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Competitive Advantage and Internationalization of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Roberto Cafferata

    (Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata")

Abstract

The paper aims at exploring the factors needed by small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises to obtain a successful positioning in the international market and at identifying what there is at the root of their competitive advantage. Using a sample of 519 small and medium sized firms, with 20 to 250 employees, operating in five Italian regions, the empirical evidence reveals that the competitive advantage of Italian small enterprises is based upon a combination of elements such as price, differentiation and high technical standards of the product. According to this study, to be competitive in respect of price remains however the imperative of Italian SMEs’ behaviour in international markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Cafferata, 2009. "Competitive Advantage and Internationalization of Italian Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Firms," DSI Essays Series, DSI - Dipartimento di Studi sull'Impresa, vol. 1.
    • Handle: RePEc:tov:dsiess:v:1:y:2009
    as

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    File URL: http://www.economia.uniroma2.it/public/dsi/DSI_Cafferata.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Riccardo Fiorentini & Alina Verashchagina, 2017. "Immigration and Trade: The Case Study of Veneto Region in Italy," Working Papers 03/2017, University of Verona, Department of Economics.
    2. Demetris Vrontis & Giuseppe Tardivo & Stefano Bresciani & Milena Viassone, 2018. "The Competitiveness of the Italian Manufacturing Industry: an Attempt of Measurement," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1087-1103, December.
    3. Patrizia Silvestrelli, 2018. "Managing Changes into International Markets. Flexible Structures and Knowledge Sharing for Firm Competitiveness," The International Journal of Economic Behavior - IJEB, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, vol. 8(1), pages 3-18.
    4. Patrizia Silvestrelli, 2010. "Market-Driven Management and Intangible Assets in Global Television Set Manifacturers," Symphonya. Emerging Issues in Management, University of Milano-Bicocca, issue 2 Intangi.
    5. Marco Valeri, 2011. "The Role of Time for the Competitiveness of SMEs in the Service Sector," DSI Essays Series, DSI - Dipartimento di Studi sull'Impresa, vol. 17.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competitive Advantage; Internationalization; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); Manufacturing Firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • M16 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - International Business Administration

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