SMEs in manufacturing industry and a regional evaluation

via ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to assess the present position of manufacturing SME's by comparing them with large scale firms through various structural indicators. The assessment comprises sectoral and regional comparisons of West Mediterranean Region manufacturing industry firms. In the study, the firms with 10-199 employees are classified as SME and the firms with 200 or more employees are classified as large-scale firms. The data (the number of employees, value added, total capacity of power equipment and etc.) obtained from secondary sources was transformed into meaningful data sets in order to make comparisons at the sectoral and regional level. Furthermore, variance analysis was conducted to see whether factoral and total productivities of sectors significantly differed among scales. Due to its appropriateness with the purpose of the study, box-plot graphical representation was preferred. Both in the variance analysis and in graphical representations SPSS statistical program was used. In terms of indicators used no sector among SMEs demonstrated a remarkable performance, whereas, in terms of total productivity, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, products of petroleum and coal and in terms of labor productivity, manufacture of chemicals and of chemical petroleum, coal, rubber and plastic products were observed as remarkable sectors among large scale firms. As a result of variance analysis in terms of total and factoral productivity significant differences among scales were found. The employment and value added contribution of West Mediterranean Region manufacturing firms were found to be quite low compared to the industry-intensive region, İstanbul-Kocaeli, İzmir, Eastern and Southeastern Marmara.