Exploring the role of international R&D activities in the impact of technological and marketing capabilities on SMEs’ performance

Nebojsa S. Davcik (), Silvio Cardinali, Piyush Sharma and Elena Cedrola
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Nebojsa S. Davcik: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School
Silvio Cardinali: UNIVPM - Polytechnic University of Marche / Università Politecnica delle Marche
Piyush Sharma: CBS - Curtin Business School - Curtin University

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Abstract: One of the main challenges for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is how to leverage their R&D activities in the international markets but current literature offers mixed evidence and inconclusive models in this regard. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the role of international R&D activities in the impact of SMEs' technological and marketing capabilities on their performance. The authors use in-depth interviews with five Italian SMEs recognized as particularly innovative firms in their own sectors (retail intelligence, business training, shoes, food, and sportswear) to identify the factors driving the success and performance of their international R&D efforts. Findings show that SMEs' technological and marketing capabilities have dominant and positive effects on their performance in the international markets. Besides extending the literature on the internationalization of R&D by SMEs, these findings highlight the major challenges and opportunities for the managers of internationally active SMEs.

Keywords: Marketing capabilities; Performance; Research and development (R&D); Small and medium enterprises (SMEs); Technological capabilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://normandie-univ.hal.science/hal-04455592v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published in Journal of Business Research, 2021, 128, pp.650-660. ⟨10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.042⟩

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Journal Article: Exploring the role of international R&D activities in the impact of technological and marketing capabilities on SMEs’ performance (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04455592

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.042

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