April, 1997

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) has released a study titled Methods Used by Leading Nations to Engender Best Management Practices in Small-and Medium-Sized Firms and the Application to Atlantic Canada. The study was prepared for ACOA by The ATi Consulting Corporation, Inc., based in Halifax, NS.

Small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as the primary engine of economic growth. The ACOA-commissioned study examines innovative approaches to business management development used by other countries to increase the survival and growth rates of SMEs, and which of these ¡best practices¢ could be applied to Atlantic Canada.

The study provides a very good review of the approaches which have been adopted in several leading nations and the forces which have influenced policy and program development in this field, compares the relative strengths and weaknesses of these approaches, and identifies commonalities among them.

Specific countries examined in the study are the United States, Singapore, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

The study also provides an overview of some of the best management practices initiatives available in Canada as a whole and in Atlantic Canada. The reader will recognize that Canadian and Atlantic Canadian approaches are very much in the mainstream of international practice in the BMP field.

The views expressed in the study are those of the consultant and not necessarily of ACOA The study is intended to provide useful insight to practitioners and policymakers in the region working in SME development. It will also serve as a basis for further discussion on ways to improve the management skill capabilities of SMEs in Atlantic Canada.

Methods Used by Leading Nations to Engender Best Management Practices in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and the Application to Atlantic Canada (PDF: 195KB / 88 pages)