Local Resource Mobilisation and Internationalisation Strategies in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Research on Fordism, industrial districts and flexible specialisation all emphasise a new role for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and an increasing globalisation of the marketplace. Special focus has been directed towards the increasing externalisation of tasks and a corresponding increase in cooperative arrangements or networking. This paper reports from a Scandinavian empirical study of the internationalisation of SMEs, their use of external resources, and in what sense local resources are mobilised in the process of internationalisation. Relevant literature is surveyed and a conceptual model on internationalisation is developed. In this model local business environment, the internal resources of the firm, the quality of the manager, and the ability of the firm to make use of external resources explain the export behaviour of the firm. Four different regions were included in a quasi-experimental design, each including their population of SMEs in the mechanical and wood product sector. The empirical part of the paper is mostly descriptive and includes analyses of the structural differences between the SME populations in the four regions and a report on their involvement in subcontracting, interfirm relations, and their use of producer services. Next the export behaviour is analysed and a simple analysis of the model ends the paper

Business · Economic geography · Economics · Economy · Empirical research · Fordism · Globalization · Industrial organization · International trade · Internationalization · Market economy · Population · Global Trade and Competitiveness · Innovation and Knowledge Management · International Business and FDI · Marketing

• International Entrepreneurship research (1989–2009)

  Open Access•Marian V Jones, Nicole Coviello et al.•Journal of Business Venturing•2011

  Incluir item

• The District Effect and the Competitiveness of Manufacturing Companies in Local Productive Systems

  Open Access•M Teresa Costa-Campi, María Teresa Costa‐Campi et al.•Urban Studies•1999

  Incluir item

• The Influence of Location on the Use by SMEs of External Advice and Collaboration

  Open Access•Robert J Bennett, Paul Robson et al.•Urban Studies•2001

  Incluir item

• Internationalisation by Business Service Firms

  Open Access•P N O''Farrell, P N O'Farrell et al.•Environment and Planning A…•1998

  Incluir item

• An Analysis of New-Tech Agglomeration in Beijing

  Open Access•Jici Wang, Jixian Wang•Environment and Planning A…•1998

  Incluir item

• International encyclopedia of the social sciences.

  David L Sills•International encyclopedia of the…•1968

  Incluir item

• The Nature of the Transnational Firm

  Christos Pitelis, Roger Sugden•Nature of the Transnational Firm•2005

  Incluir item

• Economic Action and Social Structure

  Mark Granovetter•American Journal of Sociology•1985

  Incluir item

• Reversing industrial decline? Industrial structure and policy in Britain and her competitors

  Keith Hayward•International Affairs•1989

  Incluir item

• The Nature of the Firm

  Ronald H Coase•Economica•1937

  Incluir item

• Metropolis

  Michael P Todaro, Allen J Scott et al.•Metropolis•1988

  Incluir item