IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v24y2005i4p409-419.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Dirk Clercq
  • Harry Sapienza
  • Hans Crijns

Abstract

This paper contributes to the existing research by integrating the notions of organizational learning and entrepreneurial orientation into the body of international entrepreneurship. Our primary framework combines learning theory and the new venture theory of internationalization to study the extent to which small and medium-sized companies engage in international activities. We found that the firms’ international learning effort and entrepreneurial orientation are positively associated with internationalization intent whereas domestic learning effort is negatively related with internationalization intent. Overall, our results suggest (1) that intensive knowledge renewal and exploitation regarding foreign markets and the internationalization process itself may increase internationalization by affecting the perceptions of opportunities offered by further international expansion, and (2) that firms with an entrepreneurial mindset may be more likely to develop a long-term, substantial presence in the international arena, compared to firms that are more reactive or conservative. Copyright Springer 2005

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk Clercq & Harry Sapienza & Hans Crijns, 2005. "The Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 409-419, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:24:y:2005:i:4:p:409-419
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-005-5333-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11187-005-5333-x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-005-5333-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    2. Phillips McDougall, Patricia & Shane, Scott & Oviatt, Benjamin M., 1994. "Explaining the formation of international new ventures: The limits of theories from international business research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(6), pages 469-487, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marina Dabić & Jane Maley & Leo-Paul Dana & Ivan Novak & Massimiliano M. Pellegrini & Andrea Caputo, 2020. "Pathways of SME internationalization: a bibliometric and systematic review," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 705-725, October.
    2. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Tselios, Vassilis & Winkler, Deborah & Farole, Thomas, 2013. "Geography and the Determinants of Firm Exports in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 225-240.
    3. Westhead, Paul & Wright, Mike & Ucbasaran, Deniz, 2001. "The internationalization of new and small firms: A resource-based view," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 333-358, July.
    4. Bürgel, Oliver & Fier, Andreas & Licht, Georg & Murray, Gordon & Nerlinger, Eric A., 1998. "The internationalisation of British and German start-up companies in high-technology industries," ZEW Discussion Papers 98-34, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    5. Braunerhjelm, Pontus & Halldin, Torbjörn, 2019. "Born globals – presence, performance and prospects," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 60-73.
    6. Gammeltoft, Peter & Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2021. "Enriching internationalization process theory: insights from the study of emerging market multinationals," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    7. Maria Rumyantseva & Catherine Welch, 2023. "The born global and international new venture revisited: An alternative explanation for early and rapid internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(7), pages 1193-1221, September.
    8. Alex Rialp Criado & Josep Rialp Criado & Gary A. Knight, 2002. "The Phenomenon of International new Ventures, Global Start-ups, and Born-Globals: What do we know After a Decade (1993-2002) of Exhaustive Scientific Inquiry," Working Papers 0211, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Dec 2002.
    9. David A. Ball & Valerie J. Lindsay & Elizabeth L. Rose, 2008. "Rethinking the paradigm of service internationalisation: Less resource-intensive market entry modes for information-intensive soft services," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 413-431, April.
    10. Preece, Stephen B. & Miles, Grant & Baetz, Mark C., 1999. "Explaining the international intensity and global diversity of early-stage technology-based firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 259-281, May.
    11. Kuivalainen, Olli & Saarenketo, Sami & Puumalainen, Kaisu, 2012. "Start-up patterns of internationalization: A framework and its application in the context of knowledge-intensive SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 372-385.
    12. Hashai, Niron & Almor, Tamar, 2004. "Gradually internationalizing 'born global' firms: an oxymoron?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 465-483, August.
    13. repec:zbw:rwimat:036 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Marzanna K. Witek-Hajduk, 2013. "Wczesne umiędzynarodowienie a wyniki ekonomiczne przedsiębiorstwa," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 11-12, pages 73-92.
    15. Jean–François Hennart, 2014. "The Accidental Internationalists: A Theory of Born Globals," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(1), pages 117-135, January.
    16. Schwens, Christian & Kabst, Ruediger, 2011. "Internationalization of young technology firms: A complementary perspective on antecedents of foreign market familiarity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 60-74, February.
    17. Brennan, L. & Garvey, D., 2009. "The role of knowledge in internationalization," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 120-133, June.
    18. Øyna, Stine & Almor, Tamar & Elango, B. & Tarba, Shlomo Y., 2018. "Maturing born globals and their acquisitive behaviour," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 714-725.
    19. Yli-Renko, H. & Autio, E. & Tontti, V., 2002. "Social capital, knowledge, and the international growth of technology-based new firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 279-304, June.
    20. Lindstrand, Angelika & Hånell, Sara Melén, 2017. "International and market-specific social capital effects on international opportunity exploitation in the internationalization process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 653-663.
    21. Jiménez, Alfredo, 2010. "Does political risk affect the scope of the expansion abroad? Evidence from Spanish MNEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 619-633, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:24:y:2005:i:4:p:409-419. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.