What angle are you coming from Holger? There are so many topics that for under this remit... Would be good to narrow it down:)

Hi John,

thanks for the reply. I have a psychological and action orientated perspective but i really just need some nice overview.....you see i struggle with what I really search :) simply an introduction (perhaps textbook?). It is for students that begin doing research in this field.

Best,

Holger

Ok Holger - I've asked a colleague who is a specialist... 

Best

John

Dear Holger:

                    As Mr. Cadogan has said, the different sides to study SME nowadays are many. For instance, one important aspect has to do with clusters, others are innovation, and so on.

                    If you are beginning with the work, I would suggest to analyze ramdomly the subject until you find something that captures your attention. Have in mind that making research is quite difficult, so you must be interested in the subject you choose.

                    If you need this information for courses with students, perhaps you can pick several aspects of SME and afterwards give each one to groups of students, in order to analyze the whole subject between the class.

Regards

Gustavo Concari 

Agree that research findings about small businesses are highly fragmented. A thorough introduction will probably consistent of several papers and/or textbook chapters covering different aspects.

I recommend familiarizing your students with Churchill and Lewis' classic 5 stage model by including their 1983 HBR article. https://hbr.org/1983/05/the-five-stages-of-small-business-growth

it is an oldie but a goodie.

Hi Holger

I sought the advice of my colleague and good friend Olli Kuivalainen, who was on holiday and out of email range... He just got back to me... His response to my question is pasted below.

"I do not use a general 'small business research text book' as a primary text book so I may not have the most updated knowledge on the topic... I used more 'international' focused ones and have used e.g. Robert Hisrich's International Entrepreneurship. The articles I use are also very much focused on internationalisation of SMEs although I tend to use e.g. life-cycle approach and point to Greiner's old HBR piece on 'crisis and how they make organisations to evolve'.

One old one, which would be more mainstream text, I have advocated to some students is Paul Burns' Entrepreneurship and Small Business (Palgrave). There seems to be a newer edition as well: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Entrepreneurship-Small-Business-Professor-Burns/dp/0230247806#reader_0230247806

Then I have several business planning books at [...]

'Theory-wise' Charaswathy's entrepreneurship book might be of interest as well... at least if one would be keen on effectuation. In the UK many small firm and entrepreneurship papers are written by Mike Wright and Paul Westhead.

Then from different viewpoints, there are naturally books on 'entrepreneurial marketing' as well, for example.

Hope this helps a bit,

Olli"

Well, in context, Olli is doing a lot of work with small businesses - and mainly from an international entrepreneurship and marketing angle.

All thr best

John

Dear John, thank you so much.

This helps a lot. Book is ordered :)

@Maris: Thank also for the link. Was a very interesting and helpful read.

Best,

Holger

What are the trends that will impact  on social entrepreneurs?

google books written by  Steve Blank, and Alex Osterwald 

Holger,

Take a look at these

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299747565_Towards_a_talent-driven_outward-oriented_globally-competitive_SME_framework_Discussion_Paper

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227722686_Shopfloor_Innovation_Facilitating_the_Suggestion_and_Implementation_of_Ideas

Technical Report Towards a talent-driven outward-oriented globally-competitiv...

Article Shopfloor Innovation: Facilitating the Suggestion and Implem...