Martine Spence

A comparative investigation into the internationalisation of Canadian and UK high‐tech SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide comparative data from a two‐country study; specifically, into the internationalisation strategies of Canadian and UK high‐tech small and medium‐sized enterprises.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology employed involves 24 in‐depth interviews, 12 in each country.Findings – These suggest that the differences between the firms in the two countries were limited; more similarities were identifiable. Specifically, strategy formation is not as systematic as some previous studies, notably those that focus on the “stage” models, suggest. Entrepreneurs and management teams recognise and exploit opportunities in different ways, ranging from planned strategy formation through to opportunistic behaviour; as such, no single theory could fully explain international entrepreneurial decisions.Research limitations/implications – The implication of the findings is to offer support to the literature that has suggested a more holistic view should be undertaken in intern...

Gender and Export Propensity

This article draws on theories about the internationalization process of small– and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs) and feminist arguments to explain gender differences in export propensity. Findings are based on a large–scale survey of Canadian SMEs. After controlling for sector, firm, and owner attributes, female majority–owned firms were significantly less likely to export than firms owned by men. The implications for entrepreneurship and feminist theory, export policy, and research are considered.

An exploratory study of Canadian international new venture firms' development in overseas markets

Purpose – In the past decade, research on rapidly internationalizing firms, commonly referred to as “international new ventures” (INVs), has mainly focused on their inception phase and relatively little is known of what becomes of these firms after this period in respect of their international marketing strategies. The purpose of this paper is therefore to gain insights into how management teams within small INVs assess international opportunities and develop appropriate international marketing strategies.Design/methodology/approach – The approach employed involves interviews with key respondents in five small, independently owned firms that have a significant percentage of turnover overseas.Findings – The paper identifies that specific types of knowledge are related to growth strategies as are perceptions of market potential and the management teams vision.Practical implications – The results of this study provide further understanding of patterns of internationalization and more specifically that forei...

An investigation into UK firms’ use of trade missions

This paper reports on a longitudinal investigation into two groups of UK firms’ use of trade missions in psychologically distant countries. Firms in the first group were “new” to the markets, that is, having never visited the markets under investigation prior to attending the trade mission (NEW). In comparison, the other group contained “experienced” firms, having at least limited experience in these same markets (EXP). The findings suggested that over the two years of the study, differences existed between the two groups’ strategies. Newcomers to the markets used their first visit to: establish market presence through agents; gain access to business networks; and obtain an understanding of the functioning of the market. For exporters who had already visited the market, these visits were a means to: expand the span of their activities in the market to new networks; and strengthen their presence in previously established networks. The longitudinal methodology employed offers a contribution to knowledge at the public policy/ international entrepreneurship interface by expanding on earlier studies that have been restricted to single timeframes.

Canadian Perspectives of International Entrepreneurship

The Canadian domestic market is limited, andsoCanada relies heavily upon the exporting of goods to maintainemployment levels and to increase economic growth.To encourage firms toexpand globally, the Canadian federal government established Team Canada Inc.(TCI), a system of government agencies who provide support to exporters. A summary of several Canadian government policies that were created topromote exporting is provided.Five major Canadian programs are described:theforum for international trade training (FITT), New Exporters to BorderStates (NEBS), Exporters to the United States (EXTUS), Reverse NEBS, and NewExporters Training and Counselling Program (NEXPRO).A detailed overviewof each program and its objectives is included.Although the programs havedifferent strategies regarding the education and training of entrepreneursinterested in internationalizing their businesses, each respective programsobjective focuses on the importance of exporting among Canadian industries. In closing, the challenges of the programs are considered, including thelimitations of addressing the personality traits that often characterize thosewith entrepreneurial aspirations.Other limitations are discussed, as arethe means by which the agencies have addressed the concerns. (AKP)