microReport #29: Integrating Micro- and Small Scale Enterprises into Productive Markets

This microReport is intended to help improve understanding of how various tools can be used to integrate micro and small enterprises into productive markets while increasing MSE benefits from this participation. It summarizes literature and actual experience for specific lessons as to how the theory can better inform practice, and how the tools of economic development can be better harnessed and, where necessary, adapted to assist the poor.

This paper is meant to provide a basis for discussion on how enterprise development practitioners can turn knowledge into practice. It is divided into three sections. Each section summarizes both the literature and expertise from various sources. Section 2 summarizes the value chain literature. Section 3 summarizes parts of the literature on economic clusters with emphasis on MSEs. Section 4 summarizes literature in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethical Supply Chain Management field, again through the micros matter lens.