Networking and the outward/inward innovativeness and internationalisation of firms in Poland

Abstract

This research explores the relationships between the networking of firms and their innovativeness and internationalisation, with the distinction between their outward and inward types. It adopts a holistic approach to firms’ innovativeness and internationalisation and examines whether networking is more strongly related to firms’ innovativeness or their internationalisation. Empirical data to test hypotheses were collected from 274 Polish firms using direct questionnaire interviews. The results show that networking is conducive both to the outward and inward innovativeness of firms, having the stronger relationship with inward innovativeness, and to outward internationalisation only. The results also indicate a variation concerning the strength of relationships corresponding to the sector in which the firms operate, their size, the capital group affiliation and the origin of capital.