SMEs and E-Business: Implementation, Strategies and Policy

Background

An accurate overview of the importance of E-Business for SMEs must start from a clear understanding of these two realities. Even though the concepts of E-Business and SMEs are used intensively in academia and business, there is still discordance about their true meaning and economic relevance. In most manuscripts, these terms are used interchangeably and choices are determined by national statistics, specific research goals and data collection limitations. This diversity can be a source of misunderstanding in a chapter that attempts to compare different authors, studies and national realities. Consequently, in order to have an objective approach to this topic, two types of explanations are required. First, it is important to understand the relevance of SMEs and E-Business in today’s world and how they can relate to each other. Second, it is useful to know their true meaning and define the particular concepts that are going to be used during the chapter.