scholarly journals Growth Strategies & Internationalization for SMEs: an introduction to the special issue

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
MICHELA MATARAZZO ◽  
LARA PENCO ◽  
MATTHIAS RAITH

The increasing market globalization and the consequent enlargement of the market boarders continues to provide a multitude of growth opportunities to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These opportunities include but are not limited to the expansion abroad through internationalization strategies. They refer also to the innovation of business models triggered by the fact that the SMEs operate in global sectors, and they can utilize global innovations and digital technologies to compete. The joint pursuit of digitalization and internationalization has proven to be most powerful in facilitating the SMEs growth processes on a global scale. The advantages that accrue to SMEs from the usage of digital technologies go beyond the mere Internet and rest mainly in the possibility to create a deep relationship with international customers, for example through the usage of social networks. This does not necessarily imply that the firms operate in two or more locations through trade, investments, and alliances, since SMEs can keep their location in the home country, while expanding their market borders by serving international customers, developing the global power of the brand and the international corporate image. At the same time they have to face international competitors in their home country as well. … to be continued

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunter Festel ◽  
Christian Detzel ◽  
Ruth Maas

An increasing number of chemicals and materials, like base chemicals and polymers, as well as high value products, such as consumer chemicals and specialty chemicals, are produced using biotechnology in one or more of the process steps. In 2010, the sale volume of biotechnology products was around 92 billion Euro worldwide. Sales are estimated to increase to around 228 billion Euro in 2015 and to around 515 billion Euro in 2020. On a sector level, the largest market potential lies in the production of biopolymers and active pharmaceutical ingredients. As a rule, commercial development is mainly driven by multinational enterprises, whereas small and medium enterprises contribute primarily to the technological development. Especially the latter group faces several challenges during their development. These mainly concern business models and growth strategies as well as financing strategies and resources. Investors have not yet fully identified the area of industrial biotechnology as an attractive investment field but they could become a major capital source as they start to understand more the potential of industrial biotechnology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1021
Author(s):  
Sara Scipioni ◽  
Meir Russ ◽  
Federico Niccolini

To contribute to small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) sustainable transition into the circular economy, the study proposes the activation of organizational learning (OL) processes—denoted here as multi-level knowledge creation, transfer, and retention processes—as a key phase in introducing circular business models (CBMs) at SME and supply chain (SC) level. The research employs a mixed-method approach, using the focus group methodology to identify contextual elements impacting on CBM-related OL processes, and a survey-based evaluation to single out the most frequently used OL processes inside Italian construction SMEs. As a main result, a CBM-oriented OL multi-level model offers a fine-grained understanding of contextual elements acting mutually as barriers and drivers for OL processes, as possible OL dynamics among them. The multi-level culture construct—composed of external stakeholders’, SC stakeholders’, and organizational culture—identify the key element to activate CBM-oriented OL processes. Main implications are related to the identification of cultural, structural, regulatory, and process contextual elements across the external, SC, and organizational levels, and their interrelation with applicable intraorganizational and interorganizational learning processes. The proposed model would contribute to an improved implementation of transitioning into the circular economy utilizing sustainable business models in the construction SMEs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 18-26
Author(s):  
Gaël Le Floc’h ◽  
Laurent Scaringella

Purpose Literature on business models (BMs) has grown ve ry rapidly since the beginning of the twenty-first century, and although the theoretical and empirical literature has developed significantly, the number of practical and management-oriented studies remains relatively low. A recent debate in the field has focused on the definition of BM invariants: sensing customer needs, creating customer value, sustaining value creation and monetizing value. Extant empirical studies have mainly focused on multinational enterprises (MNEs) and successful BMs; however, this study concentrates on the failure of BMs in the case of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). An important source of a BM’s failure is the misalignment between MNE and SME involved in an acquisition. Design/methodology/approach Looking through the lens of the four BM constants, the aim of this study is to examine the case of the acquisition Domestic Heating (an SME) by Ventilair (an MNE). Findings Although both separate entities were achieving good results and each had a specific BM, the acquisition produced poor results mainly due to the misalignment of the two BMs. The findings lead the authors to make recommendations to practitioners on avoiding BM misalignment during an acquisition. Originality/value The authors encourage practitioners to enhance communication, promote organizational experiments, acknowledge specificities of both entities, foster employee commitment and ensure homogeneity in IT system usage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Paul Agu Igwe ◽  
David Gamariel Rugara ◽  
Mahfuzur Rahman

The economic advancement of emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and India has been regarded as one of the benefits of a globalized world. This paper revisits and evaluates the Uppsala model to teases out the process, speed, determinants, and challenges of early internationalization approaches of firms in transition and emerging markets (TEMs). Applying Systematic Literature Review (SLR), this article collects, disintegrates, and categorizes previous studies, synthesizing the theoretical models to shed light on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) characteristics, behaviour, and motives to internationalise, as well as the approaches to internationalisation. This method identified 183 articles published between 2008–2018 from 84 international journals. A triad (a set of three related things) highlights the three main features of the Integrated Uppsala Model including the basic assumptions, influential factors, and competitive strategies of firms. The findings suggest that the institutional–legal environment constitutes key barriers that firms in TEMs must overcome to develop an early internationalization strategy. It appears that internationalization literature focusing on emerging markets is biased towards China. The review identifies a need for future studies to (i) focus on emerging markets firms in Africa and South America; and (ii), provide a cross-country analysis and evaluation of internationalization strategies of TEMs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Novitha Herawati ◽  
Triana Lindriati ◽  
Ida Bagus Suryaningrat

