problem worldwide. The policy relevance of this review is increased by the fact that it aims to distill the evidence on what works in Africa, and should therefore be particularly useful to policymakers and donor organisations interested in supporting SMEs in Africa. Among the Africa-specific issues we aim to address with this review, are the question of SMEs' potentially limited contribution to employment in African countries relative to other regions, and, in contrast, the potentially greater contribution to poverty reduction these enterprises may make in the African region in comparison to larger ones. The initial literature search for impact evaluations of indirect business support services suggests the existence of a considerable number of studies for Asian and Latin American low- and middle-income economies. Fajnzylber et al. (2011) and Monteiro and Assunção (2012) use quasi-experimental techniques to analyse the effect of a tax simplification program in Brazil on formalisation and firms' performance. McKenzie and Sakho (2010) use instrumental variable (IV) estimations and provide evidence on how tax registration affects profitability in Bolivia. Mel et al. (2012) study the effect of formalisation on profit, sales, new workers and other outcomes in Sri Lanka using IV estimations and Rand and Torm (2012) use matching and difference-in-difference techniques to assess how formalisation affects profit, access to credit and investment in Vietnam. For the African context, the available evidence is likely to be more limited. However, a detailed, comprehensive search and synthesis of the literature is necessary, with a particular focus on its applicability to the African context. As with the indirect interventions, the initial search of the literature for impact evaluations of direct support services indicates that there is limited evidence for Africa. In one of the few studies available, Mano et al. (2012) conduct a randomised experiment in Ghana to analyse the effect of SME training programs on sales, added value and profit. In the context of low-and-middle income countries as a whole, a considerable amount of evidence is available for Latin America. Benavente and Crespi (2003) analyse the effect of an association strategy on productivity in Chile, using difference-in-difference and matching methods. In another study of the Chilean case, Arraiz et al. (2012) analyse the effect of value chain support on sales, employment and exports using propensity score matching and difference-in-difference estimators. The literature also presents evidence on support for innovation in low- and middle-income countries. Castillo et al. (2011) provide evidence of the impact of process and innovation support on exporting, employment, wages and survival in Argentina, by combining propensity score matching and a difference-in-difference approach. Other studies analyse different types of support. Tan (2009) provides evidence for Chile for different SME programs of technical assistance, cluster programs, technology programs and credit programs on sales, output, employment, wage, productivity and exports. In addition, Ibarraran et al. (2009) study how training programs, access to credit, product innovation and ISO certification affect productivity using instrumental variables and matching methods in Latin American countries. Though most of the papers cited above indicate a positive effect of SME support programs on selected outcomes, there is a need to systematically review and synthesise the evidence to provide an unbiased account of the impact of these programs on firm performance. As the evidence appears to be predominantly from Latin America, its applicability to African countries, or any other context, is not straightforward due to lack of external validity that mark these studies. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying the causal chain of an SME intervention is therefore crucial if one is interested in designing SME interventions in different contexts. Therefore, one of the aims of this review is to shed light on the impact of various programs, as well as on the mechanisms that could help us understand why similar programs succeed in some countries or contexts but fail in others. This review has some similarities with another Campbell-registered review, by Grimm and Paffhausen (2013). This other review, however, focuses on employment creation and business creation and will not systematically review evidence on firm performance such as productivity, revenues, profits, innovation, formalisation and access to credit – all of which are the main outcomes of interest of this review. To answer these questions, the research will cover both intermediate outcomes, such as access to credit, training, and formalisation, and final outcomes, such as higher profits, employment generation, productivity and access to external market, and will look for context-specific variables that can help us understand the causal chain of the intervention. We recognise that this is a very challenging exercise to be fully addressed by this systematic review. In fact, the main objective is to shed some light on the potential moderator variables linked to the institutional setting and level of development of each country. Assessing applicability of the results to specific local African context is not an easy task and goes beyond the scope of the systematic review, however, in order to allow the reader to relate the review findings to a specific context, the document will present relevant contextual and implementation information. This review will focus only on studies that evaluate policies aimed at supporting SMEs in low-and middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank's classification), with an emphasis on African countries wherever possible. The focus on LMICs is justified firstly because private firms in these countries tend to be more labour intensive and less innovative, and consequently are the main employer of a large proportion of the labour force. Secondly, restricting the scope to LMICs helps to identify the binding constraints