IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/worbus/v48y2013i1p137-148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Constraints, internationalization and growth: A cross-country analysis of European SMEs

Author

Listed:
  • Hessels, Jolanda
  • Parker, Simon C.

Abstract

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are known to face barriers which limit their ability to grow. We build on resource dependency theory and the resource-based view to investigate how SMEs are able to achieve venture growth in the face of these constraints by adopting internationalization and inter-firm collaboration strategies. Based on a large sample of European SMEs, our research demonstrates the importance of distinguishing between specific dimensions of internationalization and inter-firm collaborations, in particular between exporting and importing, and between formal and informal collaborations – as well as context-specificity of these strategies with respect to the types of constraints SMEs face.

Suggested Citation

  • Hessels, Jolanda & Parker, Simon C., 2013. "Constraints, internationalization and growth: A cross-country analysis of European SMEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 137-148.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:48:y:2013:i:1:p:137-148
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2012.06.014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109095161200051X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jwb.2012.06.014?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pissarides, Francesca, 1999. "Is lack of funds the main obstacle to growth? ebrd's experience with small- and medium-sized businesses in central and eastern europe," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 14(5-6), pages 519-539.
    2. Bernard, Andrew B. & Bradford Jensen, J., 1999. "Exceptional exporter performance: cause, effect, or both?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 1-25, February.
    3. Robson, Paul J A & Bennett, Robert J, 2000. "SME Growth: The Relationship with Business Advice and External Collaboration," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 193-208.
    4. Homin Chen & Tain-Jy Chen, 1998. "Network Linkages and Location Choice in Foreign Direct Investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(3), pages 445-467, September.
    5. Mike Wright & Paul Westhead & Deniz Ucbasaran, 2007. "Internationalization of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and International Entrepreneurship: A Critique and Policy Implications," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(7), pages 1013-1030.
    6. Elisabeth Lefebvre & Louis-André Lefebvre, 2002. "Innovative Capabilities as Determinants of Export Performance and Behaviour: A Longitudinal Study of Manufacturing SMEs," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Alfred Kleinknecht & Pierre Mohnen (ed.), Innovation and Firm Performance, chapter 12, pages 281-309, Palgrave Macmillan.
    7. McDougall, Patricia Phillips & Oviatt, Benjamin M., 1996. "New venture internationalization, strategic change, and performance: A follow-up study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 23-40, January.
    8. Andrew B. Bernard & J. Bradford Jensen, 2004. "Why Some Firms Export," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(2), pages 561-569, May.
    9. John A Mathews & Ivo Zander, 2007. "The international entrepreneurial dynamics of accelerated internationalisation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(3), pages 387-403, May.
    10. Gerald Yong Gao & Janet Y Murray & Masaaki Kotabe & Jiangyong Lu, 2010. "A “strategy tripod” perspective on export behaviors: Evidence from domestic and foreign firms based in an emerging economy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(6), pages 1090-1091, August.
    11. Shaker Zahra & Donald Neubaum & Lucia Naldi, 2007. "The Effects of Ownership and Governance on SMEs’ International Knowledge-based Resources," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 309-327, October.
    12. Gerald Yong Gao & Janet Y Murray & Masaaki Kotabe & Jiangyong Lu, 2010. "A “strategy tripod” perspective on export behaviors: Evidence from domestic and foreign firms based in an emerging economy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(3), pages 377-396, April.
    13. Desirée Blankenburg Holm & Kent Eriksson & Jan Johanson, 1999. "Creating value through mutual commitment to business network relationships," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(5), pages 467-486, May.
    14. Stéphane Malo & Jesper Norus†, 2009. "Growth dynamics of dedicated biotechnology firms in transition economies. Evidence from the Baltic countries and Poland," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5-6), pages 481-502, September.
    15. Breschi, Stefano & Malerba, Franco, 2001. "The Geography of Innovation and Economic Clustering: Some Introductory Notes," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 10(4), pages 817-833, December.
    16. Paul Geroski & Klaus Gugler, 2004. "Corporate growth convergence in Europe," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 56(4), pages 597-620, October.
    17. M. Hsu & B‐L. Chen, 2000. "Labor productivity of small and large manufacturing firms: the case of Taiwan," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(3), pages 270-283, July.
    18. Roberto Basile & Anna Giunta & Jeffrey Nugent, 2003. "Foreign Expansion by Italian Manufacturing Firms in the Nineties: an Ordered Probit Analysis," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 23(1), pages 1-24, August.
    19. Desirée Blankenburg Holm & Kent Eriksson & Jan Johanson, 1996. "Business Networks and Cooperation in International Business Relationships," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(5), pages 1033-1053, December.
