1st Edition
Government, SMEs and Entrepreneurship Development Policy, Practice and Challenges
Biography
Professor Robert Blackburn is Director of the Small Business Research Centre, Kingston University, UK. Robert has a wealth of experience researching entrepreneurship and SMEs including projects for the UK Treasury, the European Union, OECD and Barclays and HSBC banks. He is editor in chief of the International Small Business Journal and has published five books. Dr Michael Schaper is an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia. He is a deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and was previously Small Business Commissioner for the Australian Capital Territory. Dr Schaper has been President of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand, and a director of the International Council for Small Business.
’While SMEs and entrepreneurship have recently been identified as a key engine for economic development, the implications for public policy have remained elusive. In this important new book Robert Blackburn and Michael T. Schaper break new ground by providing a blueprint for entrepreneurship policy. This book is a must read for scholars and policy makers concerned with how entrepreneurship can best be harnessed to spur economic growth.’ David Audretsch, Indiana University, USA ’In a globally changing landscape characterised by enhanced competitive pressures, the role of effective entrepreneurship and SME policy has never been more important. This book stimulates debate and encourages exchange of ideas between policymakers, practitioners and academics. It ultimately contributes to a more creative policy environment.’ Thierry Volery, Professor and Director, Swiss Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
