IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v55y2020i3d10.1007_s11187-019-00181-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pathways of SME internationalization: a bibliometric and systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Marina Dabić

    (University of Zagreb
    Nottingham Trent University)

  • Jane Maley

    (Macquarie University)

  • Leo-Paul Dana

    (Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier Business School)

  • Ivan Novak

    (University of Zagreb)

  • Massimiliano M. Pellegrini

    (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”)

  • Andrea Caputo

    (University of Lincoln)

Abstract

Business is dynamic and rapidly changing. Global markets were previously the playing field of multinational corporations (MNCs), while small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were local; however, the removal of imposed barriers and recent technological advances in manufacturing, transportation, and communications have indorsed SMEs and international entrepreneurs (IEs) global access. SMEs and IEs are increasingly fueling economic growth and innovation, and these trends are presenting both opportunities and challenges to both MNCs and SMEs in the global arena. This review systematically examines comparative SME and IE research, analyzing (after fine-tuning) 762 articles published in leading journals from 1992 to September 2018. Our bibliometric and systematic review classifies SME and IE research findings into three echelons: (i) subjects, (ii) theories, and (iii) methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Marina Dabić & Jane Maley & Leo-Paul Dana & Ivan Novak & Massimiliano M. Pellegrini & Andrea Caputo, 2020. "Pathways of SME internationalization: a bibliometric and systematic review," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 705-725, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:55:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11187-019-00181-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-019-00181-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11187-019-00181-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-019-00181-6?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. 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.
    2. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1992. "Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 383-397, August.
    3. 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.
    4. Benjamin M. Oviatt & Patricia P. McDougall, 2005. "Defining International Entrepreneurship and Modeling the Speed of Internationalization," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(5), pages 537-553, September.
    5. Olivier Furrer & Pierre Sollberger, 2007. "The dynamics and evolution of the service marketing literature: 1993–2003," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 1(2), pages 93-117, June.
    6. Javalgi, Rajshekhar (Raj) G. & Todd, Patricia R., 2011. "Entrepreneurial orientation, management commitment, and human capital: The internationalization of SMEs in India," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(9), pages 1004-1010, September.
    7. Heinz Hollenstein, 2005. "Determinants of International Activities: Are SMEs Different?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 431-450, June.
    8. Mr. Tim Callen & Reda Cherif & Fuad Hasanov & Mr. Amgad Hegazy & Padamja Khandelwal, 2014. "Economic Diversification in the GCC: Past, Present, and Future," IMF Staff Discussion Notes 2014/012, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Farndale, Elaine & Scullion, Hugh & Sparrow, Paul, 2010. "The role of the corporate HR function in global talent management," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 161-168, April.
    10. Harry Bloch & Mita Bhattacharya, 2016. "Promotion of Innovation and Job Growth in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Australia: Evidence and Policy Issues," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 49(2), pages 192-199, February.
    11. Miguel Gonzalez-Loureiro & Maria José Sousa & Hugo Pinto, 2017. "Culture and innovation in SMEs: the intellectual structure of research for further inquiry," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(11), pages 1908-1931, November.
    12. Peter J Buckley & Pervez N Ghauri, 2004. "Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(3), pages 255-255, May.
    13. 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.
    14. Sinkovics, Rudolf R. & Kurt, Yusuf & Sinkovics, Noemi, 2018. "The effect of matching on perceived export barriers and performance in an era of globalization discontents: Empirical evidence from UK SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 1065-1079.
    15. Fayolle, Alain & Liñán, Francisco, 2014. "The future of research on entrepreneurial intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 663-666.
    16. S Tamer Cavusgil & Gary Knight, 2015. "The born global firm: An entrepreneurial and capabilities perspective on early and rapid internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(1), pages 3-16, January.
    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. McDougall, Patricia P., 1989. "International versus domestic entrepreneurship: New venture strategic behavior and industry structure," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 4(6), pages 387-400, November.
    19. Castillo-Vergara, Mauricio & Alvarez-Marin, Alejandro & Placencio-Hidalgo, Dario, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of creativity in the field of business economics," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1-9.
