Abstract:This article aims to contribute toward a better understanding of the opportunity development process that rapidly internationalizing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) undergo. Little is known about how SMEs overcome challenges in the process of recognizing and exploiting market opportunities during their rapid expansion abroad. This article presents a longitudinal case study that illustrates how a fi rm's relationships with business, social, and political actors enhance its opportunity development duri… Show more
“…This provides support for the assumption that market and reputational resources can be accessed through internationally active intermediary networks, such as Business Sweden and Swecare. Our findings differ from those found by Belso‐Martinez (), Kontinen and Ojala (), and Zhang, Ma, and Wang (), where firms did not use the support from intermediary networks, but are in line with Chetty and Blankenburg‐Holm (), Hånell and Ghauri (), and Ryan et al () who found that intermediary networks were important to identify and develop opportunities in foreign markets. The results indicate that intermediary networks need to build up an international network and reputation to be useful for firms' internationalization. Proposition 1 Firms' relationships with internationally active intermediary networks have a positive influence on access to market, human, and reputational resources that facilitates firms' internationalization .…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 99%
“…However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether intermediary networks and EPOs do in fact facilitate internationalization (O'Gorman & Evers, ). For example, Chetty and Blankenburg‐Holm (), Ellis (); Hånell and Ghauri (), and Ryan et al () found the intermediary network has facilitated firms' internationalization, while Belso‐Martinez () and Kontinen and Ojala () found intermediary networks were insignificant for firms' internationalization. According to our review of the literature, there is no comprehensive study that has focused on which type of network that is useful for providing which types of resources, which is the focus of this study.…”
Section: Which Types Of Network Are Useful For Providing Which Typesmentioning
This study explores which networks are beneficial for gaining resources for firms' internationalization. Little is known about firms' use of organizational, personal, and intermediary networks to gain access to resources for internationalization. Firms are seeking resources through their organization's relationships (organizational networks) and individuals' personal contacts (personal networks). Governmental and industry actors are implementing networks to promote international growth and act as an intermediary between business actors (intermediary networks). We conduct in‐depth interviews with firms and representatives for intermediary networks complemented with a survey. The findings reveal which resources are accessed through the different networks. We find organizational networks provide considerable access to most resources (except financial resources) that are beneficial for internationalization, whereas intermediary networks provide access to reputational, human, and market resources. Personal networks primarily provide access to human resources. This study contributes to theory by giving a more fine‐grained understanding of how different types of networks give access to different resources valuable for internationalization.
“…This provides support for the assumption that market and reputational resources can be accessed through internationally active intermediary networks, such as Business Sweden and Swecare. Our findings differ from those found by Belso‐Martinez (), Kontinen and Ojala (), and Zhang, Ma, and Wang (), where firms did not use the support from intermediary networks, but are in line with Chetty and Blankenburg‐Holm (), Hånell and Ghauri (), and Ryan et al () who found that intermediary networks were important to identify and develop opportunities in foreign markets. The results indicate that intermediary networks need to build up an international network and reputation to be useful for firms' internationalization. Proposition 1 Firms' relationships with internationally active intermediary networks have a positive influence on access to market, human, and reputational resources that facilitates firms' internationalization .…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 99%
“…However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether intermediary networks and EPOs do in fact facilitate internationalization (O'Gorman & Evers, ). For example, Chetty and Blankenburg‐Holm (), Ellis (); Hånell and Ghauri (), and Ryan et al () found the intermediary network has facilitated firms' internationalization, while Belso‐Martinez () and Kontinen and Ojala () found intermediary networks were insignificant for firms' internationalization. According to our review of the literature, there is no comprehensive study that has focused on which type of network that is useful for providing which types of resources, which is the focus of this study.…”
Section: Which Types Of Network Are Useful For Providing Which Typesmentioning
This study explores which networks are beneficial for gaining resources for firms' internationalization. Little is known about firms' use of organizational, personal, and intermediary networks to gain access to resources for internationalization. Firms are seeking resources through their organization's relationships (organizational networks) and individuals' personal contacts (personal networks). Governmental and industry actors are implementing networks to promote international growth and act as an intermediary between business actors (intermediary networks). We conduct in‐depth interviews with firms and representatives for intermediary networks complemented with a survey. The findings reveal which resources are accessed through the different networks. We find organizational networks provide considerable access to most resources (except financial resources) that are beneficial for internationalization, whereas intermediary networks provide access to reputational, human, and market resources. Personal networks primarily provide access to human resources. This study contributes to theory by giving a more fine‐grained understanding of how different types of networks give access to different resources valuable for internationalization.
“…For example, Gamma's manager/founder considered his experience in Germany as the key driver for his decision to export and was also an important reason for him to select Germany as his firm's primary target market. He has benefited from his international experience to develop business and personal ties and, in turn, identify opportunities in foreign markets while reducing the uncertainty involved in the internationalization process (Hånell & Ghauri, ). In Gamma's case, it is also interesting to note that Chinese returnee entrepreneurs have begun to engage with global markets.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In today's international environment, small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly active, and they represent a significant contribution to economic growth and job creation (Bianchi, Glavas, & Mathews, ; Bose, ; Hånell & Ghauri, ; Pinho & Pinheiro, ). Due to the importance of SMEs, their internationalization has emerged as an important research topic in recent decades.…”
Over the past two decades, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China have achieved rapid international development. Due to China's unique cultural and institutional environments, our understanding of the influence of managerial determinants on internationalization is still limited. This exploratory study takes the lens of the innovation model of internationalization to revisit the dynamic development of Chinese SMEs' export operations. Based on the four indepth case studies, the findings suggest that exports by Chinese SMEs are influenced by managerial perceptions such as negative country-of-origin effect and strict overseas quality standards. In addition, they show that both external and internal drivers act as "change agents" in their internationalization involvement. These findings will assist various stakeholdersgovernment and export promotion agencies-to develop and deliver needs-based supports and encourage nonexporters to participate in international operations.
K E Y W O R D Schange agents, China, export barriers, innovation-related internationalization model, managerial determinants, SMEs
“…The idea of fit between two organizations refers to a match between administrative practices, cultural practices, and personal characteristics (Jemison & Sitkin, ; Zaheer, Schomaker, & Genc, ). The importance of matching has also been addressed by international business researchers to deal with relationships between international firms (Elg, Ghauri, & Tarnovskaya, ; Hånell & Ghauri, ). Ghauri and Holstius () introduced the term matching concept for analyzing the foreign market entry process in the Baltic states.…”
The rate of failure for international mergers and acquisitions (M&As) is exceptionally high, since the integration of merging firms does not function well. Using a process perspective, this study aims to analyze the integration process in a cross-border merger and the development of a common organizational culture. A framework based on premerger cultural and organizational fit, synergy, and resulting organizational culture is developed to study the growth of Nordea, a merger of four Nordic banks. Data include in-depth interviews and secondary sources. This case study shows how cultural and managerial differences are dealt with and synergies realized.Building a broad organizational culture involving human resource management, decision making, technology, competitiveness, and customer relationships is necessary for merger integration, but it is costly and difficult. We suggest that success in mergers lies in managers creating a new cultural identity with unique values and perspectives.
K E Y W O R D Sbest practices, cultural differences, cultural fit, merger, organizational fit, synergy a force with which managers must contend if they are to reap any
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
