Internationalization and destination selection of emerging market SMEs: Issues and challenges in a conceptual framework

Abstract

In this article, we target emerging market small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) internationalization by tackling two key questions: (1) What are the issues and challenges facing the emerging market SMEs in the process of internationalization in general and choice of destination in particular? (2) What are the strategies and processes being adopted by SMEs to overcome the challenges and limitations with specific reference to international destinations in developed economies as opposed to emerging markets? As we delve into these twin issues, we develop a conceptual framework, based on our mini case studies of Chinese and Indian SMEs to make complementary contribution to the research on the internationalization of emerging market SMEs. Finally, we pose a number of research questions for future research as the outcome of this article.