IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ven/wpaper/202416.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Technological complexity and international reach in SMEs: an empirical investigation in an industrial region

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastiano Cattaruzzo

    (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

  • Giancarlo Corò

    (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

  • Roshan Borsato

    (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between technological complexity and international performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using data from a 2023 survey of firms in the Veneto region. We develop a Technological Complexity Index (TCI) to capture firms' adoption of advanced Industry 5.0 technologies. Our results reveal that higher TCI is associated with greater export intensity, broader geographical diversification, and reduced market concentration. Firms that adopt more comprehensive organizational strategies, such as product customization and post-sale services, also perform better internationally. Policy recommendations include targeted support for SMEs to enhance technological adoption through financial incentives and skills development programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastiano Cattaruzzo & Giancarlo Corò & Roshan Borsato, 2024. "Technological complexity and international reach in SMEs: an empirical investigation in an industrial region," Working Papers 2024: 16, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    • Handle: RePEc:ven:wpaper:2024:16
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.unive.it/web/fileadmin/user_upload/dipartimenti/DEC/doc/Pubblicazioni_scientifiche/working_papers/2024/WP_DSE_cattaruzzo_coro_borsato_16_24.pdf
    File Function: First version, anno
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James R. Tybout, 2000. "Manufacturing Firms in Developing Countries: How Well Do They Do, and Why?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 11-44, March.
    2. Giovanni Dosi & Sébastien Lechevalier & Angelo Secchi, 2010. "Introduction: Interfirm heterogeneity--nature, sources and consequences for industrial dynamics," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 19(6), pages 1867-1890, December.
    3. 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.
    4. Hao Hu & Liming Zhang, 2015. "Catch-Up of Chinese Pharmaceutical Firms Facing Technological Complexity," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(04), pages 1-19.
    5. Timothy F. Bresnahan & Erik Brynjolfsson & Lorin M. Hitt, 2002. "Information Technology, Workplace Organization, and the Demand for Skilled Labor: Firm-Level Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 339-376.
    6. Giovanni Dosi & Sébastien Lechevalier & Angelo Secchi, 2010. "Interfirm heterogeneity: nature, sources and consequences for industrial dynamics. An introduction," Post-Print hal-00642680, HAL.
    7. Lawless, Martina, 2009. "Firm export dynamics and the geography of trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 245-254, April.
    8. Fariborzi, Hadi & Osiyevskyy, Oleksiy & DaSilva, Carlos, 2022. "The effect of geographic scope on growth and growth variability of SMEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(5).
    9. Sutton, John, 2012. "Competing in Capabilities: The Globalization Process," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199274536.
    10. Anna Makles, 2012. "Stata tip 110: How to get the optimal k-means cluster solution," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 12(2), pages 347-351, June.
    11. Patel, Pari & Vega, Modesto, 1999. "Patterns of internationalisation of corporate technology: location vs. home country advantages1," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 145-155, March.
    12. Andrew Delios & Paul W. Beamish, 1999. "Geographic scope, product diversification, and the corporate performance of Japanese firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(8), pages 711-727, August.
    13. Ernesto Cassetta & Umberto Monarca & Ivano Dileo & Claudio Di Berardino & Marco Pini, 2020. "The relationship between digital technologies and internationalisation. Evidence from Italian SMEs," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(4), pages 311-339, April.
    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. Terranova, Roberta & Turco, Enrico M., 2022. "Concentration, stagnation and inequality: An agent-based approach," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 569-595.
    2. Javier Papa & Luke Rehill & Brendan O'Connor, 2021. "Patterns of Firm-Level Productivity in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 52(3), pages 241-268.
    3. Thomas Brenner & Matthias Duschl, 2018. "Modeling Firm and Market Dynamics: A Flexible Model Reproducing Existing Stylized Facts on Firm Growth," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 52(3), pages 745-772, October.
    4. Cimoli, Mario & Porcile, Gabriel, 2011. "Tecnologia, heterogeneidad y crecimiento: una caja de herramientas estructuralista [Technology, heterogeneity and Growth: A Structuralist Toolbox]," MPRA Paper 33801, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Chatzistamoulou, Nikos & Kounetas, Kostas & Tsekouras, Kostas, 2022. "Technological hierarchies and learning: Spillovers, complexity, relatedness, and the moderating role of absorptive capacity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    6. Johannes Boehm & Swati Dhingra & John Morrow, 2019. "The Comparative Advantage of Firms," Sciences Po publications 2019-07, Sciences Po.
    7. Natália Barbosa, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and exporting performance:Firm-level evidence from Portugal," GEE Papers 183, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Sep 2024.
    8. Daniele Cerrato & Mariacristina Piva, 2012. "The internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises: the effect of family management, human capital and foreign ownership," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(4), pages 617-644, November.
    9. Matthias Duschl & Tobias Scholl & Thomas Brenner & Dennis Luxen & Falk Raschke, 2015. "Industry-Specific Firm Growth and Agglomeration," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(11), pages 1822-1839, November.
    10. Victoria Golikova & Boris Kuznetsov, 2017. "Perception of risks associated with economic sanctions: the case of Russian manufacturing," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 49-62, January.
    11. Ciarli, Tommaso & Valente, Marco, 2016. "The complex interactions between economic growth and market concentration in a model of structural change," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 38-54.
    12. Giovanni Dosi & Emanuele Pugliese & Pietro Santoleri, 2017. "Growth and survival of the `fitter'? Evidence from US new-born firms," LEM Papers Series 2017/06, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    13. Hsu, Bo-Xiang & Chen, Yi-Min & Yan, Ting-Yu, 2021. "Industrial targeting and firm performance: An integrated approach to industry selection," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    14. Noor Ismail & Olli Kuivalainen, 2015. "The effect of internal capabilities and external environment on small- and medium-sized enterprises’ international performance and the role of the foreign market scope: The case of the Malaysian halal," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 418-451, December.
    15. Areti Gkypali & Kostas Kounetas & Kostas Tsekouras, 2019. "European countries’ competitiveness and productive performance evolution: unraveling the complexity in a heterogeneity context," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 665-695, April.
    16. Diana Suárez, 2015. "This paper analyzes changes in the firm’s innovative strategy and how this impacts firm’s performance. The methodology is based on a cluster analysis over 800 Argentinean manufacturing firms with info," Globelics Working Paper Series 2015-04, Globelics - Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems, Aalborg University, Department of Business and Management.
    17. Mario Cimoli & Gabriel Porcile, 2014. "Technology, structural change and BOP-constrained growth: a structuralist toolbox," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 38(1), pages 215-237.
    18. Aleksandra Kordalska & Magdalena Olczyk, 2020. "What fosters firm-level labour productivity in Eastern European and Central Asian countries?," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 51(1), pages 91-120.
    19. CATTARUZZO Sebastiano, 2020. "On R&D sectoral intensities and convergence clubs," JRC Working Papers on Corporate R&D and Innovation 2020-01, Joint Research Centre.
    20. Cimoli, Mario & Fleitas, Sebastian & Porcile, Gabriel, 2011. "Real Exchange Rate and the Structure of Exports," MPRA Paper 37846, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technological complexity; international organization; export diversification;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ven:wpaper:2024:16. 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: Sassano Sonia (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dsvenit.html .

    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.