Abstract
Building on policy process theories, the goal of this study is to construct a meaningful historical narrative that explains the developments in SME policy in New Zealand during the period 1978 through to 2008 that marked the point where SME policy was firmly institutionalized as a subsystem within the wider economic policy framework. Temporality is a key characteristic of the policy process and historical accounts are an important means of describing how the process unfolds over time. The enquiry draws on archival sources as well as the personal accounts by individuals who were directly involved in SME policy development. Findings illustrate how the role of SMEs as a policy subsystem develops within an overarching economic policy framework. More specifically, we identify the periods of stability and those of change and what the role of actors, context and events is in this process by highlighting the complexity and inter-related nature of SME policy development. As we write, the foundations of globalisation are being called into question. Together with the ever faster rate of technological change, these are important pillars in the predominant political discourses that underpinned the formulation of SME policy during the period of this study. Understanding how SME policy was developed in the past could lead to a better understanding of the role of SME in this new world. As new policy is developed this study brings to the fore the dynamics of institutional context, policy actors and stakeholders, and the impact they have on policy outcomes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 32-54 |
Journal | Regional Studies, Regional Science |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 17 Jan 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Keywords
- institutional theory
- advocacy coalition framework
- multiple streams theory
- punctuated-equilibrium theory
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Data availability statement for 'The evolution of SME policy: The case of New Zealand'.
Jurado, T. (Creator) & Battisti, M. (Creator), Taylor & Francis, 17 Jan 2019
Dataset: Data Availability Statement