Methodological considerations in cross-national research - an attempt for conceptualisation

The growing internationalisation of business together with an increased awareness of the importance of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the concept of entrepreneurship to our national and regional economies have stressed the need for more cross-national research. In addition, the concept of Sustainable Development as defined by the Brundtland Commission as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".(WCED, p.43) is of universal appeal and has become an important part of the agendas of governments and business.There is little doubt that cross-national research can serve many interest groups such as policy makers, business support organisations(BSOs), academics and the general public. However, many researchers shy away from the prospect of conducting this kind of research. In fact, Segalla (1998) confirms that international research is the exception rather than the rule. This article contributes to the existing body on cross-national research as it examines the methodological considerations of such studies and proposes a model which combines these aspects as a guide for further cross-national research. The model is based on a cross-national research project into SMEs and Sustainable Development conducted at a UK university.