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This paper analyses the role of SMEs in regional development, focusing the particular case of This paper analyses the role of SMEs in regional development, focusing the particular case of Lublin Region in Poland. By using a questionnaire presented to firms that are operating in manufacturing and construction sectors were analysed several issues related to firms themselves, and their sustainability strategies. The sustainability strategy was measured through the combination of the three main perspectives in sustainable development: Economic, Social, and Environmental. This study aims, in a first stage, to analyse entrepreneurs? view of their role in local and regional development, by the adoption of sustainability strategies at the three identified levels. After that, it will also be explored the relation between sustainable development and other variables such as: business local integration, firm age, number of years in the actual location, or firm legal form. As mentioned, the methodology adopted was the questionnaire, in order to get entrepreneurs opinion. In order to guarantee a valid sample, and considering the number of firms operating in this region, it was calculated the number of a valid sample, and due to the results obtained after a pilot study it was identified a valid sample of 44 questionnaires. However, due to the number of firms operating in the manufacturing and construction businesses (above 34.000) it was decided to collect some more questionnaires. At the end 314 questionnaires answered by managers from SMEs operating the in region of Lublin, acting the in the manufacturing and construction sectors, were accepted for this analysis. As main results it was identified that the major concern of entrepreneurs is related to the economic perspective. The second most important perspective was the environmental and at last the social one. In general the results were very positive. Most of firms present a proactive attitude towards to sustainable development, arguing that they adopt sustainability strategies (Economic, Social, and Environmental) at their management policies and strategies. However it was noticed that while older firms (above 10 years old) present greater concern with social and environmental issues, younger firms, are focusing in the economic perspective.

This paper begins with a conceptual approach to the third sector, followed by a review of the relationship between investment and growth. The empirical component focuses on Portuguese NUT III Douro and Alto Trás-os-Montes regions, which are said to be less developed, and have been the recipients of a significant amount of investment incentives in the context of the European regional development policy. Its aim is to study the impact of these investments on development. Results reveal there is a higher impact of public investment particularly on infrastructures, compared to productive private investment, and highlight the importance of non-profit private investment on the third sector. Therefore the support to the third sector stands out as an important driver in development policies, since the impact of public investment did not bring about a dynamics of internationally tradable goods which might help the region become independent of public financial support. KEYWORDS: Low Density Regions, Regional European Policy, Subsidies and Investment.

The first step will be to measure the firms sales and purchases economic impact based on small and medium-sized towns and to calculate their degree of integration into the local economy, comparing the local economic integration of small and medium-sized towns within three types of rural area, in six Portuguese small and medium-sized towns. In this paper a series of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regressions will be presented in such a way as to examine the key characteristics of entity and local environment associated with strong local economic integration, using firm sales and purchases Local Integration Indicators as dependent variables. Each independent variable compared sub-sets of towns and firms to examine the influence of a range of characteristics and distinctions between entities on local economic integration. In order to explain the level of local integration of the sales and purchases of firms, three sets of explanatory variables were taken into consideration. The first set concerns the characteristics of the local context, including country, town type (size and type) and location of the firm within the study area (i.e. in the town centre or hinterland, as previously defined). The second set describes the characteristics of the firm and owner/manager. Besides some usual characteristics (such as firm type, sector, workforce size, age etc), this set also includes indigeneity of the owner/manager, i.e. the length of time that the owner/manager has resided in the study area, and where they moved in from, as well as variables which characterise the firm’s technology (proportion of unskilled workers in the workforce, labour productivity and index of intensity in intermediate goods). Finally, a set of ‘firm environment’ variables were computed. Through these, one will attempt to examine the relationship between the firm (according to its own characteristics) and the integration with local markets of final and intermediate goods and labour.

Nowadays, before starting any goods or service production process, one tries to learn something about their quality. This is an issue the customers segment is confronted with when choosing from the supply at one’s disposal. The quality movement’s main idea is that all goods and services must achieve a maximum quality. If one is to understand this movement first one has to be able to understand the implications of its assumptions in the production process and organization. (Connor, 1997). In most countries, public administration is the sector which carries the biggest weight upon employment and one supplying most goods and services. Therefore, it cannot ignore Total Quality Management (TQM) The Portuguese Government acknowledges that "presently quality is universally recognized and accepted as the client’s satisfaction at adequate costs and that it became an imperative for all public organizations following the customers’ growing awareness of their rights”(DL n.º 166-A/99, May 13). Portuguese local public administration is facing the challenge of having to solve new and complex problems resulting from economic, social and technologic changes. It is the purpose of this paper to go into such questions as: how can TQM be implemented in a change context in Vila Real municipality? Are there limits or favourable conditions to that implementation?