Strategic public management for sme competitiveness in processes of internationalisation of the italian economy

Abstract

With respect to the achievement of the research goals inherent to the Doctoral Thesis, it was considered opportune in PART ONE to examine developments in processes of internationalisation in Italy, with a focus on competitiveness in foreign markets as well as the relations underpinning SMEs and the European scenario. Starting with a brief summary of recent trends in the global economy, it emerged that the complex process of internationalisation has afforded SMEs the opportunity to invest in foreign markets, penetrate the same and gradually acquire ever more relevant market share. In this context, delocalisation, i.e. firms transferring productive units to emerging countries characterised by low production costs, has enabled firms to enhance their own markets of reference with added value. The macroeconomic outcomes of globalisation were found to be even more evident in the destructuring processes in terms of organising production, prompting Governments to put in place non interventist policies in favour of productive organisation, extending delocalisation and mobility of investments. Given the above considerations, the internationalisation process of SMEs in Italy has attracted particular attention on the part of scholars and experts in the field in the domain of Economics and Public Management (Anselmi, 2014), above all relative to the Management of Organisations, Institutions and Public Corporations (See Aprile, 2015; Wood and Demirbag, 2012). Scholars have highlighted the specifics of the internationalisation model centred on the role of SMEs and the industrial districts. Findings from the research highlight that notwithstanding various characteristic traits (such as a limited awareness of foreign trade scenarios, limits deriving from the liability of foreignness and that of newness, the disinterest shown for activities at the lower end of the value chain and for governamce models), SME competitive advantages are mainly those of a local nature i.e. the need to enhance their own identity in a system of territory based values (See Barney, 2015). In other words, a product offer suitable for a limited market (niche products), but with a global reach, which however satisfies high-end segments, thus compensating with price ranges and margins of profitability capable of sustaining even marked differentials in costs compared to those of low cost production. In order to overcome criticalities, the tendency has been to put in place efficacious business strategies and adequate reform processes. This is especially so as concerns the Regions of Southern Italy that have experienced significative transformations in terms of integrated local economies, affirming the presence of piu Mezzogiorni. Therefore, it would appear that interesting opportunities are on the horizon for SMEs, including a new competitive catching-up, with the potential capacity to effectively upgrade in technological terms their economic-productive system. Furthermore, on the other hand the prospects of international trade pose diverse challenges to the main industrial sectors, such as mechanics which have to tackle new dynamics, concentrating on customisation and services in order to compete on sophisticated but more remunerative markets. Much more complex appear the Made in Italy brand in the framework of its two bulwarks Fashion and Design, both rewarded by trends in global demand for imports but at the same time, requiring strategic positioning on which to invest (Bucci, Codeluppi, Ferraresi, 2011). In short, our research evidences that it is fundamental that SME manufacturing excellence has to be associated to intangible and distributive elements (such as the enhancement of e-commerce). Moreover, the effectively financially integrated global economy (Bordo et al. 2003), should be taken into account as well as the revolution linked to digital technologies, trade agreements and the lower costs of transport which have all contributed to consolidating a real and financial technological world economy paradigm, structured according to the