[fre] La petite et moyenne entreprise requiert des critères de gestion spécifiques, qui tiennent compte de la très grande diversité de ces entreprises. Cette spécificité résulte tout d'abord du caractère global du système de gestion, qui exige d'analyser ensemble les buts, l'environnement, l'organisation et les activités, en dégageant des concepts reliant ces pôles. La spécificité est également due au rôle prédominant de l'entrepreneur. Bien des classifications existent. Nous proposons de distinguer l'entrepreneur préoccupé par un logique patrimoniale et celui préoccupé par une logique de flux. [eng] The small and medium sized entreprise needs specific managerial criteria, taking account of the high level of diversity among those firms. That specificity results from the global character of the management system, needing to analyse together the goals, the environment, the organization and the activities, getting concepts connecting those poles. The specificity is also due the proéminent role of the entrepreneur. Many classifications exist. It is suggested to make a distinction between the entrepreneur focusing on a patrimonial logic, and the other one focusing on a flow logic.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present personal testimony of one of the early researchers on small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship in France.Design/methodology/approachThe story of a half‐century evolution is divided into five decades, of SME and entrepreneurship development in France. The development of the French academic system of research on SME and entrepreneurship is described through some teams.FindingsDuring the two early decades (1955‐1975), both the social legitimacy and economic competitiveness sharply and deeply lowered, while that after the world crisis (1975) until nowadays (2005), the social, political, and economic interest for SME and entrepreneurship has continuously increased.Research limitations/implicationsThe academic research pioneered SME during the 1960s, and entrepreneurship during the 1980s. The historical development of the national network of teams and associations is described, increasingly including the international context.Practical implicationsBeyond the personal testimony, this contribution enlightens the problems entailed by the lack of legitimacy of the spirit of enterprise anchored in French society, and, more generally, in all the societies averse to individual risk taking.Originality/valueThe testimony is based on the personal experience of one scholar who early promoted in the French academic system Master and Doctoral courses on SME and entrepreneurship. It outlines some original concepts relative to small firms.

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