IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/ekonom/v96y2017i3p102-125n8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The International Entry Choices of Italian Smes in Emerging Markets: A Case-Based Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Cannavale Chiara
  • Laurenza Elena

    (Parthenope University of NaplesNaples, Italy)

Abstract

The paper addresses the factors influencing the SMEs’ entry choices in international markets and explores two factors: one related to the external environment and one dependent on firms. The first factor is the institutional context as the whole of formal and informal rules of the country target. The second is the market commitment, intended as resources committed in a particular market area: the experience firms get in foreign markets and a general attitude to maintain the international presence for a long period are the main sources of market knowledge. The aim of the study is to understand the effect of company-specific factors and of context-specific factors, namely the market commitment and institutional context, on SMEs’ entry choice mode in foreign markets. The paper develops a multiple case study analysis of four small international Italian firms. Built on the institutional theory and on the market commitment construct, the paper offers a conceptual model that shows that the institutional context strongly influences the amount of resources involved in the internationalization process, while the market commitment affects more the complexity - and intensity - of the process.

Suggested Citation

  • Cannavale Chiara & Laurenza Elena, 2017. "The International Entry Choices of Italian Smes in Emerging Markets: A Case-Based Analysis," Ekonomika (Economics), Sciendo, vol. 96(3), pages 102-125, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:ekonom:v:96:y:2017:i:3:p:102-125:n:8
    DOI: 10.15388/ekon.2017.3.11578
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.15388/ekon.2017.3.11578
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.15388/ekon.2017.3.11578?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jean-Luc Arregle & Louis Hébert & Paul W. Beamish, 2006. "Mode of International Entry : The Advantages of Multilevel Methods," Post-Print hal-02312688, HAL.
    2. Erin Anderson & Hubert Gatignon, 1986. "Modes of Foreign Entry: A Transaction Cost Analysis and Propositions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(3), pages 1-26, September.
    3. Keith D. Brouthers & George Nakos, 2004. "SME Entry Mode Choice and Performance: A Transaction Cost Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(3), pages 229-247, May.
    4. Chris Styles & Paul G Patterson & Farid Ahmed, 2008. "A relational model of export performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 880-900, July.
    5. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 2009. "The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1411-1431, December.
    6. Jaideep Anand & Andrew Delios, 1997. "Location Specificity and the Transferability of Downstream Assets to Foreign Subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(3), pages 579-603, September.
    7. Narula, Rajneesh & Hagedoorn, John, 1997. "Globalisation, organisational modes and the growth of international strategic technology alliances," Research Memorandum 011, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. David J Teece, 2008. "The Transfer and Licensing of Know-How and Intellectual Property:Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 6146.
    9. Cheng, Hsiang-Lin & Yu, Chow-Ming Joseph, 2008. "Institutional pressures and initiation of internationalization: Evidence from Taiwanese small- and medium-sized enterprises," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 331-348, June.
    10. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    11. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    12. Shige Makino & Kent E Neupert, 2000. "National Culture, Transaction Costs, and the Choice Between Joint Venture and Wholly Owned Subsidiary," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 31(4), pages 705-713, December.
    13. Rialp, Alex & Rialp, Josep & Knight, Gary A., 2005. "The phenomenon of early internationalizing firms: what do we know after a decade (1993-2003) of scientific inquiry?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 147-166, April.
    14. Demirbag, Mehmet & Glaister, Keith W. & Tatoglu, Ekrem, 2007. "Institutional and transaction cost influences on MNEs' ownership strategies of their affiliates: Evidence from an emerging market," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 418-434, December.
    15. Jean-Luc Arregle & Louis Hébert & Paul W. Beamish, 2006. "Mode of international entry: The advantages of multilevel methods," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 597-618, September.
    16. Cullen, John B. & Johnson, Jean L. & Sakano, Tomoaki, 2000. "Success through commitment and trust: the soft side of strategic alliance management," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 223-240.
    17. Warren J Bilkey & George Tesar, 1977. "The Export Behavior of Smaller-Sized Wisconsin Manufacturing Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 93-98, March.
    18. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    19. Mike W Peng & Denis Y L Wang & Yi Jiang, 2008. "An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 920-936, July.
    20. Wrona, Thomas & Trąpczyński, Piotr, 2012. "Re-explaining international entry modes – Interaction and moderating effects on entry modes of pharmaceutical companies into transition economies," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 295-315.
    21. Andrew Delios & Paul W. Beamish, 1999. "Ownership strategy of Japanese firms: transactional, institutional, and experience influences," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(10), pages 915-933, October.
    22. Klaus E. Meyer & Saul Estrin & Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Mike W. Peng, 2009. "Institutions, resources, and entry strategies in emerging economies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 61-80, January.
    23. Christian Schwens & Julia Eiche & Ruediger Kabst, 2011. "The Moderating Impact of Informal Institutional Distance and Formal Institutional Risk on SME Entry Mode Choice," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 330-351, March.
