Political openness and the growth of small and medium enterprises: empirical evidence from transition economies

Myint Moe Chit ()
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Myint Moe Chit: The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

Empirical Economics, 2018, vol. 55, issue 2, No 17, 804 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the growth determinants of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in transition and emerging economies, with a specific focus on the growth effects of political openness. Our findings indicate that product and process innovation, foreign market exposure through exports, providing training programs for employees, and the education level of employees are important growth factors for SMEs in transition economies. We also find that democracy and political openness have an adverse impact on the growth prospect of SMEs in transition economies. On the other hand, the negative effect of political openness on firm growth is decreasing as the proportion of the firm’s labor force with a university degree increases—a finding suggesting that the collective bargaining of low-skilled workers may hinder the growth of small firms in transition economies.

Keywords: SMEs; Firm growth; Political openness; Transition economies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 L25 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s00181-017-1290-x

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