Factors affecting SMEs' strategic decisions to approach international markets

IF 1.2 4区管理学 Q4 MANAGEMENT

European Journal of International Management Pub Date : 2020-05-19 DOI:10.1504/EJIM.2020.10018550

C. Lobo, C. Fernandes, J. Ferreira, Marta Peris Ortiz

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引用次数: 15

Abstract

The internationalisation challenges that face all companies are no longer the exclusive concern of multinationals. Participation in the international marketplace has become a reality for large firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) alike. This kind of participation can be rewarding for both companies and employees. The markets that SMEs enter and the success of this entry depend on several factors such as cultural differences, company tradition, venture capital, products and competitors. The goal of this study is therefore to understand whether the characteristics of the external market, the characteristics of the company itself and the barriers to internationalisation influence the strategic approach that SMEs adopt in their internationalisation processes. Using data on 320 Portuguese SMEs, we apply multivariate analyses to test the dimensions of internationalisation. We find that the decision of SMEs to internationalise involves an institutional change in response to external pressures in the home country. SMEs under greater institutional pressure not only tend to expand further but also engage in their initial international activities more radically.

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影响中小企业走向国际市场战略决策的因素

所有公司面临的国际化挑战不再是跨国公司所独有的。参与国际市场已成为大公司和中小型企业的现实。这种参与对公司和员工都是有益的。中小企业进入的市场和进入的成功取决于文化差异、公司传统、风险投资、产品和竞争对手等几个因素。因此，本研究的目标是了解外部市场的特征、公司本身的特征以及国际化的障碍是否会影响中小企业在国际化过程中采用的战略方法。利用320家葡萄牙中小企业的数据，我们运用多元分析来检验国际化的维度。我们发现，中小企业国际化的决定涉及到对母国外部压力的制度变化。在更大的制度压力下，中小企业不仅倾向于进一步扩张，而且更激进地从事其最初的国际活动。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

European Journal of International Management MANAGEMENT-

CiteScore

2.00

自引率

5.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： EJIM is the first international journal devoted entirely to fostering an understanding of issues in international management theory and practice in the newly expanded European arena – including the underrepresented regions of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe – and to providing both conceptual and functional implications useful for the further development of research, teaching practices, and managerial techniques. EJIM also solicits literature that allows for a broader interpretation of research – it welcomes not only papers which adhere to the most common research standards (i.e., largely based on hypothesis testing using quantitative methods), but also those that introduce a more European perspective through qualitative and interdisciplinary contributions.