SMEs are significant job creators and drivers of innovation and competition in most economic sectors. Furthermore, the traditional constraints of small and medium enterprises, such as geographic operations, are now being dissolved by technological developments. This means that there are new opportunities for SMEs, and their fundamental principles are being redefined: the aims, competencies, strategy, management, practice, and scope of these businesses are changing, with wide-ranging implications.

This is the first part of a two volume work that incorporates scientific chapters on SME business theory and practice. Authors provide a balanced perspective of the present and future of SMEs across all business disciplines, including management, strategy, marketing, economics, and finance. While Volume II explores external issues such as contextual forces, the effects of the financial crisis, and macro-economic effects, this first volume focuses on the individual SME and internal issues such as innovation, quality, and digitization.

Autorentext

Alkis Thrassou is Professor in the School of Business at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, and a Senior Research Fellow of the EuroMed Academy of Business (EMAB). He has undertaken significant research in the fields of strategic marketing, management and customer behaviour.

Demetris Vrontis is Professor and Vice Rector for Faculty and Research at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, as well the Editor-in-Chief of the EuroMed Journal of Business (EMJB) and the President of the EuroMed Research Business Institute (EMRBI).

Yaakov Weber is Professor and Director of the Research Unit, School of Business Administration, College of Management, Israel. He is the Founder and President of EMRBI and EMAB.

S. M. Riad Shams is Lecturer at the Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, UK. He has published eight edited books, contributed articles to top-tier international journals, guest-edited for various reputed journals, and he is the founding editor of the International Journal of Big Data Management.

Evangelos Tsoukatos teaches Management at the University of Applied Sciences Crete, Greece, and is adjunct faculty at the University of Nicosia and the Hellenic Open University. He is Associate Editor of EMJB.

Inhalt

Alkis Thrassou (Ed.)

Demetris Vrontis (Ed.)

Yaakov Weber (Ed.)

Riad Shams (Ed.)

Evangelos Tsoukatos (Ed.) thrassou.a@unic.ac.cy

Editorial Introduction - The Evolving Identity of the SME in Global Business

Bernd Britzelmaier, Susanne Schmidtmeier,

Carolin Weidler

(Pforzheim University, Germany)

Chiara Crovini

(University of Torino, Italy)**

bernd.britzelmaier@hs-pforzheim.de

Exploring SME Risk Management in southern Germany

Glykeria Karagouni

(University of Thessaly, Greece)

karagg@teilar.gr

Entrepreneurial Innovation in Artisanal Industries: the role of knowledge in artisan SMEs reinvention

José G. Vargas-Hernández Vania Y. López-Mayorga

(Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas. Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico)

jvargas2006@gmail.com

Productivity of SMEs in Mexico and their Effect on Innovation, Using the Survey on Information Technologies and Communications

Larisa Mihoreanu

(*Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureti)*

dr.mihoreanu@gmail.com

The Medical Clinic of Proximity: Business Controversies and Medical Challenges

Paolo Di Toma

(University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy)

paolo.ditoma@unimore.it

Integrating business model innovation and corporate governance in family-owned SMEs: a dynamic capability perspective.

Kokuytseva Tatiana Vladimirovna

Ovchinnikova Oksana Petrovns

tvkokuytseva@gmail.com Digital Transformation as a Source of Innovative Growth for Small and Medium Enterprises in Russia

Demetris Vrontis (Ed.)

Gianpaolo Basile

Andrea Mazzitelli

basilegianpaolo@gmail.com

a.mazzitelli@unimercatorum.it

Innovation as dynamic and networking capabilities result. Exploration or exploitation to support firm's performance.

Aníbal Galindro; João Matias; Adelaide Cerveira; Cátia Santos; and Ana Marta-Costa

amarta@utad.pt

Prediction of viticulture farms behaviour: an agent-based model approach

Daniella Fjellström Aihie Osarenkhoe

(University of Gävle, Sweden)

Daniella.Fjellstrom@hig.se

The role of Digitalization in SMEs strategy development A Swedish case

Sunday Adewale Olaleye

Dandison Ukpabi

Emmanuel Mogaji

Sunday.Olaleye@oulu.fi

SMEs Personality Traits and Business Renewal Evripidis Lampadarios

Niki Kyriakidou

(Deputy Director for Doctoral Programmes, Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University)

N.Kyriakidou@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Critical success factors for SMEs in the UK chemical distribution industry: the Brexit effect