Access to networks and commitment to internationalisation as precursors to marketing strategies in international markets

Abstract

■ The role of networks and international commitment in the formation of internationalisation strategies has not yet been explored in international research. The present paper investigates these relationships in a sample of 206 Norwegian exporters.■ This article suggests that access to networks and commitment play significant roles in the formation of internationalisation strategies. Implications for management and research are discussed. Key Results■ Access to networks in international markets impact positively on the development of some global strategies such as marketing control/positioning, whereas it does not enhance the creation of international strategic alliances.

The Role of NGO–SME Cooperation in Internationalization Process and Performance of SMEs

“…The international network can be embedded in both the firm and managers. According to social capital theory, international network affects internationalization [28], [29] and the performance [30].…”

Managing International Branch Campuses: What Do We Know?

“…The so‐called ‘stages model’ views companies as approaching internationalisation in incremental stages, first exporting, then licensing production to markets which are increasingly geographically or culturally distant from their home market and finally entering into production themselves through foreign direct investment. ‘There is a loop process between the market and the firm whereby market knowledge leads to commitment decisions in the firm, the ensuing marketing activities in their turn leading to increased market commitment and knowledge, and so on’ (Solberg and Durrieu, , p. 60).…”

International research teams as analysts of industrial business networks

“…Business networks may be analyzed with various approaches and methodologies (for examples of quantitative method choices, see e.g. Solberg & Durrieu, 2006;Iacobucci & Hopkins, 1992), but case studies with a qualitative approach are common. They are fruitful in analyzing industrial marketing (Woodside & Wilson, 2003) and especially in capturing the richness and holism that prevail in business networks (Easton, 1995).…”

“…These investigations have advanced both conceptually and empirically the broader area of international business studies (Forsgren & Johanson, 1991;Gemuenden, Ritter, & Walter, 1997;Havila, Forsgren, & Håkansson, 2002). The Uppsala internationalization model (Johanson & Vahlne, 1977) and the network view to the internationalization of the firm (Johanson & Mattsson, 1988) are widely acknowledged among international business scholars, but there are also other studies revealing the role that various relationships play in the firm internationalization process (Fletcher & Barrett, 2001;Johanson & Vahlne, 2003;Harris & Wheeler, 2005;Solberg & Durrieu, 2006). The network perspective offers a new view, for example, to foreign market entry, as it suggests a managerial task of operating in a complex set of relationships (Axelsson & Johanson, 1992).…”