SMEs and Economic Integration in Southeast Asia

SMEs and Economic Integration in Southeast Asia
Date of publication:  2019
Publisher:  ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute / ERIA
Number of pages:  635
Code:  PIC263
Soft Cover
ISBN: 9789814818780
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Reviews

Michael T. Schaper, Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 2020.

"In a novel and positive twist, the researchers use the same survey instrument (or a variation thereof) throughout the region, which allows for a degree of standardisation often lacking in region-wide studies. Each of these chapters focuses on manufacturing enterprises in a particular nation, and in most cases uses a sampling frame of some 200-300 firms in each country. Both SMEs and large firms are examined, allowing the researchers to compare the two types of business organisations. As a result, the various country chapters analyse largely the same issues. 

Overall, the book is a valuable contribution to an area that is often discussed but rarely researched in-depth, and as such should be useful reading for policymakers in both national and multilateral organisations, as well as business advocates and advisers. 

The authors of this current volume are to be congratulated for this contribution to the field; it is now time for others to continue their work."

About the publication

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for about 97–99 per cent of total enterprises and 60–80 per cent of total employment in ASEAN countries. The participation of SMEs is thus crucial for achieving greater regional economic integration amongst ASEAN countries. SMEs are, however, often constrained by many disadvantages that limit their abilities to become importers and exporters. This is well documented in the research literature on trade and firm size. This volume contains selected ASEAN country studies on the participation of SMEs in regional economic integration based on primary microdata. This is supplemented by empirical studies on the role played by East Asian multinational enterprises in the region. 

"The editors and authors of SMEs and Economic Integration in Southeast Asia are to be congratulated for this major contribution to the scholarly and policy literature on a subject of much public discussion but limited analytical research. The emphasis on economic integration highlights the importance of these firms in Southeast Asia’s growing regional and global engagement. The thirteen chapters, by leading authors in the field, comprise both insightful country analyses and careful examination of the links between SMEs and foreign investment." 
—Hal Hill, H.W. Arndt Professor Emeritus of Southeast Asian Economies, Australian National University

Co-publication: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute / ERIA

Co-published with Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

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