that SMEs might face in similar institutional contexts, such as in some African countries. The term SME covers a wide range of definitions and measures, varying from country to country and between the sources reporting SME statistics. Some of the commonly used criteria are the number of employees, total net assets, sales and investment level (Ayyagari et al., 2007). The most common criterion used to classify SMEs is based on employment information, due to data availability, and the cut-off used to define SMEs is usually 250 employees4. This review will use this cut-off of 250 employees. Consequently, other types of interventions aimed only at supporting entrepreneurship and the creation of microenterprises, such as microfinance5, will not be part of this research. This is because self-employed and micro-entrepreneurs have a different nature in comparison to SMEs6. The former, especially in LMICs, are comprised of less productive or informal enterprises of few employees in the fringe of the markets. Furthermore, these enterprises are not eligible to most of the public interventions to be covered in this review. Thus, the definition of SME based on number of employees fits well our purpose of covering a broad set of interventions and of considering relevance for African countries7. Since our prior assumption is that there will be only a few studies examining public interventions in African countries, a proper contextualisation of the interventions, a comprehensive understanding of the designs, the target groups, and the moderator variables ranging from those related to firms themselves (size, sector, number of years in operation) to those related to the country where the intervention take place will be crucial to this review. This will allow us to be able to shed some light on whether the intervention has some external validity and consequently whether it could potentially work in an African context.8 In order to address the likely problem of limited evidence, particularly of relevance to Africa, the scope of the review will include all studies identifying final and intermediate outcomes. This will also better inform the causal chain analysis which will help inform our tentative findings about generalisability to African countries. In the studies selected, we will then search for any information on how and why interventions worked or did not work. The literature recommends that synthesis is informed by the theory of change embedded in the design of an intervention (see Waddington et al., 2012b). However, our focus is not only on the impacts directly anticipated by the intervention but also included unanticipated impacts. We will include the following interventions: Formalisation/ Business Environment (Institutional Improvement): such as tax simplification, intended to provide incentives for informal SMEs to formalise. Underlying assumption: that formal firms are less credit-constrained than their informal counterparts and therefore formalisation would be an effective way to help entrepreneurs. Indirect support to SMEs may include policies regarding business registration, property registration and regulatory frameworks (Fajnzylber et al., 2011; Monteiro and Assunção, 2012; McKenzie, 2013). Exports/Access to External Markets: defined as interventions that correct market failures such as information externalities and help SMEs overcome obstacles to exporting (Volpe and Carballo, 2010; Volpe et al., 2010; World Bank, 2010). Support for innovation policies is based on the idea that social returns to innovation exceed private returns (Lundvall and Borras, 2005; Acs and designed to support innovation This review will different types of innovation support such as matching and tax as identified in the preliminary For instance, et al. evaluate the of matching provided after an for et al. (2012) analyse the impact of matching and credit for innovation, and et al. (2011) evaluate the effect of tax on Other of innovation support may also be identified during the search and interventions: defined as interventions that help firms from externalities and overcome the coordination failures that prevent SMEs from these externalities and et al., and technical defined as interventions that provide support for training and technical assistance, based on the idea that improve and wages of workers and to firm productivity et al., 2011; et al., 2007). This type of intervention also services and such as those by the World Bank et al. and et al. (2013). SME and in credit markets generate financial constraints, which in SME activities (Beck and and 2007; et al., The review will in this of interventions that provide or services to SMEs, such as those in World Bank (2010) for credit and in et al. (2009) for credit We note that sub-components within the business support interventions this review analyses may overlap. In this case, it will be important to them as as possible. If there is a analysis will be using detailed information on intervention however, this may not be possible if only a number of are To the of our knowledge, most of the papers the impact of a public policy targeted to SMEs a group with a group comparison group in the of quasi-experimental However, we will be studies that and from studies that have more than two we will also separate the evidence to the intervention In the of for instance, an intervention can use a an cluster or (see et al., have two they identify different and so and they in terms of data different rate, different of and so The selected studies on at one impact to do with outcomes, either or For the of this review, we will define firm performance impacts to to objective such as revenues, profits, innovation, formalisation, number of workers and access to credit. of firm performance impacts will be on and will be outcomes of SME support around better firm performance and growth and therefore can be revenues, profits, employment, productivity, innovation, and survival The following are of studies that we would to include in the review at these outcomes: Mano et (2012) experiment in Ghana to analyse the effect of SMEs