Resumen

PEREZ PRIETO, María Elena. Theoretical Considerations for Analyzing Small and Medium Enterprises as Sources for Generating Employment. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia [online]. 2007, vol.12, n.39, pp.475-487. ISSN 1315-9984.

The objective of the essay is to analyze different theoretical and empirical approaches to arguments favoring the concept of small and medium enterprises as maximum producers of employment; the methodology of documentary investigation with emphasis on specialized bibliography was used. Arguments for and against this concept are presented, commonly understood as how those companies make the labor field more dynamic and create stable, quality jobs. Likewise, their emergence and the construction of an economic myth in their favor are approached from a critical historical perspective. Theoretical foundations are based particularly on the statements of Harrinson. Results indicate that SaMEs play a very important role in the evolving structure of world-wide capitalism, not as emergent leaders but as followers of the adaptation and profitability practices of the great capitals, which suggests different modalities of observing the SaMEs phenomenon as a model for economic growth and generating employment.

Palabras clave : Small and medium enterprises; employment; economic growth; industry.