Small Firms' Innovation
Why Regions Differ
M White, H J Braczyk, A Ghobadian and J Niebuhr
Small firms are increasingly recognised as the engine of growth and employment. But the great diversity of small-scale manufacture covers extremes of innovativeness and of business conservatism. Moreover it is known that the contribution of small firms varies considerably between countries. Knowledge of what circumstances foster new products in small firms, and how those circumstances vary from place to place, could help to shape constructive policies for small enterprise and for regional development.
With these aims in mind, researchers at the Policy Studies Institute in Britain and Bielefeld in West Germany collaborated in a comparative study of small firms and their new product development.
This book, which incorporates survey and case-study material from both countries, strikingly reveals the extent of small firms' achievements and the external difficulties they face.
1988 ISBN 0 85374 425 4
Research Report 690
Contents
4 Staffing and Organization of Product Innovation
6 The Regional Environment for Innovation