Abstract
This article performs a systematic review of the research literature on the forms of collaboration among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) so that they reach the foreign market, since there is a lack of research focusing on the collaborative relationship between national companies as a strategic option for accessing the foreign market. In addition, we analyzed the articles to conceptually synthesized the elements that make up the business models of these collaborative forms of operating in the foreign market. Likewise, we analyzed real cases of collaborative processes among SMEs for the foreign market and highlight the contributions of governments in promoting actions to support these collaborations. We also show some directions for future research that were pointed out by the articles.
Highlights
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many national economies, since they are part of a very important economic sector on the development agendas of most governments in developed or developing countries (Costa et al 2015; Ale Ebrahim et al 2010; Hashim 2015; OECD 2019; Thomas et al 2012; Zulu-Chisanga et al 2020)
The following section presents a synthesis of some theories found in works that deal with collaboration among SMEs when used in the context of internationalization and their entry modes
We present some theories found in papers that deal with collaboration among SMEs and the entry modes used by SMEs in the context of internationalization
Summary
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many national economies, since they are part of a very important economic sector on the development agendas of most governments in developed or developing countries (Costa et al 2015; Ale Ebrahim et al 2010; Hashim 2015; OECD 2019; Thomas et al 2012; Zulu-Chisanga et al 2020). SMEs are responsible for creating jobs (Maurel 2009; Waite and Williams 2009), providing consumers with a diversity of innovative products and services, increasing business competitiveness and collaborating for economic growth in developed and developing areas (Havierniková and Mynarzová 2018; Kottaridi and Lioukas 2017; Zulu-Chisanga et al 2020). Many SMEs find it difficult to expand their activities to the foreign market, as some aspects are restrictive, such as access to information, know-how, and capital, mainly in the internationalization process (Antoldi et al 2013; Costa et al 2015; Kaufmann 1995). Research has shown that due to their limited resources and difficulties in reaching markets, the establishment of collaborative relationships by SMEs is an important factor in the internationalization process (Anopchenko and Ostrovskiy 2018; Costa et al 2017; Gancarczyk and Gancarczyk 2018; Jaklic 1998; Kaufmann 1995; López-Navarro et al 2013; Morais and Franco 2018; Nordman and Tolstoy 2016)
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