Edith Olejnik

SMEs' internationalisation patterns: descriptives, dynamics and determinants

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the internationalisation patterns of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) quantitatively, to describe SMEs as they follow different patterns over time and to discuss the determinants of these patterns through empirical study.Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a questionnaire survey among mature German SMEs (n=674). To identify internationalisation patterns, a latent class clustering approach was applied. Because of the large sample, a multinomial logistic regression analysis could be used to analyse the factors influencing these patterns.Findings – The authors empirically find three internationalisation patterns: traditionals, born globals and born‐again globals. Comparing modern SMEs with the same SMEs from ten years ago, it was found that firms may change their patterns. Moreover, the patterns are determined by international orientation, growth orientation, communication capability, intelligence generation capability and marketing...

Linking Processes and Dynamic Capabilities of International SMEs: The Mediating Effect of International Entrepreneurial Orientation

Previous research on the internationalization of small and medium‐sized enterprises (s) has highlighted the role of knowledge and learning about foreign markets. However, empirical results on the performance implications of foreign market scanning and planning have been mixed. Following the dynamic capability perspective, we argue that s can capitalize on scanning and planning processes because of their international entrepreneurial orientation. We test our hypotheses with a sample of 604 established s and find that entrepreneurial orientation completely mediates the relationship between scanning and planning and international performance. Moreover, the results implicate a bidirectional relationship between processes and international entrepreneurial orientation.

Erfolgsrelevanz von KAM Strategien und Strukturen gegenüber internationalen Handelskunden

Bernhard Swoboda, Lehrstuhl für Marketing und Handel, Universität Trier, Universitätsring 15, D-54286 Trier, Tel. 0651-201-3050, Fax -4165 E-Mail: b.swoboda@uni-trier.de Dr. Andrea Schlüter, Mitarbeiterin am genannten Lehrstuhl von Prof. Swoboda Dipl.-Kffr. Edith Olejnik, Mitarbeiterin am genannten Lehrstuhl von Prof. Swoboda Erfolgsrelevanz von KAM Strategien und Strukturen gegenüber internationalen Handelskunden

C. Study 2: Changes in Foreign Operation Modes: Stimuli for Increases versus Reductions

While the choice of an appropriate entry mode is a crucial decision when companies enter a foreign country, they have no guarantee that this mode will remain the best way of servicing the particular market. Scholars showed an initial entry mode may persist (Rosson and Ford 1982), mode combinations may be build (Petersen and Welch 2002), but the initial mode may as well be replaced by another one (Pedersen, Petersen and Benito 2002). Changes of operation modes are important decisions as they concern companies’ institutional arrangements that define the business framework of the activities in a country. Moreover, as we previously discussed, operation mode changes also relate to the internationalization pattern of SMEs.

D. Study 3: A Taxonomy of Small and Medium-sized International Family Firms

This study investigates the linkage between the culture of family firms in terms of the organizational orientation, their strategy in terms of differentiation, cost leadership and marketing standardization and their structure in terms of integration, centralization and specialization. We discuss these factors and develop a taxonomy of small and medium-sized internationalized family firms. Family firms are a particularly interesting and distinctive group to research because these firms combine ownership and management (Gallo and Sveen 1991), have a strong organizational culture that fosters trust and tradition (Aronoff and Ward 1995) and differ from non-family firms with regard to internationalization (Fernandez and Nieto 2006). Moreover, family firms comprise most of the world’s companies (Ibrahim, Angelidis and Parsa 2008). Indeed, some of the most successful and largest companies in the world are family firms.

B. Study 1: SMEs’ Internationalization Patterns: Descriptives, Dynamics and Determinants

Since the middle of the twentieth century, the world has witnessed a rapid internationalization of markets, industries and firms. This development has been reflected by the growing number of conceptual and empirical studies on international marketing and international entrepreneurship, among other areas. Although many theoretical frameworks exist, internationalization still poses a critical challenge, particularly for SMEs (Moen 2002; Jones and Coviello 2005).

F. Final Remarks

SME internationalization is an important topic and a complex research issue. SMEs distinguish themselves from larger firms and exhibit particularities that also influence their internationalization process. Small firms are nimbler, more flexible and can better adapt to changing circumstances than their larger counterparts (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann and Bausch 2011; Li, Qian and Qian 2012). They have different structures, apply different processes and differ with regard to their organizational culture and entrepreneurial orientation. But SMEs also lack knowledge, resources and experience as compared to MNEs (Mudambi and Zahra 2007). When smaller firms consider internationalizing, they face not only the liability of foreignness, but also the liability of smallness (Lu and Beamish 2001).

Wandel von Organisationsstrukturen, -systemen und -kultur in Relation zu Entwicklungsstufen in Ländern und Betätigungsformen: Eine empirische Studie

Die Erklarung und Prognose der internationalen Entwicklung von Unternehmen uber die Zeit bildet nach wie vor eine Kernherausforderung der internationalen Managementforschung und -praxis, vor allem in Bezug auf kleinere Unternehmen (Jones/ Coviello 2005). In der Forschung zur dynamischen Entwicklung von Unternehmen in Auslandsmarkten zeigen sich trotz einer beachtlichen Tradition relativ wenige primarempirische Studien, bei Dominanz kasuistischer Studien sowie singularer Ansatze (Young et al. 2003, Kutschker/Schmid 2008). Zugleich betonen verschiedene Autoren die Notwendigkeit, die zunehmende Dynamik der Internationalisierung in theoretische Erklarungsansatze einzubinden (Axinn/Matthyssens 2002, ahnlich Jones/Coviello 2005, Aspelund et al. 2007).