    20. 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.
    21. Tim Callen & Reda Cherif & Fuad Hasanov & Amgad Hegazy & Padamja Khandelwal, 2014. "Economic Diversification in the GCC; Past, Present, and Future," IMF Staff Discussion Notes 14/12, International Monetary Fund.
    22. Gary S. Becker, 1964. "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, First Edition," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck-5, May.
    23. Madsen, Tage Koed & Servais, Per, 1997. "The internationalization of Born Globals: An evolutionary process?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(6), pages 561-583, December.
    24. Francisco Linan & Alain Fayolle, 2015. "A systematic literature review on entrepreneurial intentions : citation, thematic analyses, and research agenda," Post-Print hal-02313298, HAL.
    25. Andrea Caputo & Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini & Marina Dabic & Leo Paul Dana, 2016. "Internationalisation of firms from Central and Eastern Europe: A systematic literature review," Post-Print hal-02010663, HAL.
    26. Billy Adamsen, 2016. "Demystifying Talent Management," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-50867-6, December.
    27. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    28. Gary S. Becker, 1994. "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, Third Edition," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck94-1, May.
    29. Mangematin, Vincent & Lemarie, Stephane & Boissin, Jean-Pierre & Catherine, David & Corolleur, Frederic & Coronini, Roger & Trommetter, Michel, 2003. "Development of SMEs and heterogeneity of trajectories: the case of biotechnology in France," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 621-638, April.
    30. Nicole E Coviello, 2006. "The network dynamics of international new ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(5), pages 713-731, September.
    31. 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.
    32. Phillips McDougall, Patricia & Shane, Scott & Oviatt, Benjamin M., 1994. "Explaining the formation of international new ventures: The limits of theories from international business research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(6), pages 469-487, November.
    33. James M. Bloodgood & Harry J. Sapienza & James G. Almeida, 1996. "The Internationalization of New High-Potential U.S. Ventures: Antecedents and Outcomes," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 20(4), pages 61-76, July.
    34. Sascha Kraus & Rainer Harms & Matthias Fink, 2011. "Family firm research: sketching a research field," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 13(1), pages 32-47.
    35. Martina Musteen & Deepak K. Datta & Marcus M. Butts, 2014. "Do International Networks and Foreign Market Knowledge Facilitate SME Internationalization? Evidence from the Czech Republic," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(4), pages 749-774, July.
    36. 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.
    37. B. Sebastian Reiche, 2012. "Knowledge Benefits of Social Capital upon Repatriation: A Longitudinal Study of International Assignees," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(6), pages 1052-1077, September.
    38. Bratkovic, Tina & Antoncic, Bostjan & Ruzzier, Mitja, 2009. "Strategic utilization of entrepreneur's resource-based social capital and small firm growth," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(4), pages 486-499, September.
    39. Stoian, Maria-Cristina & Dimitratos, Pavlos & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella, 2018. "SME internationalization beyond exporting: A knowledge-based perspective across managers and advisers," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 768-779.
    40. Pangarkar, Nitin, 2008. "Internationalization and performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 475-485, October.
    41. Zizah Che Senik & Brenda Scott-Ladd & Lanny Entrekin & Khairul Adham, 2011. "Networking and internationalization of SMEs in emerging economies," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 259-281, December.
    42. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    43. Coviello, Nicole E. & Jones, Marian V., 2004. "Methodological issues in international entrepreneurship research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 485-508, July.
    44. Gaur, Ajai & Kumar, Mukesh, 2018. "A systematic approach to conducting review studies: An assessment of content analysis in 25years of IB research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 280-289.
    45. 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.
    46. Nicole Coviello & Martin Cox, 2006. "The resource dynamics of international new venture networks," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 113-132, September.
    47. Jan Johanson & Finn Wiedersheim‐Paul, 1975. "The Internationalization Of The Firm — Four Swedish Cases 1," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 305-323, October.
    48. 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.
    49. Marina Dabic & Pejic Bach, 2008. "Understanding the foreign direct investment environments in EU 27+ candidate country Croatia: the current determinants and patterns," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(3), pages 254-271.
    50. Peter J Buckley & Pervez N Ghauri, 2004. "Globalisation, economic geography and the strategy of multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 81-98, March.
    51. Iles, Paul & Chuai, Xin & Preece, David, 2010. "Talent Management and HRM in Multinational companies in Beijing: Definitions, differences and drivers," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 179-189, April.
