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Smes Internationalization: Between Strategic Collaborators And Intermediaries

Author

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  • Elena-Madalina VATAMANESCU
  • Andreea MITAN
  • Violeta-Mihaela DINCA
  • Andreia Gabriela ANDREI
  • Vlad-Andrei ALEXANDRU

Abstract

The internationalization process of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been discussed in many recent studies and has triggered the attention of various professionals, international and even global organizations and authorities. Emphasis was laid on the vast array of strategies, models, forms of internationalization and their impacts on SMEs’ competitive (sustainable) advantage, profitability, development and performance on foreign markets. Giving credit to the topical research in this field, the present exploratory study seeks to examine the correlations between four main factors, namely SMEs’ strategic collaborators (from international business networks), intermediaries (as organizational links to the target stakeholders), the profitability resulted from international operations and the development on different foreign markets. To this end, a questionnaire-based survey was carried out with over 100 European SMEs from an industrial field. Evidence was brought that there are significant positive correlations between strategic collaborators and SMEs international profitability and development on foreign markets, whereas the use of intermediaries only correlates with the profits derived from international operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena-Madalina VATAMANESCU & Andreea MITAN & Violeta-Mihaela DINCA & Andreia Gabriela ANDREI & Vlad-Andrei ALEXANDRU, 2021. "Smes Internationalization: Between Strategic Collaborators And Intermediaries," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 15(1), pages 457-466, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:rom:mancon:v:15:y:2021:i:1:p:457-466
    DOI: 10.24818/IMC/2021/03.02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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