A meta-analysis of SMEs literature based on the survey on access to finance of enterprises of the European central bank

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are substantial contributors to employment and to the GDP growth in many countries. Therefore, understanding their difficulties to find appropriate financial resources are a key task for policy makers. Despite being a long-debated topic, there are still several gaps in the literature, probably due to the lack of empirical data. A relatively new database, the Survey of Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE) emerged after the subprime crisis. It is regularly conducted by the European Central Bank and can provide new information on SMEs financing. This paper conducts a meta-analysis of the literature based upon this survey, identifying key working hypothesis, methodologies and results.