training programme on sales, value added and Benavente and (2003) study of the effects of an association strategy on productivity in Arraiz et (2012) of the effect of value chain support on sales, employment and exports in (2009) evaluation of different Chilean SMEs programs for technical assistance, cluster programs, technology programs and credit programs on sales, output, employment, wage, productivity and and Castillo et (2011) study of the effects of process and innovation support on exporting, employment, wages and survival in outcomes vary to the type of but can be defined access to credit, training, tax simplification aimed at firms' formalisation, formalisation rate, policies aimed at improving the value and growth. These are all of direct intervention through outcomes. that provide access to credit aim to allow firms to an economic and/or As the firms in the market and the intended outcomes are survival and in productivity. with SME support related to innovation, training and the value chain the underlying assumption is that more skilled workers and a better value chain will in higher productivity, employment generation, access to markets and others. For instance, Ibarraran et al. (2009) focus on how interventions such as training programs, access to credit, product innovation and certification affect productivity of SMEs in Latin American countries. The review will draw on a broad search to identify studies that relate to the interventions aimed at SMEs in To address to the review will focus on analysis and include only studies that use and quasi-experimental such as design instrumental matching on propensity score matching and any other methods that to for (for example, selected have for the of program or into the and quasi-experimental methods are seen as the the main objective is to estimate the causal impact of an intervention or policy (see for et al., an intervention is designed or the identification strategy of an study convincing the findings on the impact of the program or intervention are to have that one can that the in the outcomes between and was by the This review will thus only studies that assess the impact of an intervention the and the at one or more in In where more than two are the can also involve comparison of the two The studies will therefore be from and data studies that on data show or use a matching to for in using matching for instance, should the intervention of the program to be able to make the that the problem of is due to the studies included will document the impact of any business support on SMEs to as In addition, the review will the impact of different types of business support on firm performance. As in Waddington et al. on studies that use and quasi-experimental methods may the studies that can be included in the review. Although this might be a particularly if one is interested in different interventions, we this because findings of studies that do not for their are of little relevance, and for The search strategy aims to cover as comprehensive a set of and sources as within the period because in the of the interventions of it is most likely that these have been in the formal literature on SMEs or in the literature on the part of national and international

Objective: This study analyzes the influence of Quadruple Helix collaboration on Competitive Advantage in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with Critical Success Factors (CSF) as a mediating variable. It supports achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by emphasizing MSMEs' role in reducing economic disparities and fostering sustainable development. Theoretical Framework: The study incorporates the Quadruple Helix framework, highlighting the collaboration of academics, industry, government, and society, alongside Critical Success Factors to ascertain their contribution to improving MSME competitiveness. The Resource-Based View (RBV) undergirds the study, highlighting the significance of human resources, leadership, and financial capabilities in attaining Competitive Advantage. Method: A quantitative approach examines the relationships among Quadruple Helix Collaboration (X), Critical Success Factors (Y), and Competitive Advantage (Z) in 301 MSMEs from North Sumatra. The sample, drawn using the Isaac and Michael formula, was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via AMOS software. Results and Discussion: Quadruple Helix has a positive and significant effect on Competitive Advantage through Critical Success Factor. It can be said that if Quadruple Helix is increased, it will increase Critical Success Factor (SCF) and indirectly have a real effect on increasing Competitive Advantage. Research Implications: The findings highlight the necessity of collaborative efforts among policymakers, stakeholders, and MSMEs to strengthen critical success factors and achieve sustainable economic growth. Future research may explore additional variables, such as technology integration. Originality/Value: This study uniquely integrates Quadruple Helix theory and Critical Success Factors to propose a framework for enhancing MSME competitiveness while aligning with SDG 8.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are vital for achieving SDG 1 (poverty alleviation) and SDG 8 (inclusive and sustainable economic growth). In Surakarta (Solo), MSMEs significantly contribute to local employment and poverty reduction. However, many face challenges in expanding beyond the local market, particularly in accessing foreign markets. This study analyses the role of Solo’s MSMEs in advancing SDGs 1 and 8 and explores barriers to global market entry. Using a qualitative approach through literature review and secondary data from the Surakarta Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the research identifies key obstacles and opportunities for MSMEs in supporting poverty reduction and economic growth. The Pentahelix Model—government, academia, business, civil society, and media—is applied to highlight the collaborative framework needed for MSMEs’ internationalization. Strengthening these stakeholders’ synergy can create an enabling environment, improving access to finance, training, and market information. A comprehensive strategy involving policy support, capacity building, and resource facilitation is essential to enhance MSMEs’ competitiveness in global markets, thereby maximizing their contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 8. Keywords— MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Poverty Eradication, Inclusive Economic Growth, International Market Access

