Institutions and competition: does internationalisation provide advantages for the family firms in a transition economy?

Purpose - Kosovo has experienced a radical shift from a centrally planned economy to a market economy and built institutions from scratch. During the institutional building process, due to inconsistencies in institutional reforms, firms faced several challenges in competing in the domestic market and engaging in exporting activities. The purpose of the study is threefold. First, to examine how institutional settings influence family firms’ success; second, how and which types of strategic behaviours family firms pursue in response to institutional deficiencies and third, whether and how internationalisation helps the firms overcome the difficulties resulting from deficiencies of the institutions. Design/methodology/approach - This study employs a qualitative document analysis technique using secondary and primary data to examine the impact of institutional settings on firm internationalisation and related firm reactions. Findings - Findings suggest that fiscal policy, weak protection of property rights and contractual enforcement negatively influenced family firms because of unfair competition, unpredictable business environment and additional costs due to deficient institutions. The authors found that internationalisation provided benefits for the firms in handling the problems posed by the institutions. The firms focused on three main strategies to respond to weak institutions: improving product quality, diversifying and differentiating products and setting competitive prices. Originality/value - This study contributes to the literature and explains how and which economic institutions influence firm internationalisation and how engagement in international business activities provides an advantage in responding to deficient institutions in the home country.