The rise of medium-sized enterprises in Europe beyond the dualistic model: small vs.large firms

The crucial issues raised by the MSEs include their relative efficiency in comparison with the overall economy, and their role in sustainability and long term prospects for European countries and regions, wich are based strongly on the presence of manufacturing MSEs. The paper investigates the pre-existing relationship between the growth processes of medium-sized Italian family businesses and the corresponding financing policies they adopt. The survey reveals interesting variables that could explain the financial behaviour of medium-sized enterprises: objectives, preferences, past experiences, the financial culture of the entrepreneur or entrepreneurial group, time and characteristics of the development project