Small and medium-sized enterprises have been neglected by the research community for a long time. In recent years, more and more research groups and activities have finally been devoted to the specific challenges in SMEs. However, it seems that there is a specific focus in each country on the local SMEs and there seems only limited exchange between researchers in different countries.
It is interesting to note that there is no single classification of SMEs available to date. The most common classification is based on the number of employees. However, several researchers have mentioned that this constitutes a too simple view on the question. Translating “SME” into the German “KMU” (klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen) is one example for a simplified view: “Mittelständisch” refers to a very specific historic background (“Mittelstand” = “middle class”).
Another debate is starting around the research on SME and Human Resource Management (HRM). Many studies so far have looked into the adaptation of HRM approaches developed in larger organizations. Typically such studies conclude that HRM in SME is not as sophisticated as HRM in larger organizations. However, some researchers have recently questioned such results and suggest that there might be a very unique way of HRM in SME which is not taken into account in the studies so far.
Relevant information resources (besides the book “Valuing HC in SME”):