    20. Andrea Bonaccorsi, 1992. "On the Relationship Between Firm Size and Export Intensity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 23(4), pages 605-635, December.
    21. Lianxi Zhou & Wei-ping Wu & Xueming Luo, 2007. "Internationalization and the performance of born-global SMEs: the mediating role of social networks," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 673-690, July.
    22. Odd Jarl Borch & Morten Huse, 1993. "Informal Strategic Networks and the Board of Directors," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 18(1), pages 23-36, October.
    23. Claude L Simpson & Duane Kujawa, 1974. "The Export Decision Process: An Empirical Inquiry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 5(1), pages 107-117, March.
    24. Peter J. Buckley, 1989. "Foreign Direct Investment by Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: The Theoretical Background," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Multinational Enterprise, chapter 2, pages 24-45, Palgrave Macmillan.
    25. Heinz Hollenstein, 2005. "Determinants of International Activities: Are SMEs Different?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 431-450, June.
    26. Haahti, Antti & Madupu, Vivekananda & Yavas, Ugur & Babakus, Emin, 2005. "Cooperative strategy, knowledge intensity and export performance of small and medium sized enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 124-138, May.
    27. Pooran Wynarczyk & Robert Watson, 2005. "Firm Growth and Supply Chain Partnerships: An Empirical Analysis of U.K. SME Subcontractors," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 39-51, February.
    28. Lianxi Zhou & Bradley R Barnes & Yuan Lu, 2010. "Entrepreneurial proclivity, capability upgrading and performance advantage of newness among international new ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(5), pages 882-905, June.
    29. A Rebecca Reuber & Eileen Fischer, 1997. "The Influence of the Management Team’s International Experience on the Internationalization Behaviors of SMES," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(4), pages 807-825, December.
    30. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mary M Maloney & Shalini Manrakhan, 2007. "Causes of the difficulties in internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(5), pages 709-725, September.
    31. Liu, Jin-Tan & Tsou, Meng-Wen & Hammitt, James K., 1999. "Do small plants grow faster? Evidence from the Taiwan electronics industry," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 121-129, October.
    32. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç‐Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2005. "Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 137-177, February.
    33. Almus, Matthias & Nerlinger, Eric A, 2000. "Testing "Gibrat's Law" for Young Firms--Empirical Results for West Germany," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, August.
    34. Neng Liang & Arvind Parkhe, 1997. "Importer Behavior: the neglected Counterpart of International Exchange," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(3), pages 495-530, September.
    35. Erwin Dichtl & Hans-Georg Koeglmayr & Stefan Mueller, 1990. "International Orientation as a Precondition for Export Success," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 21(1), pages 23-40, March.
    36. Paul Westhead & Mike Wright & Deniz Ucbasaran, 2004. "Internationalization of private firms: environmental turbulence and organizational strategies and resources," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(6), pages 501-522, November.
    37. Davidsson, Per, 1991. "Continued entrepreneurship: Ability, need, and opportunity as determinants of small firm growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 6(6), pages 405-429, November.
    38. Westhead, Paul & Wright, Mike & Ucbasaran, Deniz, 2001. "The internationalization of new and small firms: A resource-based view," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 333-358, July.
    39. John Hutchinson & Ana Xavier, 2006. "Comparing the Impact of Credit Constraints on the Growth of SMEs in a Transition Country with an Established Market Economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 169-179, October.
    40. Jane W. Lu & Paul W. Beamish, 2001. "The internationalization and performance of SMEs," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 565-586, June.
    41. Terence Fan & Phillip Phan, 2007. "International new ventures: revisiting the influences behind the ‘born-global’ firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(7), pages 1113-1131, December.
    42. Jeffrey G. Covin & Dennis P. Slevin, 1991. "A Conceptual Model of Entrepreneurship as Firm Behavior," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 16(1), pages 7-26, October.
    43. Ethier, Wilfred J, 1982. "National and International Returns to Scale in the Modern Theory of International Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 389-405, June.
    44. Alfred Kleinknecht & Pierre Mohnen (ed.), 2002. "Innovation and Firm Performance," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-59588-0, December.
    45. Giulio Bottazzi & Angelo Secchi, 2005. "Growth and Diversification Patterns of the Worldwide Pharmaceutical Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 26(2), pages 195-216, December.
    46. Zulima Fernández & María Jesús Nieto, 2006. "Impact of ownership on the international involvement of SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(3), pages 340-351, May.
    47. Majocchi Antonio & Zucchella Antonella, 2001. "Internationalization and Performance: findings from a set of Italian SMEs," Economics and Quantitative Methods qf0110, Department of Economics, University of Insubria.
