Small firm finance is a value chain governance issue: new evidence from Latin America

摘要

The literature on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) finance suggests that linkages with large firms in value chains can improve access to credit. This exploratory paper looks at inter-firm linkages and SMEs access to finance and draws on the value chain literature regarding issues of coordination and governance. Using original enterprise-level data (agro-industry in Argentina, furniture in Brazil and ICT in Costa Rica), we compare sources of value chain finance and discuss the role of financial mechanisms based on 'hard data' and relationship finance. Findings confirm the importance of value chain financing and the role of governance in SMEs' access to finance.