Understanding the driving forces behind the internationalisation process of fast-moving SMEs: implications for export assistance programmes

Elisabeth Lefebvre, Mario Bourgault, Lise Prefontaine and Louis A. Lefebvre

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2003, vol. 3, issue 5/6, 447-467

Abstract: The number of exporters among small firms continues to grow in most countries, particularly those SMEs that have developed unique capabilities and a high level of innovation. Overall, this trend supports the view, which is gradually becoming widely accepted, that internationalisation is a key ingredient of the knowledge based economy. This paper presents five case studies as a means to investigate the internationalisation process for fastmoving SMEs and to discover the driving forces behind their rapid expansion in foreign markets. The sets of factors that emerge as determinants of export performance are classified into three categories: the characteristics, beliefs and attitudes of the founder/entrepreneur; the degree of innovativeness of the firm; and the influence of external change agents. The implications for increasing the efficiency of government support programs are discussed.

Keywords: SMEs; internationalisation; export assistance programs; knowledge based economy. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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