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The purpose of this paper is to focus on the investigation of the venture capital investment process in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Russia. The study aims to describe the mechanics by which venture capital firms operating in the CEE region process deals.

The paper is based on a two‐phase interview interaction process with venture capitalists operating in the CEE region. In the first semi‐structured (exploratory) phase of the study, 14 venture capitalists agreed to participate in one‐hour interview and aimed at discussing their venture capital process. In the second phase of the study (confirmatory), 24 venture capital firms commented on the actual fit of the proposed nine‐stage model into their past investments.

The study has two conclusions. Firstly, the study confirms the existence of a nine‐stage venture capital investment model, comprised of deal origination, initial screening, feedback from the investment committee and due diligence Phase I, feedback from the investment committee (due diligence Phase I), pre‐approval completions, formal approvals and due diligence Phase II, deal completion, monitoring, and exit. Secondly, the proposed model defines the venture capital process in terms of three channels of activity: document channel, information channel, and decision channel.

The study is important for at least four reasons. Firstly, the study focuses on the investigation of the entire venture capital process. Previous research in the area focuses on some specific facets of the venture capital process. Secondly, the paper investigates the connection between decision‐making, information gathering and written communication within a venture capital fund. Thirdly, the study focuses on the most recent period of development of the CEE industry. Many venture capital firms only recently crystallized their venture capital process. Lastly, the study proposes areas of further research for academics and makes suggestions for practitioners.

The paper aims to increase the understanding of the venture capital industry in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) by examining the venture capital industry in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia between 1998 and 2003. Even though the number of academic studies focusing on the venture capital activities in the CEE region has been increasing in recent years, the coverage of this industry is relatively weak and not well understood by individuals, businesses, and academics.

The study focuses on the analysis of secondary data available from the European Venture Capital Association on venture capital activities in the CEE region. The paper examines three key statistics that best describe the venture capital process, namely fundraising, investing, and exiting activities.

The study has three conclusions. First, venture capital financing continues to be a major source of capital to the developing firms in the region. Second, Poland is the market leader in the region in the venture capital activities as described by key statistics. Third, the countries of CEE cannot be treated as a homogeneous block.

The study is important for two reasons. First, the study focuses on longitudinal data between 1998 and 2003, the most important period in the development of the industry. Shifts in trends in these key statistics can only be observed by analyzing longer‐term data series. Second, the evolution of the venture capital industry in the analyzed countries could be used as a blueprint for venture capital development in other countries in the region.

Access to finance appears to be the largest challenge for entrepreneurial firms from the small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) sector in Poland. To address this concern, the government embarked on a program to yield financial and know‐how assistance to the SME sector. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate public intervention in this area.

The study focuses on the analysis of primary data. The sampling frame for the study consisted of 278,088 firms from the SME sector in the Warsaw region. The sample size was equal to 500 firms from the SME sector. Questionnaires from 262 respondents were included in the study, for an effective response rate of 52 percent.

The study concludes that there are still pronounced liquidity gaps for firms in the SME sector in Poland and that the government programs are not effective in closing these liquidity gaps.

Problems with access to capital continue to be a challenge to developing a vibrant SME sector in Poland and a lack of access to capital is consistently quoted as the major obstacle to the development of the SME sector in Poland. The paper offers three policy recommendations in relation to closing liquidity gaps in the SME sector.

The purpose of this paper is to provide academics, practitioners, and students with an opportunity to understand the dynamics of growing an entrepreneurial business in the emerging markets of the high‐tech industry in Poland. Limited academic studies have analyzed the evolution of high‐tech entrepreneurial businesses in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

A case study format is used to illustrate some of the operational problems related to developing a business in the high‐tech sector.

The case study offers some implications for academics and practitioners. For academics, the paper points out two areas of possible investigation. For practitioners, it highlights five problem areas specific to developing start‐up high‐tech businesses in the CEE region, with the most challenging problem being access to finance.

The case study provides at least three benefits for academics and practitioners focusing on the CEE region. First, while academic literature highlights the importance of newly developed entrepreneurial firms in transforming centrally planned economies of the CEE region, there has been limited attention given to understanding the dynamics of developing early‐stage companies in the high‐tech sector. The case study fills an important gap in academic literature in this respect. Second, it demonstrates company‐specific operational problems as well as external market challenges. Other businesses in the sector operating in the CEE region can benefit from this experience and address similar problems well in advance. Third, the paper describes the dynamics of business failure. Such descriptions are unique in academic literature.

The purpose of this paper is to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

NC Software Applications Solutions was established in 1998. Using Ericsson technology, NC set up its wireless network as an internet service provider (ISP) in Warsaw. The company's R&D activities were all based in Warsaw; over time, it became an emerging center for software design and development in Central Europe.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

International Journal of Emerging Markets (IJoEM) is a leading journal that publishes high-quality research focused on emerging markets. In 2020, IJoEM celebrated its fifteenth anniversary, and the objective of this paper is to conduct a retrospective analysis to commensurate IJoEM's milestone.

Data used in this study were extracted using the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis, using several indicators, is adopted to reveal the major trends and themes of a journal. Mapping of bibliographic data is carried using VOSviewer.

Study findings indicate that IJoEM has been growing for publications and citations since its inception. Four significant research directions emerged, i.e. consumer behaviour, financial markets, financial institutions and corporate governance and strategic dimensions based on cluster analysis of IJoEM's publications. The identified future research directions are focused on emergent investments opportunities, trends in behavioural finance, emerging role technology-financial companies, changing trends in corporate governance and the rising importance of strategic management in emerging markets.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of IJoEM. The study presents the key themes and trends emerging from a leading journal considered a high-quality research journal for research on emerging markets by academicians, scholars and practitioners.