Networks and Foreign Markets: How Relationships Shape the Sme's Internationalization Process

ISBN-13: 9783031456589 / Angielski

Isabel D?ez Vial; Marta Fern?ndez Olmos

Spis treści

I. INTRODUCTION

 

Chapter 1. Introduction to internationalization from a network approach: the relevance of domestic and international relationships

 

This section includes the theoretical bases and structure of the book. See an extended summary in the attached document.

II. THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF INTERNATIONALIZATION FROM A NETWORK APPROACH

Chapter 2. Internationalization of SMEs through networks: a bibliometric approach

This chapter identifies the main tendencies and theoretical background of the performance of internationalization and networks based on a quantitative review of the existing literature. This bibliometric study will have a two-fold perspective: on the one hand, performance analysis which evaluates the impact of citations from different perspectives - universities, countries, departments, authors - and science mapping to expose resulting the intellectual structure. Also, this study would identify future research trends and would provide a future research agenda based on the interpretation of the results obtained.

 

III. THE EFFECT OF DOMESTIC NETWORKS ON INTERNATIONALIZATION

Chapter 3. The influence of founders’ social identity and decision-making in the speed of internationalization: A configurational perspective

This study enriches the literature on international entrepreneurship by exploring how entrepreneurial behaviour in terms of the founders’ social identity and decision-making logic influence the internationalization speed of SMEs. The results, based on data gathered from 114 firms from Colombia and Honduras, show that the combination of the hybrid “we identity” (Communitarian and Missionary) and effectual decision-making positively influence the speed of internationalization.

Chapter 4. Networks and internationalization process of clustered firms: understanding geography in the internationalization process

Considering the role of networks in clusters and the presence of multinationals that facilitate inter- and intra-clusters relationships, this study is positioned in the study of global value chains and inter-firm interaction in networks formed by local and multinational firms in clusters.  Focusing on the Castellon ceramic tile district, the paper presents the types of networks existent between multinationals and local firms that allow the district globalization and insertion in global value chains.

Chapter 5. Internationalization and collaborative relationships: in search for sustainable business performance in the international sphere

This research addresses questions related to the influence of internal factors, such as the competence to operate in international markets and the development of green innovation, as well as relational factors, such as upstream and downstream relationships in the value chain and belonging to an industrial cluster, on sustainable performance in companies. A multi-sectoral empirical study has been carried out in 189 industrial companies in the Valencian Community in Spain. The relationships established through collaborative agreements with suppliers on sustainability issues, as well as the social responsibility towards the company's customers, improve the company's image as socially sustainable, significantly improving its international performance.

Chapter 6. Supply Chain networks on internationalization of SMEs: identifying co-opetition strategies

The situation in which firms engage in simultaneous cooperation and competition with each other is a phenomenon known as co-opetition. Along with providers and clients, rivalry and competition are also regarded as major factors in successful internationalization processes, as they are drivers for firms to attain a greater degree of specialization and to improve efficiency. The present work aims to contribute to the literature on SMEs’ internationalization strategies. To this end, a multivariate regression analysis is developed, measuring variables of co-opetition and international activity. The study takes the export supply chains related to the food industry in Andalusia (Spain), and tests two questions: i) What is the effect of simultaneous competition and cooperation on the SMEs’ international activity?; ii) Can the SMEs’ internationalization enhance their co-opetitive strategies?

 

Chapter 7. Business and non-business networks:  Illustrating the profile of highly innovative manufacturing SMEs

 

We apply the network perspective to analyze the profile of innovative SMEs based on their linkages within business and non-business networks. Business or inter-firm networks could be understood as those composed of direct relationships between the focal firm and its business counterparts (suppliers, competitors, clients, etc.), as well as those indirect ties to the actors connected to the latter in turn. Non-business networks could be defined as those groups composed of institutional ties connecting the focal firm to public entities or governments, but also NGOs, research institutions, or industrial associations, amongst others. The study is undertaken in a sample of 120 traditional manufacturing firms and shows that these networks are key for improving the innovative capacity of the firm, a key aspect for successful internationalization.

