1st Edition
International Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises
The majority of SMEs are operating in a networked business environment, and these networks extend beyond national and cultural boundaries. Within these networks, growth takes various routes and forms. Instead of linear, positive growth, international growth is often more cyclical, including periods of stagnation and withdrawal, even exits. International Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises focuses on international growth, such as how companies expand their operations across national borders through opportunity exploration and exploitation, and identification and development of innovations, i.e. on international entrepreneurship.
The book provides a comprehensive overview of international growth of small and medium-sized enterprises from diverse points of view. It verifies that SMEs in all parts of the globe share similar characteristics, but also differ significantly. New explanations emerge, such as ownership, steering of the company, or the negative consequences of international growth. It discusses how the changing external environment of SMEs pushes them to create innovative solutions in order to survive and succeed. This collection of new and international perspectives sheds much-needed light on how founders and management teams of SMEs can succeed in fostering the growth process, and what specific characteristics are instrumental in initiating and maintaining international growth.
1. International Growth of SMEs: Past, Present and the Future Niina Nummela and Sami Saarenketo Part 1: Drivers of International Growth of SMEs 2. Entrepreneurs’ Human and Relational Capital as Predictors of Early Internationalization: Evidence From Latin America and South-East Asia Juan Federico, Hugo Kantis, Alex Rialp and Josep Rialp 3. The Board’s Influence on the Internationalization Process in SMEs Johanna Nisuls, Anette Söderqvist and Sören Kock 4. Growth Orientation of SME Managers and Entrepreneurs: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study Arto Kuuluvainen and Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki 5. The Dark Side of International Growth Jarna Heinonen and Ulla Hytti Part 2: International Growth Trajectories of SMEs 6. Growth and Internationalization of French and Danish SMEs Frederic Nlemvo, Mathieu Cabrol, Erik Rasmussen, Per Servais and Arild Aspelund 7. International Growth Strategies in Different Marketing Contexts Svante Andersson 8. Analyzing the Moves of International Entrepreneurial Organizations: The Entry of SMEs to Complex Markets Antonella Zucchella 9. The Binary Choice Facing SME Internationalization Colin Campbell-Hunt and Sylvie Chetty 10. Technology-Based New Ventures and Critical Incidents in Growth Jani Lindqvist, Olli Kuivalainen and Sami Saarenketo Part 3: How to Study International Growth? 11. Towards a Typology of Rapidly Internationalizing SMEs Jim Bell, Sharon Loane, Rod B. McNaughton and Per Servais 12. Sampling Frames for Cross-National Survey Research in International Entrepreneurship Scott Paul Johnston, Marian V Jones, Anna Morgan-Thomas and George I. Vlachos 13. Export Behaviour, Growth and Performance of SMEs: Does Ownership Matter? Jorma Larimo Part 4: The Role of Networks in the International Growth of SMEs 14. New Venture Internationalization and Technological Learning: A Social Capital Perspective Shameen Prashantham 15. Change in SME Internationalization: A Network Perspective Niina Nummela Part 5: Illustrative Cases 16. A Different Story on Rapid International Growth: CV Online Tiia Vissak 17. Path of International Growth: Case Purfilec Ltd Leila Hurmerinta 18. The International Growth of a Privately-Owned Enterprise from China Peter Zettinig and Churu Lin. Epilogue: Where to Head from Here? Niina Nummela
Biography
Niina Nummela is professor of International Business at the Turku School of Economics, Finland. She has published in the area of international entrepreneurship, small business management, interfirm co-operation, and research methods. She has contributed to Journal of World Business, European Journal of Marketing, International Small Business Journal, and Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, among others.