    24. Huanglin Wang & Jean-Louis Schaan, 2008. "How much distance do we need? Revisiting the “National cultural distance paradox”," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 263-278, May.
    25. Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Dan Li & Stephen Guisinger, 2007. "Is the 'International Business Environment' the Actual Context for IB Research?," Working Papers 2, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    26. Klaus E Meyer, 2001. "Institutions, Transaction Costs, and Entry Mode Choice in Eastern Europe," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(2), pages 357-367, June.
    27. David J. Teece, 2008. "The Multinational Enterprise: Market Failure and Market Power Considerations," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 18, pages 405-419, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    28. Keith D Brouthers & Lance Eliot Brouthers, 2001. "Explaining the National Cultural Distance Paradox," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(1), pages 177-189, March.
    29. Kuo, Anthony & Kao, Ming-Sung & Chang, Yi-Chieh & Chiu, Chih-Fang, 2012. "The influence of international experience on entry mode choice: Difference between family and non-family firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 248-263.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Trąpczyński, Piotr & Halaszovich, Tilo F. & Piaskowska, Dorota, 2020. "The role of perceived institutional distance in foreign ownership level decisions of new MNEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 435-449.
    2. Liedong, Tahiru Azaaviele & Peprah, Augustine Awuah & Amartey, Abednego Okoe & Rajwani, Tazeeb, 2020. "Institutional voids and firms' resource commitment in emerging markets: A review and future research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(3).
    3. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2010. "Institutional and Transaction Cost Influences on Partnership Structure of Foreign Affiliates," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 709-745, December.
    4. Hernández, Virginia & Nieto, María Jesús, 2015. "The effect of the magnitude and direction of institutional distance on the choice of international entry modes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 122-132.
    5. Cristina López-Duarte & Marta M. Vidal-Suárez & Belén González-Díaz & Nuno Rosa Reis, 2016. "Understanding the relevance of national culture in international business research: a quantitative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1553-1590, September.
    6. Canabal, Anne & White III, George O., 2008. "Entry mode research: Past and future," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 267-284, June.
    7. Jisun Yu & Seung-Hyun Lee & Kunsoo Han, 2015. "FDI motives, market governance, and ownership choice of MNEs: A study of Malaysia and Thailand from an incomplete contracting perspective," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 335-362, June.
    8. Ilhan-Nas, Tulay & Okan, Tarhan & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Demirbag, Mehmet & Wood, Geoffrey & Glaister, Keith W., 2018. "Board composition, family ownership, institutional distance and the foreign equity ownership strategies of Turkish MNEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 862-879.
    9. Del Bosco, Barbara & Cristina Bettinelli, 2020. "How Do Family SMEs Control Their Investments Abroad? The Role of Distance and Family Control," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 1-35, February.
    10. Chenxi Wan & Carlos M. P. Sousa & Jorge Lengler & Qun Tan, 2023. "Entry Mode Choice: A Meta-Analysis of Antecedents and Outcomes," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 193-246, April.
    11. Wrona, Thomas & Trąpczyński, Piotr, 2012. "Re-explaining international entry modes – Interaction and moderating effects on entry modes of pharmaceutical companies into transition economies," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 295-315.
    12. Christian Schwens & Florian B Zapkau & Keith D Brouthers & Lina Hollender, 2018. "Limits to international entry mode learning in SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(7), pages 809-831, September.
    13. Li, Peng-Yu & Meyer, Klaus E., 2009. "Contextualizing experience effects in international business: A study of ownership strategies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 370-382, October.
    14. Kedia, Ben L. & Bilgili, Tsvetomira V., 2015. "When history matters: The effect of historical ties on the relationship between institutional distance and shares acquired," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 921-934.
    15. Demirbag, Mehmet & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W., 2009. "Equity-based entry modes of emerging country multinationals: Lessons from Turkey," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 445-462, October.
    16. Anil, Ibrahim & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Ozkasap, Gaye, 2014. "Ownership and market entry mode choices of emerging country multinationals in a transition country: evidence from Turkish multinationals in Romania," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 19(4), pages 413-452.
    17. Fuentelsaz, Lucio & Garrido, Elisabet & Maicas, Juan P., 2020. "The effect of informal and formal institutions on foreign market entry selection and performance," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(2).
    18. Larimo, Jorma & Arslan, Ahmad, 2013. "Determinants of foreign direct investment ownership mode choice: Evidence from Nordic investments in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.
    19. Xanthippe Adamoglou & Dimitris Kyrkilis, 2020. "MNEs Entry Strategies through a Distance Framework: A New Perspective," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 70(3-4), pages 83-105, July-Dece.
    20. Zdolsek, Daniel & Kolar, Iztok, 2013. "Management disclosure practices for disaggregated (financial) information in Slovenian unlisted companies," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:ekonom:v:96:y:2017:i:3:p:102-125:n:8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.