Author Description

SEAANZ has launched this work in order to provide a more accessible source of information for readers than is possible with traditional academic journals. This book brings together authors who represent a cross-section of the 'four pillars' that comprise the SEAANZ community - academic researchers, educators, public policy specialists and practitioners from the small business sector. Many SME owners are doing it tough in an uncertain environment where margins are squeezed and returns reduced. More than ever, Australasian SMEs are facing a unique combination of global, structural and cyclical forces than threaten their ability to take advantage of emerging opportunities. These threats - including rapid technological change, intense global competition, and unfavourable trading conditions - cumulatively create significant environmental uncertainty for SMEs. Meeting the Globalisation Challenge: Smart and Innovative SMEs in a Globally Competitive Environment identifies ways SMEs can tackle these challenges. The book comprises twelve chapters, organised into three parts. Readers are introduced to the sources of innovation in SMEs, proposals to reduce the regulatory burden for the sector, and systems that support innovation in SMEs in times of change. Contents: Chapter 1 - Introduction: Smart and innovative SMEs, Part I: Innovation in SMEs, Chapter 2 - Commercialisation in SMEs: Case studies from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, Chapter 3 - The independent professional: An untapped source of innovation, Chapter 4 - A structured approach to innovation: 'Opportunity capture' and 'systematic thinking', Chapter 5 - Management practices in medium-sized enterprises: Insights from benchmarking Australian manufacturing firms, Part II: Regulation, 'Red Tape' and the Need for Better Communication, Chapter 6 - Regulator engagement with small business, Chapter 7 - Is anybody listening?: Improving government information and communication to small business, Chapter 8 - SME