Experiential knowledge types and profiles of internationalising small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract

Although experiential knowledge is a well-documented construct in the internationalisation literature, research on the multidimensionality of the construct remains limited and we do not know how different knowledge combinations among internationalising SMEs are composed. This article answers the research questions: is experiential knowledge in the internationalisation process a multidimensional construct, and is there a pattern to be found among the experiential knowledge profiles of internationalising SMEs? In the article, the multidimensionality of the concept is established and four experience-based knowledge profiles of internationalising firms are identified. First, four types of experiential knowledge are extracted: internationalisation, institutional, business network and social network knowledge. Second, four experiential knowledge profiles are identified: masters, institutional experts, social networkers and learners. The article concludes that experiential knowledge is a multidimensional construct and that internationalising SMEs develop heterogeneous experiential knowledge profiles.