Revisiting the concentration versus spreading debate as a successful export growth strategy: the case of UK SMEs exporting agricultural-related products

What is beneficial for first-time SME-exporters from a transition economy: A diversified or a focused export-strategy?

“…Export intensity had a negative effect on the link between FDI activities and firm profitability Crick, Chaudhry, and Batstone (2000) 101 British SMEs exporting between 1994 and 1997…”

Geographic export diversification: Determinants and their link with export performance

“…Depending on the number of markets where a firm is looking to establish its presence, two alternative strategies have been identified and discussed: concentration and diversification (e.g., Ayal & Zif, ; Lee & Yang, ; Losada, Ruzo, Barreiro, & Navarro, ; Mas, Nicolau, & Ruiz, ), which are also referred to as concentration and dispersion/spreading (e.g., Crick, Chaudhry, & Bastone, ; Katsikea, Theodosiou, Morgan, & Papavassiliou, ; Katsikeas & Leonidou, ; Piercy, ).…”

“…Simply considering the country count (the individual criterion used most frequently) (e.g., Alonso & Donoso, ; Aulakh et al, ; Bradley & O'Reagain, ; Dejo & Ramírez, ; J. E. Denis & Depelteau, ; Piercy, ) is insufficient for identifying a firm's expansion strategy because plenty of firms that export to many countries focus their efforts and concentrate on just a handful of markets (Crick et al, ; Katsikea et al, ; Katsikeas & Leonidou, ; Piercy, ). Distinguishing between concentration and diversification based on the criterion in question may be conceptually straightforward, but in practice, it is no easy task, primarily because of the difficulty involved in determining the number of markets representing the cut‐off point between one strategy and the other.…”

Factors Wavering Internationalizations of SMEs: Indian Context

“…Shaw and Young (2000) have found evidence that, strong product concepts and product range extension are positively influence the growth of exports and these findings are concluded upon their study of the food and beverage firms of Scottish. Crick et al (2000) had conducted a research on the exporters of British agribusiness sector found that, the better performing ones are more probably to plan and utilize marketing intelligence. Henrik and Sylvie (2007) have suggested that, as SME's lead an important turn at the economic development in some small economies like Sweden and New-Zealand, the only method for the SMEs to grow is usually establishing & expansion their sales in the global market.…”