ABSTRACT

Despite the growing attention on the role of managerial training in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the SMEs’ use of business development services (BDS) remains low. While previous studies discussed demand-side constraints of SMEs, empirical evidence on the impact of improving the supply-side of existing BDS providers is limited. In this study, we focus on the supply-side constraints of BDS. We discuss a case in Thailand in which the government, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, implemented a project to establish a formal network among existing BDS providers to enhance their effectiveness. Using primary data of SMEs and BDS providers, we find that providers in the treatment provinces may change their behavior in reaching out to SMEs. Further, SMEs that use BDS may enhance their knowledge and demand for providers, improve their business practices, and increase the likelihoods to have certified products and to export.

摘要

尽管越来越重视管理培训在中小型企业（SME）发展中的作用，但中小型企业对业务发展服务（BDS）的使用仍然很低。尽管先前的研究讨论了中小企业的需求方限制，但有关改善现有BDS提供商的供应方影响的经验证据有限。在本研究中，我们重点关注BDS的供应方约束。我们在泰国讨论了一个案例，在该案例中，政府与日本国际协力机构合作，实施了一个在现有BDS提供商之间建立正式网络以提高其有效性的项目。使用中小型企业和BDS提供者的原始数据，我们发现治疗省份中的提供者可能会改变其与中小型企业联系的行为。进一步，