IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jbecon/v93y2023i6d10.1007_s11573-023-01152-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

SME research: SMEs’ internationalization and collaborative innovation as two central topics in the field

Author

Listed:
  • David B. Audretsch

    (Indiana University Bloomington)

  • Christina Guenther

    (WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management)

Abstract

SMEs’ internationalization and innovation activities represent fundamental economic activities that are conducive to SMEs’ individual success, but likewise contribute to the economic well-being of their home region and country. Therefore, understanding how some SMEs are innovative and internationally active has attracted significant scholarly attention within and beyond the SME research community. This paper highlights selected key findings from prior literature with regard to the context factors that facilitate SMEs’ internationalization and innovation. In the latter case, we focus on innovation within inter-organizational collaborations. We conclude with directions for future SME research above and beyond SMEs’ internationalization and innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • David B. Audretsch & Christina Guenther, 2023. "SME research: SMEs’ internationalization and collaborative innovation as two central topics in the field," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 1213-1229, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jbecon:v:93:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1007_s11573-023-01152-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11573-023-01152-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11573-023-01152-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11573-023-01152-w?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. Freeman, Susan & Hutchings, Kate & Lazaris, Miria & Zyngier, Suzanne, 2010. "A model of rapid knowledge development: The smaller born-global firm," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 70-84, February.
    2. Nobuya Fukugawa, 2006. "Determining Factors in Innovation of Small Firm Networks: A case of Cross Industry Groups in Japan," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 181-193, October.
    3. Kai Xu & Michael A. Hitt, 2020. "The international expansion of family firms: The moderating role of internal financial slack and external capital availability," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 127-153, March.
    4. Zoltán J. Ács & Siri Terjesen, 2015. "Born local: toward a theory of new venture’s choice of internationalization," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 13, pages 242-256, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Micaela Martínez-Costa & Daniel Jiménez-Jiménez & Hammady Ahmed Dine Rabeh, 2019. "The effect of organisational learning on interorganisational collaborations in innovation: an empirical study in SMEs," Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 137-150, April.
    6. Jeoung Yul Lee & Alfredo Jiménez & Timothy M. Devinney, 2020. "Learning in SME Internationalization: A New Perspective on Learning From Success versus Failure," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 485-513, August.
    7. Benjamin M. Oviatt & Patricia P. McDougall, 2005. "Defining International Entrepreneurship and Modeling the Speed of Internationalization," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(5), pages 537-553, September.
    8. André Pahnke & Friederike Welter, 2019. "The German Mittelstand: antithesis to Silicon Valley entrepreneurship?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 345-358, February.
    9. Pushyarag N. Puthusserry & John Child & Suzana B. Rodrigues, 2014. "Psychic Distance, its Business Impact and Modes of Coping: A Study of British and Indian Partner SMEs," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 1-29, February.
    10. Fernández-Olmos, Marta & Ramírez-Alesón, Marisa, 2017. "How internal and external factors influence the dynamics of SME technology collaboration networks over time," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 64, pages 16-27.
    11. André Pahnke & Friederike Welter & David B. Audretsch, 2023. "In the eye of the beholder? Differentiating between SMEs and Mittelstand," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 729-743, February.
    12. Del Bosco, Barbara & Cristina Bettinelli, 2020. "How Do Family SMEs Control Their Investments Abroad? The Role of Distance and Family Control," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 1-35, February.
    13. 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.
    14. Christos Kalantaridis & Ivaylo Vassilev, 2011. "Firm Size and the Nature of International Relationships: The Case of Globally Integrated Small Firms," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(4), pages 639-658, October.
    15. Child, John & Hsieh, Linda & Elbanna, Said & Karmowska, Joanna & Marinova, Svetla & Puthusserry, Pushyarag & Tsai, Terence & Narooz, Rose & Zhang, Yunlu, 2017. "SME international business models: The role of context and experience," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 664-679.
    16. Weterings, Anet & Boschma, Ron, 2009. "Does spatial proximity to customers matter for innovative performance?: Evidence from the Dutch software sector," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 746-755, June.
    17. Sabine Brunswicker & Wim Vanhaverbeke, 2015. "Open Innovation in Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs): External Knowledge Sourcing Strategies and Internal Organizational Facilitators," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(4), pages 1241-1263, October.
    18. Adomako, Samuel & Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Dankwah, George Obeng & Danso, Albert & Donbesuur, Francis, 2019. "Institutional voids, international learning effort and internationalization of emerging market new ventures," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(4).
    19. Child, John & Karmowska, Joanna & Shenkar, Oded, 2022. "The role of context in SME internationalization – A review," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(1).
    20. Ceci, Federica & Iubatti, Daniela, 2012. "Personal relationships and innovation diffusion in SME networks: A content analysis approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 565-579.
    21. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    22. Kristina Jespersen & Damiana Rigamonti & Morten Berg Jensen & Rune Bysted, 2018. "Analysis of SMEs partner proximity preferences for process innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 879-904, December.
