I would like by this message to thank all those who, from near or far supported me in the course of the realization of my doctoral studies.
The overall objective of my thesis was to study how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating inAfrica can grow and support the continent's competitiveness. As Africa is plural and diverse in terms of countries, cultures and business environments, we have chosen to study the case of Benin (1007 SMEs).
To achieve this overall objective, a sub-objective has been chosen for each of the three scientific articles included in this thesis. In the first article, we conducted a systematic literature review of the usual determinants of SME growth. In the second article, we have deepened the analysis of the relevant determinants, so as to retain only the specific (emerging and rarely studied in the literature) for the context of analysis. In the third article, we measured the effect of the determinants retained on the growth of Beninese SMEs.
Our study emphasizes the importance for SMEs in Benin to develop technical capabilities, behavioral skills and ethical strategies to cope with the challenging regulatory environment.
