Title: Government financial support: does it improve the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Lithuania?

Authors: Liucija Birskyte; Dovile Mingelaite

Addresses: Department of Economics and Business, Mykolas Romeris University, Ateities Str. 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania ' Department of Economics and Business, Mykolas Romeris University, Ateities Str. 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract: This article explores the impact of government financial support on the financial performance and other indicators of small businesses in Lithuania. To achieve the objective of the paper both survey method and statistical analysis are used. Research results provide evidence that there exists a statistically significant relationship between the magnitude of financial support and the financial indicators of SMEs. The impact of financial support on business performance in selected areas is stronger with an increase in the size of SMEs. This paper contributes to a better understanding of what kind of financial support and what features of aid recipients make the financial support more effective in the context of Lithuania's specific business and institutional environment.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; government financial support; financial performance; Lithuania.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2021.115320

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2021 Vol.43 No.1, pp.142 - 163

Received: 06 Jul 2019
Accepted: 05 Dec 2019

Published online: 28 May 2021 *

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