25 Years internationalization research in SMEs, a scientometric analysis

International knowledge plays a crucial role for firms willing to internationalize. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often try to graft it from external sources, such as advisers, consultants, etc. Among them, Temporary Export Managers (TEMs) are becoming a viable solution among SMEs to access readily available international experience at a relatively low cost. However, it is unclear how SMEs graft knowledge from TEMs and how SME-TEM interactions translate into impacts on the firm’s internationalization strategy. To address this gap, we examined 20 cases of the TEM-SME collaboration, conducting 48 semi-structured interviews in Italy. The results show that three main knowledge mechanisms are activated through TEM-SME interactions: mobilization, integration, and recombination. A grounded interpretative framework is proposed to show how these mechanisms affect strategic international knowledge, encompassing differentiated-to-differentiated, differentiated-to-integrated, and integrated-to-integrated knowledge trajectories. The study offers insights to both TEMs and SMEs to enhance knowledge grafting processes to impact SMEs’ international development.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of work-from-home (WFH) practices, raising important questions about their long-term implications for organisational performance. This issue is particularly salient for multinational enterprises (MNEs) and international small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where digitalisation has significantly reshaped work arrangements. This study evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of WFH and their differential impacts on MNEs and international SMEs. A comparative analysis was conducted using expert pairwise judgements, assessed through linguistic terms with weakened hedges (LTWHs) within the Best–Worst Method (BWM) framework. The LTWHs approach enables experts to articulate nuanced and flexible preferences, extending traditional linguistic scales by softening the strength of evaluations. This makes it particularly suited for capturing subjective assessments of WFH impacts under conditions of uncertainty. The findings indicate substantial variation in WFH adoption, with private sector organisations demonstrating approximately 50 % greater willingness to adopt WFH compared to public authorities. The analysis further highlights the distinct advantages and disadvantages that shape the performance outcomes of MNEs and international SMEs. By introducing a novel hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference approach, this study develops a comprehensive framework for assessing the organisational consequences of WFH. The results offer valuable insights for managers and policymakers seeking to strike a balance between flexibility, productivity, and resilience in the design of post-pandemic work strategies. • Paper investigates the implications of work-from-home using digitalisation. • This is done on the performance of multinational enterprises and international SMEs. • Findings reveal a difference between the public and private sectors in their adoption of WFH. • Study highlights pros and cons of WFH, demonstrating their varying impacts.

Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) plays a major role in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing job opportunities, reducing poverty etc. Even though they have contributing in large to the economy still they are facing number of challenges when internationalizing their businesses. Since this study focused on the factors influence on SMEs internationalizing their businesses. Based on review literature and discussion of expert in the field, four critical factors were identified namely competition, technology, legal requirements and support from the government. Researches received fifty-five questionnaires from the manufacturing Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) owners in North Western Province. Fifty completed questionnaires used to measure the effect of four issues on export performance in Sri Lanka. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis used to analysis data using SPSS.
 The study reveals that out of four critical factors competition, support from the government showed a positive relationship with performance of internationalized Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) while technology showed a negative relationship and legal requirements showed no relationship. Among these four critical factors most significant factor was competition. Second most significant factor was support from government and technology; legal requirements were at last. This study will give a big support for Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) owners, policy makers, researchers and etc. Policy makers and government should encourage internationalization of SMEs to achieve higher performance and give big contribution to the country. Further research needs to conduct on SME internationalization and their issues with massive sample covering both manufacturing and service industries.

Purpose – In this study, we explore the relationship between the degree of internationalization (DOI) and firm performance (DOI–P) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector. Specifically, we investigate whether the costs and benefits dynamics concerning the internationalization of SMEs differ between high-tech and non-high-tech industries. Design/methodology – We extend the prior literature on this relationship by employing 5-year data on 589 Korean SMEs in the manufacturing sector and examining the moderating impact of the industry characteristics. Our findings reveal a U-shaped relationship between the DOI and SME performance. High-tech SMEs demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship, whereas non-hightech SMEs exhibit a U-shaped relationship. Findings – Our findings illustrate the importance of the industry factor in testing the performance impact of the internationalization of Korean SMEs. By incorporating industry dynamics, our results indicate that the DOI–P relationship depends on the context of the industry in which an SME operates. High-tech SMEs also display a higher DOI but are outperformed by non-high-tech SMEs for the entire internationalization path, which implies that high-tech SMEs face more challenges than non-hightech SMEs while seeking internationalization. Originality/value – The findings strongly validate that significant benefits exist for SMEs undertaking internationalization. We also employ the contextual framework contributing to increasing the understanding of the intrinsic value of internationalization and resolving the mixed results issue on the DOI–P relationship, by illustrating that the industry factor leads to different dynamics of costs and benefits of SME internationalization; it also determines the shape and direction of the relationship.