    23. Nicole E Coviello, 2006. "The network dynamics of international new ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(5), pages 713-731, September.
    24. Bougrain, Frederic & Haudeville, Bernard, 2002. "Innovation, collaboration and SMEs internal research capacities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 735-747, July.
    25. Ritter, Thomas & Gemunden, Hans Georg, 2003. "Network competence: Its impact on innovation success and its antecedents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(9), pages 745-755, September.
    26. Tsai, Kuen-Hung, 2009. "Collaborative networks and product innovation performance: Toward a contingency perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 765-778, June.
    27. Charles Dhanaraj & Paul W. Beamish, 2003. "A Resource‐Based Approach to the Study of Export Performance," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(3), pages 242-261, July.
    28. Poorkavoos, Meysam & Duan, Yanqing & Edwards, John S. & Ramanathan, Ramakrishnan, 2016. "Identifying the configurational paths to innovation in SMEs: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5843-5854.
    29. Idris, Bochra & Saridakis, George, 2018. "Local formal interpersonal networks and SMEs internationalisation: Empirical evidence from the UK," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 610-624.
    30. Hervás-Oliver, José-Luis & Parrilli, Mario Davide & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Sempere-Ripoll, Francisca, 2021. "The drivers of SME innovation in the regions of the EU," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    31. Erik E. Lehmann & Julian Schenkenhofer & Katharine Wirsching, 2019. "Hidden champions and unicorns: a question of the context of human capital investment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 359-374, February.
    32. Charlie Karlsson & Peter Warda, 2014. "Entrepreneurship and innovation networks," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 393-398, August.
    33. Jonsson, Sara & Lindbergh, Jessica, 2010. "The impact of institutional impediments and information and knowledge exchange on SMEs' investments in international business relationships," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 548-561, December.
    34. Nicolas Classen & Anita Van gils & Yannick Bammens & Martin Carree, 2012. "Accessing Resources from Innovation Partners: The Search Breadth of Family SMEs," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(2), pages 191-215, April.
    35. Alexis Catanzaro & Karim Messeghem & Sylvie Sammut, 2019. "Effectiveness of Export Support Programs: Impact on the Relational Capital and International Performance of Early Internationalizing Small Businesses," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(S2), pages 436-461, November.
    36. Hyunsuk Lee & Donna Kelley & Jangwoo Lee & Sunghun Lee, 2012. "SME Survival: The Impact of Internationalization, Technology Resources, and Alliances," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(1), pages 1-19, January.
    37. Dimitratos, Pavlos & Petrou, Andreas & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella & Johnson, Jeffrey E., 2011. "Strategic decision-making processes in internationalization: Does national culture of the focal firm matter?," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 194-204, April.
    38. Stine Øyna & Ilan Alon, 2018. "A Review of Born globals," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 157-180, February.
    39. Nicole Coviello & Martin Cox, 2006. "The resource dynamics of international new venture networks," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 113-132, September.
    40. Wincent, Joakim & Anokhin, Sergey & Örtqvist, Daniel, 2010. "Does network board capital matter? A study of innovative performance in strategic SME networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 265-275, March.
    41. Nordman, Emilia Rovira & Tolstoy, Daniel, 2016. "The impact of opportunity connectedness on innovation in SMEs’ foreign-market relationships," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 57, pages 47-57.
    42. Hessels, Jolanda & Parker, Simon C., 2013. "Constraints, internationalization and growth: A cross-country analysis of European SMEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 137-148.
    43. Adomako, Samuel & Frimpong, Kwabena & Danso, Albert & Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Uddin, Moshfique & Kesse, Kwabena, 2020. "Home country institutional impediments and international expansion of developing country SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    44. Zahoor, Nadia & Al-Tabbaa, Omar, 2020. "Inter-organizational collaboration and SMEs’ innovation: A systematic review and future research directions," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).
    45. John Haltiwanger, 2022. "Entrepreneurship in the twenty-first century," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 27-40, January.
    46. Benjamin M Oviatt & Patricia P McDougall, 2005. "The internationalization of entrepreneurship," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 36(1), pages 2-8, January.
    47. Coviello, Nicole & Munro, Hugh, 1997. "Network relationships and the internationalisation process of small software firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 361-386, August.
    48. Mark Sanders, 2022. "Enter the Prince of Denmark: Entrepreneurship for a Resilient and Sustainable Economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 773-779, October.
    49. Fu, Xiaolan, 2012. "How does openness affect the importance of incentives for innovation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 512-523.
    50. Eberhard, Manuel & Craig, Justin, 2013. "The evolving role of organisational and personal networks in international market venturing," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 385-397.
    51. Zaefarian, Reza & Eng, Teck-Yong & Tasavori, Misagh, 2016. "An exploratory study of international opportunity identification among family firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 333-345.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wolfgang Breuer & Jannis Bischof & Christian Hofmann & Jochen Hundsdoerfer & Hans-Ulrich Küpper & Marko Sarstedt & Philipp Schreck & Tim Weitzel & Peter Witt, 2023. "Recent developments in Business Economics," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 989-1013, August.
    2. Wolfgang Breuer, 2023. "The Journal of Business Economics in the 21st Century," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 981-987, August.

