Synopsis
Political ideology has thrust small-firm issues to the forefront of attempts to revitalize the British economy. In the Thatcher years the emphasis has been on individual enterprise and initiative with the number of small firms increasing rapidly. This has also been reflected in the growing number of specialist studies analyzing small-firm revivalism. This work discusses the issues and debates that surround the small business and its place in contemporary society. In particular, the complex nature of its social role is examined: on the one hand, the entrepreneur can be seen as the innovator exploiting free-market capitalism to strengthen the economy, on the other, employment conditions and industrial relations are said to suffer. Moreover, "green" issues have emerged to question the extent to which the small firm benefits the environment. The advantages and disadvantages of the small firm are looked at in relation to issues such as employer-employee relations, the introduction and application of new technology and government legislation, while alternative forms of business such as co-operatives and criminal entrepreneurship are analyzed.
By drawing together the various political, social and economic strands of the subject, this book provides a cross disciplinary introduction to the small business that aims to be suitable for the general reader as well as for the specialist.
