Internationalization, Strategic Behavior, and the Small Firm: A Comparative Investigation

Abstract

Previous research on the internationalization of the small firm explored the relationship between the adoption of a global orientation and strategic thinking. However, there was difference in opinion between those arguing that there is a positive relationship between the two variables and others who contended that small firms may internationalize by adopting a passive or reactive approach to the external environment. Within this context, this study sets out to further the discussion by comparing the experience of small enterprises with their medium and large-scale counterparts. In doing so, it draws upon the findings of survey of 1,000 internationalized enterprises located in the main urban conurbations of England. The results suggest that overall there is little disparity in strategy development among internationalized enterprises of different sizes. However, whereas the incidence of strategic behavior among medium and large businesses increases with the complexity of international operations, this is not the case for small firms.

Information management for the internationalization of SMEs: An exploratory study based on a strategic alignment perspective

“…The identified firms have less than 250 employees, this being the size criterion set by the European Union and often used by researchers (Kalantaridis, 2004), and their annual sales do not exceed 50 million Canadian dollars. An additional sampling criterion was that the SME should be engaged internationally in one form or another (exporting, offshoring, etc.).…”

Relación entre factores administrativos e innovación

“…Artículos científicos lograrla (Anlló, Bisang, Campi y Albornoz, 2009;Kalantaridis, 2004;Leonidou, 2004), y para ello se debe tener una disponibilidad de recursos adecuados tales como contar con el conocimiento, la capacidad y la estructura organizacional; estos recursos y orientación a la exportación pueden actuar como motor o freno de la expansión internacional. Por último, Escandón y Hurtado (2014) mencionan la importancia de la internacionalización de las PyMEs como fuente de innovación.…”

“…Anlló et al (2009) menciona que al exportar se requiere una gestión para construir un sistema que facilite el desarrollo de las innovaciones que necesite el mercado extranjero. A diferencia de lo que menciona Leonidou (2004) y Kalantaridis (2004), contar con la capacidad para exportar, que se traduce en tecnología, conocimientos y capacidad instalada, son factores para innovar, y esto equivale a contar con una estructura organizacional bien definida, no solo quedándose en el puro conocimiento del mercado. Estas PyMEs han de implementar programas de beneficios para los clientes, de tal forma que los miembros �clientes� se resistan a abandonar y perder los privilegios (Grinstein, 2008), lo cual les permitirá construir relaciones a largo plazo.…”

Organizational Learning and the Internationalization Sigmoid

“…Other researchers, while endorsing such methodical inquiry, have called attention to the time and resource limitations that constrain its thoroughness. Experimentation, points to the learning that is characterized by problem-driven search during which managers are said to engage in little reflection, as they are focused on gathering only the most accessible information leading to an -adequate‖ solution [30]. The third methodical mode that allows even less scope voluntarism is structural learning, which is driven by routines that standardize information processing and behavior.…”

“…Therefore, all signs seem to point to a learning organization as the active ingredient capable of preventing the diminishing results expected to occur during the third stage represented in the sigmoid, due to its access to privilege and accumulated information that was transmitted internally with regards to decision making [29], [30]. Closing the loop, we assert that learning derived decisions in a global mindset environment influence the degree and stage of internationalization [31], [24].…”