英语论文网

ent. The dominantview is that the state should focus on enhancing business competitiveness
by reducing business costs through tax reform or labour market
deregulation rather than strategic policy interventions that interferewith market processes. This view suggests that policies in support ofindustry in Europe should focus on the inherent disadvantage of Europeanfirms relative to their US and UK counterparts in relation towage costs, labour market regulation, high taxation and governmentspending and universal welfare provision.
Agitation for policy reform of this nature flows from the view thatinnovation and employment growth depend on the existence of adynamic entrepreneurial culture which facilitates the establishmentand development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). As aconsequence, support for SMEs is increasing in European countries andis often linked to transformations in post-war policy regimes that werethought to favour large enterprises. Audretsch and Thurik (1997) haveargued that these policy changes amount to a 'shift from the managedeconomy to the entrepreneurial economy'.
This paper analyses these changes in the context of three Europeancountries - France, Germany and Sweden. The first part of the paperexplains that the post-war policy regimes of these three countriesfavoured the growth of large enterprises rather than the establishmentof new firms. The second section of the paper relies on a range of
OECD studies to identify the major policy changes in these countriesthat have resulted in a shift in emphasis towards SMEs and have beendesigned to improve the economic environment for small business.
The rest of the paper evaluates these policy changes by reference toOECD data and the literature on SMEs, which suggest that the roleof SMEs in innovation, employment growth and the adoption of newforms of work organisation is often over-emphasised. SMEs are diversein nature, with only a small number of SMEs contributing to high quality
employment, net job creation and innovation. Public policy programsneed to be formulated with an awareness of that diversity. Thepaper argues that general measures to support SMEs including tax cutsand labour market deregulation may have the consequence of promotingthose SMEs which do not undertake research and development andwhich engage in insecure and low wage employment. The paper concludeswith the argument that if the objective of policies in support of
SMEs is to promote high quality SMEs, then targeted rather than generalmeasures are appropriate. Targeted policies would need toNational Championtso Small and MediumS ized Enterprises 65enhance service delivery at a regional level, improve access to high riskloans, encourage investment in intangible assets such as management
and employee training and promote both the utilisation of existing

 

NOTES
i. The Wage Earner Funds consisted of five small regional funds established from an excess
profits tax which was developed in recognition that some corporations, especially large export
88 Rachel Parker
oriented firms, paid wages below the level that they would have to pay if the unions' solidarity
wages policy did not restrain wage claims in highly profitable sectors. They were a compromise
that resulted from a much more extensive proposal of the trade union movement which was
designed to expand the influence of unions over the investment and employment decisions of
co本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。