    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. Child, John & Karmowska, Joanna & Shenkar, Oded, 2022. "The role of context in SME internationalization – A review," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(1).
    2. Zahoor, Nadia & Al-Tabbaa, Omar, 2020. "Inter-organizational collaboration and SMEs’ innovation: A systematic review and future research directions," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).
    3. Bai, Wensong & Holmström-Lind, Christine & Johanson, Martin, 2018. "Leveraging networks, capabilities and opportunities for international success: A study on returnee entrepreneurial ventures," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 51-62.
    4. Yoruk, Deniz E. & Bunduchi, Raluca & Yoruk, Esin & Crișan-Mitra, Catalina & Salanță, Irina-Iulia & Crișan, Emil Lucian, 2021. "Pathways to innovation in Romanian software SMEs: Exploring the impact of interdependencies between internationalisation and knowledge sources," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(4).
    5. Angélique Breuillot & Rachel Bocquet & Véronique Favre-Bonté, 2022. "Navigating the internationalization process: Strategic resources for early internationalizing firms," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 282-315, June.
    6. Pushyarag Puthusserry & Zaheer Khan & Gary Knight & Kristel Miller, 2020. "How Do Rapidly Internationalizing SMEs Learn? Exploring the Link Between Network Relationships, Learning Approaches and Post-entry Growth of Rapidly Internationalizing SMEs from Emerging Markets," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 515-542, August.
    7. Nataliya Galan & Ellinor Torsein, 2021. "Identification of international opportunities: A study of mature firms in mature industries," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 53-103, March.
    8. Paul, Justin, 2020. "SCOPE framework for SMEs: A new theoretical lens for success and internationalization," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 219-230.
    9. Marco Galvagno & Vincenzo Pisano, 2021. "Building the genealogy of family business internationalization: a bibliometric mixed-method approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 757-783, January.
    10. Knight, Gary A. & Liesch, Peter W., 2016. "Internationalization: From incremental to born global," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 93-102.
    11. Fletcher, Margaret & Harris, Simon & Richey, Robert Glenn, 2021. "Retrospective and prospective learning: Accelerating the internationalization process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    12. Jiang, Guohua & Kotabe, Masaaki & Zhang, Feng & Hao, Andy W. & Paul, Justin & Wang, Cheng Lu, 2020. "The determinants and performance of early internationalizing firms: A literature review and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    13. Symeonidou, Noni & Bruneel, Johan & Autio, Erkko, 2017. "Commercialization strategy and internationalization outcomes in technology-based new ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 302-317.
    14. Gancarczyk, Marta & Gancarczyk, Jacek, 2018. "Proactive international strategies of cluster SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 59-70.
    15. Lindstrand, Angelika & Melén, Sara & Nordman, Emilia Rovira, 2011. "Turning social capital into business: A study of the internationalization of biotech SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 194-212, April.
    16. Saras Sarasvathy & K. Kumar & Jeffrey G. York & Suresh Bhagavatula, 2014. "An Effectual Approach to International Entrepreneurship: Overlaps, Challenges, and Provocative Possibilities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(1), pages 71-93, January.
    17. González, Carlos & Ruiz Massieu, Daniela, 2021. "Universally-enabling and context-binding resources in new venture internationalization: Evidence from venture capital backed start-ups in an emerging market," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(6).
    18. Rimante Sedziniauskiene & Jurgita Sekliuckiene & Antonella Zucchella, 2019. "Networks’ Impact on the Entrepreneurial Internationalization: A Literature Review and Research Agenda," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(5), pages 779-823, October.
    19. 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.
    20. Li, Haiyan, 2020. "Role of overseas ethnic and non-ethnic ties and firm activity in the home country in the internationalization of returnee entrepreneurial firms," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1).

    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:spr:jbecon:v:93:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1007_s11573-023-01152-w. 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.