Business model canvas (BMC) is a strategic management and lean start-up template for developing new or documenting existing business models. It is a visual chart with elements describing a firm's or product's value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. It assists firms in their aligning activities by illustrating potential trade-offs. Business model canvas focuses on the idea of creating value in a business. The purpose of implementation of BMC was to determined the best business planning of fried edamame, when it applied to the industry or MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises). The method in the research used descriptive method, while the data analysis used qualitative analysis. Primary data collection was obtained from interviews.  Analysis was done by compiling the initial hypothesis, hypothesis testing and verification of business model canvas (BMC). The results showed that the business model strategy for fried edamame products in the value proposition component were crispy, natural, labeled and applied good cooking oil for use. The customer segment component were the buyers of the entire Jember Regency including men and women over 20 years old with middle income. Components of revenue streams were fried edamame product sales, sale of unused oil, and sale of edamame peel to farmers, while the component channels were direct selling and retailers for fried edamame product. Keywords: business model, fried edamame, strategy, value proposition


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Crick ◽  
James Crick

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate aspects of causation and effectuation decision-making in respect of the planned and unplanned nature of the internationalization strategies of a small sample of rapidly internationalizing, high-tech UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These exhibit four different rates of scale of international intensity (percentage of overseas sales to total sales) and market scope (geographical coverage and commitment). Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with managers of 16 independently owned high-technology-oriented manufacturing SMEs were undertaken in this investigation to reduce the potential effect of bias from parental decision-making and firm size, also trade sectoral conditions. These were drawn from an existing database. Findings – Aspects of both causation and effectuation logic were evident in planned and unplanned aspects of decision-making. Moreover, industry factors were seen to affect internationalization strategies in various ways and not least in respect of the need to exploit windows of opportunity in international niche markets and the usefulness of utilizing managers’ experience and networks in the sector in which firms operated. Originality/value – The contribution of this study is to build on earlier work where authors have used different terminology to describe firms that have internationalized soon after their foundation. Specifically, with respect to the planned versus unplanned nature of respective internationalization strategies and the causation as opposed to effectuation logic in decision-making.


Author(s):  
Carlos Scheel ◽  
Leonardo Pineda

Analysis of more than 20 projects for clustering small and medium enterprises and supporting organizations in different Latin American countries has uncovered a number of barriers, activities, structures, strategies, policies and procedures that impact competitiveness. These factors mean that there are different appropriate industrial cluster and industrial business models appropriate for the social, economic, and business conditions of the Latin American region. It is difficult to transfer successful practices from industrialized countries to developing regions with a light adaptation, because it is impossible to have “clustering readiness” when resources are scarce, regional and industrial conditions are hostile, and associated capabilities of the participants of clustering are poor or nonexistent. These conclusions are supported by applying a methodology designed by the authors to identify global opportunities and formulate viable cluster structures, capable of converting isolated scarce resources in difficult situations, into world-class regional value propositions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Nguyen Xuan Trung ◽  
Dang Thai Binh ◽  
Dang Thi Thuy ◽  
Dong Thi Thuy Linh

SMEs account for a large propotion and play an important role in the development of each country in the world, including India. The globalization will bring many advantages for enterprises however SMEs will face fierce competition at the local, national and international level. In order to maintain and promote the important role of SMEs in the context of increased competition, SMEs have to change and adopt new technologies. E-commerce and digital technologies are bringing opportunities to help SMEs improve their competitiveness, narrow the gap with big enterprises thanks to their fairness and flexibility of the digital business environment. According to UNIDO (2017), India is one of the countries successfully applying e-commerce to SMEs. Contributing to this success is the important role of the Indian government. Therefore, this paper focuses on researching the application of e-commerce to SMEs in terms of the role of government in promoting and creating ecosystem for SMEs and e-commerce development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 861-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alkis Thrassou ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Maria Crescimanno ◽  
Marcella Giacomarra ◽  
Antonino Galati

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the internationalization strategies of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), focusing on the interaction between network ties and “soft” internal resources at the foundation of knowledge management (KM). Specifically, it identifies the firms’ internal capabilities that affect KM strategies, and their collective influence on the degree of internationalization; verifies the influence of network ties on the internationalization process itself; and develops a conceptual “preliminary theoretical framework of SME internationalization capabilities and networks.” Design/methodology/approach The primary research and analysis are based on a proportional stratified sample of Sicilian wineries; while the conceptual and implicative developments of the paper rest on the combination of the theoretical with the primary findings of the research, and, it has been designed and tested through eight experts’ interviews/reviews. Findings Findings underline a strong influence of the internal capabilities of firms on the internationalization process. In addition, an important role in the export process emerges from the acquisition of information and knowledge through the establishment of networks. Research limitations/implications The results need to be interpreted within the context for which this study was designed and cannot be applied generally to all businesses. However, results allow cellars’ managers to better understand the relationships among the influencing factors of SMEs internationalization. Originality/value The originality of the paper lies not only in its above-stated explicit theoretical objectives and findings but also in its comprehensive conceptual framework that theoretically incorporates the “strategic” with the “internal” and “networking” aspects; purposefully also arming the industry with a practicable tool toward managerial implementation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document