    52. Vanessa Ratten & Leo-Paul Dana & Mary Han & Isabell Welpe, 2007. "Internationalisation of SMEs: European comparative studies," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(3), pages 361-379.
    53. Scullion, Hugh & Collings, David G. & Caligiuri, Paula, 2010. "Global talent management," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 105-108, April.
    54. Benjamin M Oviatt & Patricia P McDougall, 2005. "The internationalization of entrepreneurship," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 36(1), pages 2-8, January.
    55. Kuivalainen, Olli & Sundqvist, Sanna & Servais, Per, 2007. "Firms' degree of born-globalness, international entrepreneurial orientation and export performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 253-267, September.
    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. Knight, Gary A. & Liesch, Peter W., 2016. "Internationalization: From incremental to born global," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 93-102.
    2. Dzikowski, Piotr, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of born global firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 281-294.
    3. 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).
    4. Paul, Justin, 2020. "SCOPE framework for SMEs: A new theoretical lens for success and internationalization," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 219-230.
    5. 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.
    6. Francisco García-Lillo & Enrique Claver-Cortés & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Mercedes Úbeda-García, 2017. "Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Research on ‘Born Global’ Firms and INVs: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 631-652, August.
    7. 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.
    8. Oliva, Fábio Lotti & Teberga, Pedro Marins Freire & Testi, Lucas Israel Oliveira & Kotabe, Masaaki & Giudice, Manlio Del & Kelle, Peter & Cunha, Miguel Pina, 2022. "Risks and critical success factors in the internationalization of born global startups of industry 4.0: A social, environmental, economic, and institutional analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    9. Maldea, Radu-Andrei, 2023. "Winning when Going Global – On the Role of Heritage and Strategic Moves for Internationalization Endeavors of Start-ups," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 8(2), pages 532-568.
    10. Elena Domínguez Romero & Susanne Durst & Antonio Navarro Garcia, 2024. "Rethinking internationalization processes: toward a circular framework," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(11), pages 3363-3394, November.
    11. Angélique Breuillot & Rachel Bocquet & Véronique Favre-Bonté, 2022. "Navigating the internationalization process: Strategic resources for early internationalizing firms," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 282-315, June.
    12. 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.
    13. Morais, Flávio & Ferreira, João J., 2020. "SME internationalisation process: Key issues and contributions, existing gaps and the future research agenda," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 62-77.
    14. 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.
    15. María del Pilar Casado-Belmonte & Gema María Marín-Carrillo & Eduardo Terán-Yépez & María de las Mercedes Capobianco-Uriarte, 2020. "What Is Going on with the Research into the Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)? An Intellectual Structure Analysis into the State-of-the-Art (1990–2018)," Publications, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-30, February.
    16. Sascha Kraus & Alexander Brem & Miriam Schuessler & Felix Schuessler & Thomas Niemand, 2019. "Innovative Born Globals: Investigating the Influence of Their Business Models on International Performance," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Alexander Brem & Joe Tidd & Tugrul Daim (ed.), Managing Innovation Internationalization of Innovation, chapter 11, pages 275-328, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    17. Jana Drechsler & Jan-Thomas Bachmann & Andreas Engelen, 2019. "The effect of immigrants in the founding team on the international attention of new ventures," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 305-333, September.
    18. Ciravegna, Luciano & Kuivalainen, Olli & Kundu, Sumit K. & Lopez, Luis E., 2018. "The antecedents of early internationalization: A configurational perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1200-1212.
    19. Gerschewski, Stephan & Rose, Elizabeth L. & Lindsay, Valerie J., 2015. "Understanding the drivers of international performance for born global firms: An integrated perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 558-575.
    20. Christian Schwens & Florian B. Zapkau & Michael Bierwerth & Rodrigo Isidor & Gary Knight & Rüdiger Kabst, 2018. "International Entrepreneurship: A Meta–Analysis on the Internationalization and Performance Relationship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(5), pages 734-768, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Internationalization; SMEs; International entrepreneurship; Bibliometric analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F60 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - General
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:sbusec:v:55:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11187-019-00181-6. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.