engleski

Competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in Western Balkan Countries: What can they learn from EU area?

In recent period Western Balkan Countries exhibit different trends in terms of competitiveness. According to the latest World Economic Forum publication, the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, some countries progressed, while others stagnated or regressed. It is important to identify areas in which we can observe significant changes and to determine the reasons for such tendencies. Since the Western Balkan Countries are oriented toward integration in the EU, it is important to compare the characteristics of the competitiveness of these countries with developed EU countries. The purpose of this paper is to give a contribution to studies regarding improvement of competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises in Western Balkan countries according to experience of EU countries by identifying which are the main indicators of competitiveness. The main thesis in this paper is that the basic condition for economic convergence of the Western Balkan Countries with respect to the EU is to strengthen the most important elements of the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. Insistence on these indicators is considered necessary and justified, and the assumption of SMEs competitiveness in Western Balkan Countries. Considering GDP p/c as one of the main indicators of country development, supported thesis of this paper is that rank indicator of important pillars of competitiveness will rise in countries with higher GDP p/c and opposite. Appropriate statistical methods will show the correlation between mentioned indicator and pillars of competitiveness. By adjusting economic policies according to indicators of competitiveness, Western Balkan Countries can significantly affect the competitiveness of SMEs, and thus the entire economy. Considering the fact that analyzed pillars of competitiveness, innovation, technology, administration and higher education, have an also important role on competitiveness of large enterprises, methodology of scientific research presented in this paper can be applied to large enterprises.

Competitiveness; SMEs; Western Balkan Countries; EU

Rad izložen na: International conference “Innovation driven entrepreneurship” BMRA2010, October 14-15, 2010, Vilnius, Lithuania, organized by ISM University of Management and Economics, Vilnius