Table 2. Operationalization of variables... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2.

Operationalization of variables

Concept	Variable	Operationalization	Data sourcea
SME product innovations	Share of SMEs with product innovations	Share (%) of SMEs engaged in product innovations	EIS, average for 2017–2021
SME process innovations	Share of SMEs with process innovations	Share (%) of SMEs engaged in process innovations	EIS, average for 2017–2021
Innovation ability	EIS innovation summary score	Overall score 0–1 range (1 highest theoretical score)	EIS, average for 2017–2021
Equity financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using equity financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on equity financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Bank financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using bank financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on bank financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Grants or subsidized bank financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using grants or subsidized bank financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on grants or subsidized bank financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Access to finance as most important obstacle for SMEs	Share of SMES that identify access to finance as the most important problem facing their firms	Share (%) of SMEs that identify access to finance as the most important problem facing their firms	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Degree to which firms identify access to finance as a problem	To what degree on 1–10 scale that SMEs identify access to finance as a problem	The average score given by SMEs on 1–10 scale on how important access to finance is as an obstacle for the business	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Trust in society	Share of respondents in the average country which agree with the notion “Most people can be trusted”	The share of respondents in the World Value Survey which answer that “Most people can be trusted”	World Value Survey 2017–2020 wave

Concept	Variable	Operationalization	Data sourcea
SME product innovations	Share of SMEs with product innovations	Share (%) of SMEs engaged in product innovations	EIS, average for 2017–2021
SME process innovations	Share of SMEs with process innovations	Share (%) of SMEs engaged in process innovations	EIS, average for 2017–2021
Innovation ability	EIS innovation summary score	Overall score 0–1 range (1 highest theoretical score)	EIS, average for 2017–2021
Equity financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using equity financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on equity financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Bank financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using bank financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on bank financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Grants or subsidized bank financing reliance of SMEs	Share of SMEs that have used or considered using grants or subsidized bank financing	Share (%) of SMEs that report they are relying on grants or subsidized bank financing	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Access to finance as most important obstacle for SMEs	Share of SMES that identify access to finance as the most important problem facing their firms	Share (%) of SMEs that identify access to finance as the most important problem facing their firms	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Degree to which firms identify access to finance as a problem	To what degree on 1–10 scale that SMEs identify access to finance as a problem	The average score given by SMEs on 1–10 scale on how important access to finance is as an obstacle for the business	SAFE, average for 2017–2021
Trust in society	Share of respondents in the average country which agree with the notion “Most people can be trusted”	The share of respondents in the World Value Survey which answer that “Most people can be trusted”	World Value Survey 2017–2020 wave

Notes:

^aEIS = European Innovation Scoreboard; SAFE = European Commission and European Central Bank Surveys on access to finance

Source: Authors’ own work