Journal of Small Business Management – Volume 57(2), 496-516
Small Firms in Regional Clusters: Local Networks and Internationalization in the Southern Hemisphere
Christian Felzensztein, Kenneth R. Deans, Léo Paul Dana
This paper reports on a three country comparative study examining the internationalization of family winemakers in distinct regional wine clusters of Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand. In depth interviews were conducted with owner–operators, to understand the drivers and barriers to internationalization of their businesses. Key findings reveal that while size and age are not determinants of the ability or propensity to export wine, the existence of an independent industry body has a positive impact and greatly speeds up the internationalization process, providing an effective route for small firms to establish their very often, relatively unknown brand(s) in lucrative foreign markets.
Journal of Small Business Management – Volume 57(2), 298-326
Born?Global SMEs, Performance, and Dynamic Absorptive Capacity: Evidence from Spanish Firms
Ángeles Rodríguez Serrano, Enrique Martín Armario
Interest has grown in explaining the positive performance of small businesses that internationalize from start up. In response to this question, we have empirically confirmed the relevant role played by dynamic absorption capacity in these firms and the influence of an entrepreneurial market oriented culture, on the basis of the Dynamic Capabilities Approach, through a sample of 102 Spanish born global SMEs. The success of these firms is determined by their ability to assimilate and to use knowledge in accordance with the demands of the market.
International Small Business Journal – Volume 32(1), pp. 3-21
Effectuation, network-building and internationalisation speed
Shameen Prashantham, Kothandaraman Kumar, Suresh Bhagavatula, Saras D Sarasvathy
We extend research on the speed of new venture internationalisation by distinguishing between effectual and non-effectual (i.e. causal) network-building approaches, and conceptualising their differential effects on the dimensions of initial entry speed, country (i.e. international) scope speed and international commitment speed. Drawing upon the extant literature on internationalisation speed, network building and effectuation theory, we argue that an effectual approach to network-building is positively associated with initial entry speed and international scope speed, but negatively associated with international commitment speed, while a causal approach is negatively associated with initial entry speed and international scope speed, but positively associated with international commitment speed. In addition, we contribute to effectuation scholarship by elaborating on the causal–effectual distinction in network-building and offering internationalisation speed as an important and interesting outcome variable.
International Business Review – Volume 28(1), pp. 60-73
Born globals – presence, performance and prospects
Pontus Braunerhjelm, Torbjörn Halldin
The concept born global firms has gained a spectacular increase in interest from both academic and political circles. Rigorous quantitative treatment of born global firms are however rare in the international business/economics literature. Implementing unique data on all Swedish start-ups during 1998–2008 in the manufacturing sector, we conclude that born global firms are a very rare event, that their prevalence seems invariant to time, and that they perform similar to other matched “twin” firms with regard to profitability and productivity but report a considerably higher growth in employment and sales. These results are robust to a wider definition of born global firms and to the timing of performance measurements.