Global Value Chains and Internationalization of SMEs

The paper is oriented at improving the understanding of internationalization strategies of firms by applying the global value chain studies at the firm level, in the context of SMEs. An original contribution of our paper is to apply such theoretical approach to the Italian model of economic organization mainly characterized by local manufacturing systems. Our hypothesis is that SMEs select the mechanism of governance for supplier selection and management in their international value chains consistently with their business models and the level of suppliers’ competences. The paper discusses how SMEs develop a mix of mechanisms of governance of their supply chains depending on the firm strategy and the specificities of the countries of destination of SMEs’ outsourcing strategies. By exploiting an original dataset of over 1,000 Italian firms, the paper shows that SMEs manage internationalization processes with different patterns across countries.