Overcoming economic liminality: internationalization of B2B SME’s from a small emerging economy

Barney G. Pacheco, S. Akhter
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Purpose Current research on small to medium enterprise (SME) internationalization has generated valuable insight but continues to overlook the activities of business-to-business (B2B) SMEs located in small emerging economies. This study aims to fill this gap by testing the applicability of the ownership, location and internalization (OLI) framework to understand the internationalization strategies of small B2B firms in Trinidad and Tobago, a small emerging Caribbean economy. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative research design, which involved in-depth interviews with senior executives of three firms in the B2B sector who were knowledgeable about their firm’s internationalization process. Thematic analysis was then used to understand the motivations and strategies underpinning the internationalization approach adopted by each firm. Findings Contrary to the stereotype of SMEs in emerging markets as fragile enterprises, there is evidence that firms exploited the development of innovative products and processes to facilitate foreign market entry and expansion. Additionally, firms overcame resource limitations by relying on governmental ties and leveraging networking opportunities. The findings also call attention to the impact of organizational learning and the role of knowledge as a dynamic capability. Originality/value Both the context of the study and the application of the OLI framework contributes to the extant literature by yielding substantive insights into the internationalization strategies of B2B firms in a small emerging economy. The findings further highlight how the OLI framework can be supplemented by other theoretical perspectives to better understand internationalization by emerging market SMEs.
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克服经济局限性:新兴经济体中小企业B2B的国际化
目前对中小企业(SME)国际化的研究已经产生了有价值的见解,但仍然忽视了位于小型新兴经济体的企业对企业(B2B)中小企业的活动。本研究旨在填补这一空白,通过测试所有权,位置和内部化(OLI)框架的适用性,以了解特立尼达和多巴哥的小型B2B企业的国际化战略,一个小型的新兴加勒比海经济体。设计/方法/方法本研究采用了定性研究设计,对三家B2B公司的高管进行了深入访谈,这些高管对公司的国际化进程非常了解。然后使用主题分析来了解每个公司采用国际化方法的动机和战略。与新兴市场中小企业作为脆弱企业的刻板印象相反,有证据表明,企业利用创新产品和流程的发展来促进外国市场的进入和扩张。此外,企业通过依赖政府关系和利用网络机会来克服资源限制。研究结果还呼吁关注组织学习的影响和知识作为一种动态能力的作用。原创性/价值本研究的背景和OLI框架的应用都有助于现有文献对小型新兴经济体中B2B公司的国际化战略产生实质性的见解。研究结果进一步强调了如何利用其他理论视角来补充OLI框架,以更好地理解新兴市场中小企业的国际化。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
4.20
自引率
15.00%
发文量
17
期刊介绍: In recent years, the business practices and management philosophies of global enterprises have been subject to increasingly close scrutiny by commentators in the fields of journalism and academia. Such scrutiny has been motivated by a growing desire to examine the nature of globalisation, its impact on specific communities and its benefits for society as a whole. Coverage includes, but is not restricted to, issues of: ■Globalization ■Production and consumption ■Economic change ■Societal change ■Politics and power of organizations and governments ■Environmental impact
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