Internationalization Of Small And Medium Enterprises Research Articles

O USO DE NETWORKS NO PROCESSO DE INTERNACIONALIZAÇÃO: APLICAÇÃO A PEQUENAS E MÉDIAS EMPRESAS

Há uma tendência na economia de se valorizar as empresas grandes e dizer que elas contribuem para a força econômica de um país. Entretanto, alguns teóricos como Coviello e Munro (1995, 1997), Ghemawat e Ghadar (2000) e Cruz-Carreon (2007) ressaltam que está havendo um aumento na visibilidade e na importância dada às pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) ao final do século XX e início do século XXI. Alguns autores argumentam, inclusive, que o crescimento das PMEs é reconhecido como fator crucial para o desenvolvimento econômico de uma nação e o aumento do seu volume de exportações. Dada a importância que vêm assumindo as PMEs na economia mundial e nos países da América Latina e as pressões para uma competição global, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o uso de networks no processo de internacionalização de PMEs, cujos recursos gerenciais e financeiros são limitados. Para tanto, este estudo realiza uma abordagem teórica da teoria de networks, analisando os cenários de aplicação, as motivações para a utilização desta estratégia, suas vantagens e desvantagens. Foram consolidadas as informações de casos publicados de PMEs latino-americanas que utilizaram networks para a entrada em mercados internacionais. Foram encontrados indícios neste estudo de que o desenvolvimento de networks é um recurso utilizado na internacionalização de PMEs e que este pode gerar vantagens e desvantagens para as empresas envolvidas. Observa-se ainda a relevância do papel dos gestores nas decisões de expansão internacional e na formação de networks. Por fim, conclui-se que este recurso vem demonstrando ser cada vez mais valioso para as PMEs, em especial, em países em desenvolvimento como é o caso dos países na América Latina.

Internationalization and Performance: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia

Despite the importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and its role as a key participant in international business, empirical research on Malaysian SMEs in the area of internationalization has been limited. In an attempt to investigate the relationship of internationalization and performance of SMEs, this study focuses on SMEs in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. The conceptual framework is developed based on previous literature gaps on SME internationalization and firm performance. A sample of 77 SMEs in the manufacturing sector has participated in this research. Using a structured questionnaire, the data was collected through the post from SMEs located in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. The study showed a significant relationship between internationalization and performance. This result poses some implications to managers and policy makers.

Global Value Chains and Open Networks: The Case of Italian Industrial Districts

Italian district small and medium enterprises (SMEs) developed aggressive strategies to extend their sales networks and supply chains abroad. Literature on districts offered alternative explanations about the impacts of internationalization on local manufacturing systems. The authors consider the evolution of Italian districts in the framework of global value chain approach, focusing on the role of leading firms. Based on a survey of 650 Italian SMEs and financial indicators, the paper describes the rise of a new district firm model, the open network, which becomes a key node of global value chains. The paper also analyses the relationships among internationalization, innovation strategies and performance of SMEs.

Small Business Entrepreneurship and the Internal Determinants of International Behaviour

The role of Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the international economic environment has attracted many scholars for its peculiarities. In particular, their development and longevity paths are critical to a better understanding of the main characteristics of the global economy. Although they manage many of the same issues of other companies, they must also face specific problems, mainly related to their status and to the entrepreneurial behaviour of the firm owners. Nevertheless, few empirical studies have stressed the importance of human resources and entrepreneurial behaviour for the performance and growth of Italian SMEs, especially in the international environment, where keen competition and difficulties of reaching the necessary resources are often insuperable barriers for SMEs. The main goal of this study is to suggest a “holistic” model, in order to analyze the relations between the internal determinants of the internationalization process of SMEs, by integrating the individual-level with the firm-level features. The analysis, based on the theories of individual cognitive aspect, international expansion and business strategy, explores the process of internationalization of SMEs from a cognitive perspective. Therefore, the study aims to provide a better understanding of the deepest reasons that lead entrepreneurs towards distinctive paths of international development. Finally, the present study stresses the central role played by individual expectations and risk perception in understanding the international expansion strategies of SMEs. In particular, it considers some significant relationships between international processes, human capital and the role played by the firm owner.

International business competence and the contemporary firm

The trend of increasing internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is noteworthy, because such firms typically have far fewer financial and tangible resources than large multinational enterprises. As a result, international business is often more challenging for smaller firms. In this study we investigate the widespread internationalization of SMEs, and specific factors that support their superior performance abroad. We uncover a collection of intangible capabilities that are especially salient to these firms and their growing international involvement. We identify international business competence (IBC) as an intangible, overarching firm resource that engenders superior international performance in the international SME. Through case studies and a comprehensive literature review, we identify four dimensions of IBC. We devise and assess a model that links IBC to SME international performance. Results suggest that international orientation, international marketing skills, international innovativeness, and international market orientation are all significant dimensions of IBC, and that IBC is instrumental in SME international performance. We discuss resultant findings and offer managerial implications.

The Internationalization Process of Online SMEs in the U.K., U.S. and Australia

ABSTRACT Starting from a modified version of the Cavusgil and Zou (1994) theoretical framework, in which the level of internationalization of online Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is considered as an aggregated indicator of the export marketing strategy and a measurement of export performance, this paper investigates the influence of a series of internal and external factors on the internationalization of online SMEs. It expands the empirical framework used by Luo et al. (2005) in an attempt to explain the internationalization of online SMEs by integrating both organizational and market factors, thus improving the explanatory power of internationalization models, and enhancing their applicability for professionals.

The influence of the Internet in the internationalization of SMEs in Taiwan

This paper examines internationalization processes in the context of the Internet economy and presents some exploratory insights; it is based on case studies, supplemented by a preliminary quantitative study from a developing economy context, concerning the role of the Internet in enhancing the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Three main points are made in this paper. First, the Internet holds great promise in facilitating the internationalization of SMEs – especially as a marketing tool, and the communications. And the degree of internationalization (DOI) is positively correlated with the degree of electronic commerce (DOEC). Second, Internet technology has little influence on the SMEs' choice of entry mode. Third, stage-based theories do not reflect company experience in Internet economy; a preliminary study suggests that this notion is worthy of further study on a larger scale. These findings have implications for future research, practice and policy-making in terms of taking a holistic view of the use of Internet technology.

Information Internalization and Hurdle Rates in Small and Medium Enterprise Internationalization

We investigate the role of information in the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Information internalization is fundamentally antecedent to SME internationalization and is being facilitated increasingly by recent important trends. We offer a conceptual explanation and related propositions on information internalization, emphasizing hurdle rate theory for ascertaining the acceptability of firms' internationalization projects.