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the innovativeness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Benishangul Gumuz regional state of Ethiopia and it aims to contribute to innovation literature mostly in emerging nations. The study used both descriptive and explanatory research designs, along with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample size of the study consisted of 354 managers of enterprises who were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected through a questionnaire from managers and interviews with officials from the small and medium enterprises agency. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive, independent samples t-test, correlation, and regression analysis. The descriptive finding indicated that lack of access to finance; weak government support, poor organizational innovation culture, technological incapability, inadequate research and development centers, and shortage of skilled personnel are the major barriers for enterprises to engage in innovation. The study also revealed that there was no significant difference in the level of innovativeness of small and medium enterprises between male and female innovators. Additionally, the correlation analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between technological capability, government support, organizational innovation culture, access to finance, research & development, skilled personnel, and innovation of enterprises. Furthermore, the regression analysis showed that access to finance had the most significant impact on the innovativeness of SMEs in the Benishangul Gumuz regional state of Ethiopia. This study assessed the factors affecting the innovativeness of SMEs in BGRS of Ethiopia. It was found that there is a lack of existing literature on this specific topic. Though there are studies in Ethiopia that focus on factors affecting the growth and performance of SMEs, there is inadequate literature on the factors of innovativeness of SMEs, which is a constraint for this study. This makes it difficult to compare the results of the current study with previous studies conducted in Ethiopia in general and BGRS in particular. Moreover, the study included seven factors that affect the innovativeness of SMEs. Although there may be other relevant factors affecting SMEs’ innovativeness, they were not considered in this study. Future research should consider additional factors such as entrepreneurial training, networks & collaborations, access to infrastructure, & leadership entrepreneurial competency, which could also impact SMEs’ innovativeness. Additionally, the study was conducted using a sample from only one region, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should involve multiple regions of Ethiopia to increase the sample size and improve the generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, the study used a cross-sectional survey design. Future research should consider using a longitudinal survey design to identify potential variations in the factors affecting enterprise innovativeness over time. Despite these limitations, the study's results can provide valuable input for further research and policymakers in Ethiopia, especially in the BGRS region, regarding SMEs’ innovativeness. The findings of this study would provide valuable input for managers of SMEs to consider various factors that inspire enterprises to become more innovative. Additionally, the result of this study can help business owners identify and address the elements that affect their ability to innovate, enabling them to take proactive steps to enhance their innovative capabilities. This, in turn, can contribute to economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development in Ethiopia. Innovative SMEs can contribute to sustainable development goals in several ways. They can design new business models that take environmental and social impacts into account, such as using cleaner technologies and reducing resource inputs. Moreover, innovative enterprises can incorporate sustainable development goals into their strategies by considering their business models, supply chains, procurement practices, and research and development processes. Furthermore, these enterprises can promote responsible consumption and production by minimizing waste, selecting environmentally friendly materials and packaging, and implementing recycling and waste management initiatives. Additionally, innovative enterprises can use the sustainable development goals as a framework to communicate their performance targets and actions while engaging with stakeholders. In general, innovations can significantly reduce costs associated with progress, offering opportunities to develop new solutions, approaches, and environmental actions that contribute to the sustainable development of Ethiopia. Therefore, providing adequate credit facilities, government support, utilizing up-to-date technology, promoting an innovative organizational culture, establishing research and development centers, employing hard-working and skilled personnel are essential for enhancing the engagement of small and medium enterprises in innovative activities. This study makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature on the factors of innovativeness in small and medium enterprises. The study aims to assess the influence of various factors such as technological capability, government support, access to finance, research & development, organizational innovation culture, gender, skilled personnel on the innovation of Small and Medium Enterprises.