 

 IV. NETWORKS IN FOREIGN MARKETS: IN SEARCH FOR DISTANT INTERMEDIARIES

Chapter 8. International business network: Do Family firms benefit more?

This chapter investigates the relationship between international business networks, firm ownership and export-based internationalization. More specifically, the study examines the influence of the use of networks for internationalization on the export performance of family and non-family firms, focusing on the moderating role of family ownership. Hence, the purpose of the study is to examine the individual and joint effects of networks and ownership upon firms’ export performance considering the idiosyncratic effects of family ownership. An unbalanced panel data of more than 1,200 firms for the period 2007-2017 (almost 10,000 observations) has been used. The data was extracted from the Spanish Survey on Business Strategies, an annual survey that covers a representative sample of Spanish manufacturing firms with 10 to 200 employees.

Chapter 9. The role of global value chains in explaining the globalization of the wine industry

 

The different revolutions on the wine value chain has led wine to become a global product, as it can be can easily be seen in the statistics of exporting. Among the drivers of the global transformation of the wine industry dynamics are the networks related to vineyard management, winemaking practices, and marketing and sales strategies of this industry. This chapter aims to evaluate the main characteristics of the global value chain of the wine industry as the main driver for its success. A survey with 5’294 answers in 23 wine-producing countries has been used. This is the first global firm level comparable database for the wine sector. In this chapter, we will use data for three Old World producing countries (France, Italy and Germany) and three New World producing countries (United States, Australia and Argentina).

Chapter 10. The role of corporate venture capital firms in international new ventures

Previous literature has concluded that international new ventures develop network relationships organically to internationalize and those relationships evolve from simple exchanges between two firms to deeper and dense multiorganizational relationships. An increasing value source of knowledge is the network of connections that corporate venture firms can provide. They provide credibility and access to key distribution channels, talented human capital, and a great experience and diversity by their indirect connections with other international new ventures. In this chapter, the main effect and theoretical review of the network around corporate venture firms are analysed.

V. CONCLUDING REMARKS

Chapter 11. Networks and internationalization: implications for different stages of the internationalization process

O autorze

Isabel Diez-Vial is a Full Professor of Business Administration. Her research interests cover organizational networks, territory, and internationalization. She has published in  International Business Review, Journal of Management Studies, Regional Studies, Journal of Knowledge Management, Cities, Regional Studies, Journal of Technology Transfer, among others.

Marta Fernández-Olmos obtained her PhD in 2008 (Extraordinary Award for doctoral thesis from University of Zaragoza, Spain) and is currently Assistant Professor of Business Organization at the University of Zaragoza. Her research interests are innovation, family firms, and internationalization of SMEs. The author belongs to the Compete Research Group of the University of Zaragoza. She has published in Technovation, Journal of Technology Transfer, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Food Policy and British Food Journal, among others. 

Blurb

This edited volume explores the process by which SMEs internationalize. It discusses the importance of domestic and international networks for firms’ activities and business performance. Offering vast empirical evidence from different industries, the book begins with a theoretical overview of internationalization and networks and goes on to examine the value of knowledge as provided by both domestic networks (i.e. the networks that a firm develops with providers, clients, competitors, local institutions and multinationals), and international network (i.e. business networks, venture capital firms, and global value chains) where the firm is able to use international contacts as a bridge for further development.

Offering a valuable contribution on the topic of internationalization, the book also establishes the main implications for practice.

Isabel Diez-Vial is a Full Professor of Business Administration. Her research interests cover organizational networks, territory, and internationalization. She has published in International Business Review, Journal of Management Studies, Regional Studies, Journal of Knowledge Management, Cities, Regional Studies, Journal of Technology Transfer, among others. 

Marta Fernández-Olmos is currently Assistant Professor of Business Organization at the University of Zaragoza. Her research interests are innovation, family firms, and internationalization of SMEs. The author belongs to the Compete Research Group of the University of Zaragoza. She has published in Technovation, Journal of Technology Transfer, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Food Policy and British Food Journal, among others.