    48. Desirée Blankenburg Holm & Kent Eriksson & Jan Johanson, 1996. "Business Networks and Cooperation in International Business Relationships," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(4), pages 1033-1053, December.
    49. Régis Coeurderoy & Gordon Murray, 2008. "Regulatory environments and the location decision: evidence from the early foreign market entries of new-technology-based firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(4), pages 670-687, June.
    50. Paul Steffens & Per Davidsson & Jason Fitzsimmons, 2009. "Performance Configurations over Time: Implications for Growth– and Profit–Oriented Strategies," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(1), pages 125-148, January.
    51. Yuan Lu & Lianxi Zhou & Garry Bruton & Weiwen Li, 2010. "Capabilities as a mediator linking resources and the international performance of entrepreneurial firms in an emerging economy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(3), pages 419-436, April.
    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. Sleuwaegen, Leo & Onkelinx, Jonas, 2014. "International commitment, post-entry growth and survival of international new ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 106-120.
    2. Paul, Justin & Parthasarathy, Sundar & Gupta, Parul, 2017. "Exporting challenges of SMEs: A review and future research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 327-342.
    3. Dzikowski, Piotr, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of born global firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 281-294.
    4. Jolanda Hessels, 2008. "International Entrepreneurship: An Introduction, Framework and Research Agenda," Scales Research Reports H200823, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    5. Jones, Marian V. & Coviello, Nicole & Tang, Yee Kwan, 2011. "International Entrepreneurship research (1989–2009): A domain ontology and thematic analysis," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 632-659.
    6. Frances Fabian & Henry Molina & Giuseppe Labianca, 2009. "Understanding Decisions to Internationalize by Small and Medium-sized Firms Located in an Emerging Market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 537-563, October.
    7. Indujeeva Peiris & Michèle Akoorie & Paresha Sinha, 2012. "International entrepreneurship: A critical analysis of studies in the past two decades and future directions for research," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 279-324, December.
    8. Jiang, Guohua & Kotabe, Masaaki & Zhang, Feng & Hao, Andy W. & Paul, Justin & Wang, Cheng Lu, 2020. "The determinants and performance of early internationalizing firms: A literature review and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    9. Francisco García-Lillo & Enrique Claver-Cortés & Mercedes Úbeda-García & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara, 2024. "Exploring the intellectual structure of research on ‘born globals’ and INVs: A literature review using bibliometric methods," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-29, March.
    10. Bagheri, Mahshid & Mitchelmore, Siwan & Bamiatzi, Vassiliki & Nikolopoulos, Konstantinos, 2019. "Internationalization Orientation in SMEs: The Mediating Role of Technological Innovation," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 121-139.
    11. Anna Vuorio & Lasse Torkkeli & Liisa-Maija Sainio, 2020. "Service innovation and internationalization in SMEs: antecedents and profitability outcomes," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 92-123, March.
    12. Baum, Matthias & Schwens, Christian & Kabst, Ruediger, 2015. "A latent class analysis of small firms’ internationalization patterns," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 754-768.
    13. Knight, Gary A. & Liesch, Peter W., 2016. "Internationalization: From incremental to born global," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 93-102.
    14. Martineau, Charles & Pastoriza, David, 2016. "International involvement of established SMEs: A systematic review of antecedents, outcomes and moderators," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 458-470.
    15. Gerrit de Wit & Haibo Zhou, 2009. "Determinants and dimensions of firm growth," Scales Research Reports H200903, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    16. Jonsson, Sara & Lindbergh, Jessica, 2010. "The impact of institutional impediments and information and knowledge exchange on SMEs' investments in international business relationships," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 548-561, December.
    17. Conti, Claudio Ramos & Parente, Ronaldo & de Vasconcelos, Flávio C., 2016. "When distance does not matter: Implications for Latin American multinationals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1980-1992.
    18. Schwens, Christian & Kabst, Ruediger, 2011. "Internationalization of young technology firms: A complementary perspective on antecedents of foreign market familiarity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 60-74, February.
    19. Westhead, Paul & Wright, Mike & Ucbasaran, Deniz, 2002. "International market selection strategies selected by 'micro' and 'small' firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 51-68, February.
    20. Jan Johanson & Martin Johanson, 2021. "Speed and synchronization in foreign market network entry: A note on the revisited Uppsala model," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(8), pages 1628-1645, October.

    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:eee:worbus:v:48:y:2013:i:1:p:137-148. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620401/description#description .

    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.