The happiness level of MSME actors determines the regional economy. Small business innovation is the driving force behind MSMEs' happiness and business continuity. Business units classified as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the locomotives of the regional and national economies. This study aimed to analyze the influence of cultural capital and community involvement on the well-being of MSMEs either directly or through MSME innovation. This study was conducted on MSME agents. Data was collected through questionnaires from 350 MSME agents and 150 MSME agents, and data analysis was performed using the SEM PLS. The study results indicate that cultural capital and community involvement have a positive and significant impact on the innovations undertaken by MSMEs. The cultural capital and innovation of MSMEs have a positive and significant effect on the happiness of MSMEs. In contrast, the role of community participation has an insignificant effect on the happiness of MSMEs. MSME innovation controls the impact of cultural capital on MSME welfare with partial mediation, and MSME innovation controls the impact of public engagement on MSME welfare with complete mediation.

Executive SummaryThis research studies the role of networks in the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging country; mediated by internationalization capabilities. Self‐administered surveys targeting 300 SMEs in Egypt were employed, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicated that nonbusiness institutional networks have a direct positive impact on Egyptian SMEs' international performance, while the direct relationship between interfirm networks and social networks with international growth showed insignificant results. Moreover, the mediating role of the internationalization capabilities showed significant results between the three types of networks and SMEs' international performance. This study is an original attempt to differentiate among the types of networks, and how each affect SMEs' international growth. Additionally, empirical evidence is provided for the role of networks in building SMEs' internationalization capabilities in an emerging country context, where research has received less attention.AbstractThis research aims to study the role of networks in the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging country. The research also investigates the mediating effect of internationalization capabilities; namely disruption and value‐adding capabilities in the internationalization process. This study is following a conclusive descriptive research design, utilizing a quantitative methodology using self‐administered surveys. Data were collected from 300 SMEs in Egypt from various industries. The results indicated that nonbusiness institutional networks have a direct positive impact on Egyptian SMEs' international performance. However, the direct impact of interfirm networks and social networks on SMEs' international performance showed insignificant results. Moreover, the mediating role of the internationalization capabilities, namely disruption capabilities and value‐adding capabilities, showed significant results; mediating the relationship between the three types of networks and SMEs' international performance. This study contributes to the networks theory as well as the dynamic capabilities theory, where we postulate that various types of networks support the development of specific capabilities crucial for firms' internationalization. The study is important for SME managers as it identifies the specific importance of business, social, and nonbusiness institutional networks to enhance SMEs' international performance in emerging countries. This study employed AMOS‐SPSS version 21 for data analysis.

ABSTRACT. Aim of following contribution is to define and quantify selected attributes of the business environment in Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In this context, our own research was prepared and gradually implemented, where the intensity of individual business risks, status, motivation, feelings of entrepreneurs in SME segment, relationship to the bank, state, society, and business optimism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia was analyzed. Due to the global financial crisis, conditions for SME business have worsened. Average decrease in the profitability amounted in 10.44% in the Czech Republic, and in Slovakia 12.01%. The most important business risk for SME is the market risk (lack of market space for the realization of own production). In the Czech Republic 79.44% and 80.49% of Slovak entrepreneurs reported market risk as a key business risk at present. The perception of entrepreneurs by the society and by the state is not good in both of countries. In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, lots of firm owners have met with corruption and cronyism. Despite the deterioration in the business environment, Czech and Slovak entrepreneurs are very optimistic. Results of our research confirmed that there is necessary to form complex conditions for business development of small and medium-sized businesses in both countries.JEL Classification: L26, O16, G21Keywords: small and medium enterprises, business risks, status, motivation, feelings of entrepreneurs.IntroductionSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SME) have become an increasingly important component of economic development representing a substantial proportion of the national economies all around the world (Karpak and Topcu, 2010). In this context, Henderson and Weiler (2010) indicate that SME can be characterized as major engine of economic growth.SME have specific features and fulfill important tasks in the economic system. SME have significantly contributed to an employment and GDP, help to create more intense competitive environment which has a great importance in relation to prices and quality of products and services. SME helps with their flexibility to fill the market space and they are bearers of important innovations.Share of SME in total number of active enterprises in the Czech