Teresa Łuczka

Regional Determinants of Efficiency Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Evidence from Poland

SMEs sector plays a vital role in modern economies. Therefore, the interest in its functioning among economists is in fact quite natural. This article is a part of a current research on regional factors contributing to the development of enterprises in this category. The first section examines earlier studies in this field conducted globally and in Poland. According to them, many elements enable the SME’s development. It is not surprisingly that the specified set of pro-growth factors does not exists. Next section describes the results of the author’s own studies in the fields. These studies relate to regional factors contributing to the efficiency growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. Data used in the study was collected from GUS and EUROSTAT and encompassed 16 provinces for the years 2003-2008. The model prepared included 11 independent variables on labor force, social mobility, living standard and R&D policy. The authors would have gladly considered more than 11 explanatory variable, but the inaccessibility of such data made it impossible. In the next step, using GRETL software, equations of regression were defined. On this basis it was concluded that the most important factors contributing to efficiency growth of SMEs are the amount of spending on R&D and the level of wages.

Economi C Activity and Social Determi Nants Versus Entrepreneurship in Smes - Selected Aspects

Entrepreneurship is a vital element of development of today’s economies. Its main objective is to undertake actions intended to ensure that economic resources of individual companies are coordinated in a pragmatic and productive manner. Entrepreneurship may be considered in two respects: (1) processes – activities aimed at forming and building a new company in certain conditions, with a view to generating profits, or (2) a set of traits and personalities – describing a particular human behaviour and action focused on innovation, ability to accept changes, spot opportunities, and take risks. Regardless of the multitude of definitions in the related literature, there is no doubt that in most cases the combination of these two economic and social components determines possible business success. Poles more and more frequently perceive the opportunities offered through the establishment of own business. Up to 63% of the public at large holds this view, placing Poland at the forefront among the European Union countries in this regard. The article attempts to examine the socio-economic determinants of respondents which affect Poles’ willingness to set up their own businesses.