ABSTRACT
This book explores the key themes of small and medium sized firm (SME) employment generation, innovation and support needs. It examines some of the key challenges faced by SMEs in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe. The book explores the issues of employment generation in the context of a number of different transitional economies, namely: Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and the Russian Federation. It explores innovation issues in the regional context and identifies the support needs associated with the innovation process within SMEs, and the extent to which these are being addressed within the region. The book discusses new technology based firms (NTBFs) in Norway. Using a multidisciplinary approach, they develop an analytical framework to explore the organizational success of NTBFs. The book considers how innovative SMEs can be developed around research institutions or universities, using a theoretical framework based on Gidden's structuration theory.
