This book focuses on the relationship between business strategy and competition among Italian SMEs in the aftermath of the economic crisis. First examining business strategy and competitive advantage in a broader sense,Business Strategies and Competitiveness in Times of Crisis goes on to analyse the strategic behaviour of SMEs and the key factors that allow them to overcome the challenges they face. The book covers wide-ranging topics such as marketing and communication strategies, internationalization process and entry modes, access to credit, networking, innovation process and human resources enhancement. Referring to insightful case studies and surveys conducted between 2011 and 2014, it reflects on managerial implications for Italian SMEs and identifies their three main competitive challenges. 

Laura Gavinelli is a Research Fellow at the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy, and has taught marketing and corporate communication at various universities. Her area of expertise is the application of management and marketing to small- and medium-sized enterprises, tourism, culture and museums and other services. She is the delegate for the Italian Ministry of Economic Development at the G7 CONNEX initiative and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).