Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role within a country's economy considering that they provide a source of skills and innovation for entrepreneurship and their capacity for introducing, integrating and disseminating new technologies is incomparable. However, the world...

This paper examines the role of private support institutions in determining small and medium enterprise (SME) growth and performance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It finds that SMEs in SSA get around market failures and lack of formal institutions by creating private governance systems in the...

There is no universally accepted definition of a cluster. Experts in different regions of the world, however, have defined cluster as per respective national economies. Porter (2003) defines a cluster as a 'geographically proximate group of interconnected companies, suppliers, service providers...

Social networks matter in the innovation processes of young and small firms, since lsquo;innovation does not exist in a vacuum (Van De Ven, 1986: 601).' The contacts a firm has could both generate advantages for further innovation and growth, and disadvantages leading to inertia and stagnation....

Statt einer Einführung: Ein Interview mit den Autoren -- Wie finde ich den richtigen Partner? -- Geheimhaltungsvereinbarungen aus rechtlicher Perspektive -- Sicherheitsnetz Vertraulichkeitsvereinbarungen -- Wie mache ich mein Unternehmen kooperationsbereit? -- Vertrauen — Erfolgsgarant...