Republic in 2012 was 99.86%. Share of added value in 2012 was 53.81%. Share of SME's employees in total employment in business sector in the Czech Republic in 2012 was 59.43% (Ministerstvo prumyslu a obchodu Ceskej republiky, 2013). In Slovakia, share of SME in total number of active enterprises was 99.2%; in total employment was 59,5%. Share of added value was 55.6% and share of SME in profit before taxes was 51.6% (Narodna agentura pre rozvoj maleho a stredneho podnikania, 2013).SME segment has its own characteristics and disadvantages, which are transformed into business risk. This risk can be divided into market risk (lack of market space for the realization of own production), financial risk (poor access to finance businesses), operational (risk of failure to deal with the processes in the production of goods and services), personal risk (risk due to poor staff) and other risks.Important factor today, that has influence on existential ability of SME, is narrowed market space due to the causes of the global economic crisis.Business activities are significantly determined by the environment of the company, which forces it to use a particular method of behavior, to use the choice of particular business goals and ways of achieving them. In this context, the very important role is played by social environment and political and legal environment that is created by the state authorities.In this context it's considered to be very important to investigate the position of SME in the socio-economic system, because it can be presumed that the positive perception of these companies by social environment can positively stimulate their financial performance and accelerate the positive impact of these companies on the whole society. …

This study examines the financial management of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia and Malaysia which are the drivers of the economy in both countries, but this sector has not been able to become an independent sector and become the foundation of the national economy in both countries. The problem is that financial management in Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) ignores the importance of financial management standards, the problem is that poor financial management makes Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) insignificant in advancing the economy. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data were obtained from MSME actors by distributing questionnaires and interviews. The results of this study indicate that MSME financial management in Indonesia is not as good as Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Malaysia, meaning that Malaysia has better MSME management, this can be seen from various research indicators, namely: planning indicators, budget use, recording, reporting and controlling. Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia and Malaysia when compared to Indonesian Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) do not have good planning, have not carried out standard records, standardized reporting, are not concerned with standard financial statements, balance sheets, profit and loss, cash flow, do not have or install systems in their business units, such as control of systems and procedures, billing records of sales notes, it is very clear that Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia have not done so. Meanwhile, from the other side, when compared to Indonesian MSME respondents, the level is very small, more so for micro cart businesses, small shops that are not in the form of their own buildings, the context is very small. In Malaysia, micro, small and medium enterprises are not comparable to the conditions in Indonesia, while in Malaysia, the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) already have a more appropriate place. Thus, it is easier for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Malaysia to get banking support, while Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia are still difficult to upgrade and are still difficult to enter the bank compared to Malaysia.

Green management behavioral is quite pertinent to enhance small and medium enterprises economic green performance. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) need to adopt environmental paradigms in order to reach the economic green performance. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between green management and competitive advantage strategies for increasing green economic performance MSMEs in Central Java Province. The population of this study was MSMEs in Central Java. This study was quantitative analysis. The analytical tool in this study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with warp PLS program applications. The results showed that MSMEs that implement green management in their business operations can improve company performance through the ability to compete with these MSMEs. MSMEs could be implementing Green management activities by producing environmentally friendly products, campaigning for environmentally friendly movements, investing capital in environmentally friendly businesses and allocating costs for waste treatment, implementing quality standards that are environmentally friendly in the production process. The better MSMEs in implementing green management, the better MSMEs in competing in the industry, which will improve the company’s green performance such as getting financial benefits from managing environmentally friendly businesses, getting bonuses in the form of prizes from private/government institutions for implementing environmentally friendly businesses, get bonuses in the form of tax rate relief from the government, get bonuses in the form of soft loans from private/government institutions as well as increased sales of MSME products due to applying environmentally friendly businesses. Thus, the application of environmentally sound business management (green business management) needs to be developed among MSMEs players. This is because MSMEs can not only increase additional income, but MSMEs can also participate in preserving the environment.