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The main aim of the research was to provide a unique viewpoint on the role of institutional support for SMEs in Kuwait in terms of the nature of that support and the extent to which it influences growth. From that perspective, this study analysed the growth of SMEs in Kuwait by presenting an overview of the ecosystem before examining how four key aspects of that ecosystem influence the growth of SMEs. The four key factors used to examine how institutional support affects the growth of SMEs in Kuwait are those that influence the entrepreneurship process as a whole, i.e. environmental factors, access to resources, and the characteristics of the entrepreneur and the firm. The research’s final key contribution to knowledge in this field was conducting a survey to collect quantitative data for subsequent analysis.
With regard to SMEs’ growth, the results regarding the number of employees showed some limited development in terms of an increase in the number of companies in the above 50 employees category. 13.6% of the sample belonged to that category when they started out. Currently, the percentage in that category is 18.2%. Regarding the number of products SMEs offer, the results showed evidence of very limited growth. When they were launched, 16.4% of the sample belonged to the above ten products category. Currently, that figure is 18.2%.
Regarding general support, the findings showed that most respondents (59.1%) rated government institutions’ support as ineffective. The most important reason stated for this (by 47.7% of the respondents) was that labour laws need updating. Overall, despite the resources that were being provided by such institutions, the growth of SMEs in Kuwait was reported to be weak.
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