Les travaux de recherche menés dans cette thèse répondent à plusieurs problématiques concernant les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (PME). Après un état de l'art et une proposition de classification des types de rationnement de crédit, les deux premières études s'interrogent sur l'accès des PME aux crédits bancaires : la première question concerne la prédiction du rationnement de crédit à partir des caractéristiques des PME, la deuxième est relative aux déterminants des conditions de crédit. Enfin, la troisième étude teste l'existence et les causes de la divergence des notations de crédit des PME. Les travaux économétriques menés dans ces trois études se sont appuyés sur deux échantillons différents : l'un construit à partir d'un questionnaire sur le rationnement du crédit envoyé à un panel de PME, l'autre contenant les PME clientes d'un établissement bancaire, ayant obtenu au moins un crédit sur la période d'étude de quatre ans. / This dissertation addresses several issues facing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The first three articles are focusing on SMEs' access to bank loans. This issue contains two areas for intervention. The first is the prediction of credit rationing decision based upon SMEs characteristics. The second relates to the determinants of credit terms. The fourth article approaches the issue of the existence and causes of split rating. Researches covered in this thesis are based on two different samples. The first sample was constructed from a credit rationing survey sent to an SMEs panel. The second sample was supplied by one French mutual bank and relates to information on its credit reports and credit history over the period from 2007 to 2010.

The potential of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in promoting economic growth in both developed and developing countries is widely accepted and documented by both scholars and policy makers. Particularly lacking are studies on the evidence in support of the importance of credit rationing to the sustainability of SMEs in an emerging economy like South Africa’s. This specific problem, especially in the developing countries, has been identified as the major bottleneck in realising socio-economic potentials of SMEs in those countries. However, one of the major ways of addressing the challenge of inadequate funding that exists within the SME sector is the use of bank credit. This study was therefore undertaken to explore the role of commercial banks in the provision of credit to the SMEs in South Africa. This study focuses on the issue of the relationship between the banking industry and SMEs. In particular, the problem of credit rationing of, and discrimination against SMEs by commercial banks was investigated. Because credit rationing and finance gaps can stem from imperfections on either supply-side (banks), or demand-side (SMEs), or both, the intention of the study was to examine both of these variables in order to uncover the implications of their relationships. The empirical analysis is based on survey data collected by means of a structured questionnaire which was distributed amongst banks and SME borrowers in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Contrary to the general view that commercial banks are disinclined to provide credit to SMEs, the study found that South African banks are keen to serve the SMEs and are therefore making efforts to penetrate this potentially profitable market segment. However, several obstacles are potentially restricting the involvement of banks with SMEs in South Africa. The findings revealed that regulations such as the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) and the National Credit Act (NCA) came out strongly as major hindrances of bank financing to SMEs. Furthermore, it was shown that compliance with the NCA was ranked higher than credit history and profitability as a factor hindering the approval of SME loans. - iii - However, by using the structural equation modelling (SEM), the results also show that there is a positive and significant influence of lending technology and collateral on the supply of credit to SMEs. Variables such as creditworthiness, collateral and e-banking were found to have a positive and significant impact on the provision of credit to SMEs by commercial banks. For both the supply- and demand-side analysis, technology came out as the most important predictor of SME access to finance. This means that banks should strive to align their lending techniques with the dynamic technological developments so as to reach as many SMEs as possible even in the geographically dispersed regions. It is anticipated that improving SME access to bank credit could be the key to the growth and sustainability of SMEs, the alleviation of poverty and unemployment; and consequently leading to the growth of the South African economy. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)