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Purpose – The role that network competence, environmental hostility and knowledge intensiveness of the industry have on the propensity of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to internationalise is examined. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are developed, based on earlier literature on the subject. Subsequently, binary logistic regression modelling using SPSS software is applied to test the hypotheses on a sample of 224 Finnish SMEs representing five industries, two of which are characterised by knowledge intensiveness and three of which are from less knowledge-intensive ones. Findings – The propensity of SMEs to internationalise depends on both their level of network competence and their lack of perceived environmental hostility. Knowledge intensiveness of the industry is found to moderate the effect that network competence has on the internationalisation propensity. Research limitations/implications – The present study indicates that possessing higher levels of network competence helps domestic SMEs in their efforts to turn international, and that its beneficial effect is especially important for small firms in industries characterised by high knowledge intensity. Possible limitations of the study are the small cultural context and inclusion of firms from only five industries. Originality/value – This study is the first linking measurable network competence to internationalisation decisions of SMEs, while also including environmental and industry considerations. It also provides further evidence for the importance of networks in SME internationalisation theory, but indicates that it is not only the business networks themselves but also the competence in developing and maintaining those networks that help SMEs internationalise.

The past decade has witnessed a growing interest in research on the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). After two decades of development in international SME literature, both business practitioners and researchers in the field of international business and entrepreneurship are starting to consider whether and how multinationalisation impacts the performance of small and medium-sized firms. Lu and Beamish (2001) state that research in this field should 'examine the effects of an international aspect of an entrepreneurial strategy'. In this context, internationalisation is a strategic choice and the focus will be on the consequences of such entrepreneurial activity. McDougall and Oviatt (1996) point out that the impact of multina-tionalisation on firm performance is one of the most significant concerns in the field. This topic is critical for both business managers who need to take strategic decisions as to whether or not to go global, and for researchers who are trying to unveil the real effects of internationalisation on firm survival and growth.

The Moderating Influence of Competitive Intensity on the Relationship between CEOs' Regulatory Foci and SME Internationalization

Purpose This study aims to examine how digitalization influences the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on the moderating role of green economy practices. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on survey data from 150 Vietnamese SMEs drawn from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses and assess the robustness of the findings. Findings The results confirm that digitalization significantly facilitates SME internationalization by reducing traditional barriers such as limited resources, high transaction costs and restricted market access. However, green economy practices exert a paradoxical moderating effect. While they can enhance legitimacy and competitiveness in global markets, they also impose additional operational demands that may weaken the positive impact of digitalization on international expansion. Originality/value This study contributes to the SME internationalization literature by extending the resource-based view to demonstrate how digital capabilities interact with sustainability pressures. It provides new insights into the digital–green nexus, showing that the benefits of digitalization for SMEs are contingent on the strategic management of green economy practices, particularly in emerging-market contexts.

This systematic review investigates the growing role of financial technology (fintech) in aiding the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With the increasing interconnectivity of global markets, it is essential to comprehend fintech's impact on SME expansion. The study employs a meticulous bibliometric analysis to consolidate existing literature and formulate an integrated framework that clarifies the fintech-SME internationalization relationship. In this research, a systematic review of 110 articles related to both “financial technology” and “internationalization”, from 2017 to 2023, have been examined. The methodology involves a thorough examination of reviewed articles, utilizing sophisticated bibliometric techniques to pinpoint key themes, trends, and research clusters. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the field's development and current state. The findings indicate that fintech significantly reduces barriers to international trade for SMEs by offering innovative financial solutions. The integrated framework developed in this review illustrates the diverse ways fintech enables SMEs to overcome traditional challenges in international expansion. This study adds to the expanding body of literature on internationalization and provides valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. It emphasizes the transformative potential of fintech in reshaping SME internationalization strategies and highlights areas for future research in this rapidly evolving field.

We investigate the role of market uncertainties as determinants of the adoption of control and prediction in the internationalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Building on the possibility that uncertain markets may lead to trade-offs between these strategies, as suggested by the convergence between effectuation and internationalization research, we differentiate between uncertainties originated in SMEs’ home and host countries. We test our hypotheses with a cross-country data set encompassing 597 SMEs surveyed in Brazil, China, Poland, and Italy. Our results indicate that home-country uncertainty is related to the adoption of control strategies, while host-country cultural uncertainty is related to prediction efforts. Moreover, internationalization knowledge emerged not as a moderator of these relationships but as a relevant antecedent of both control and prediction. Our findings have implications for the use of effectuation in the study of SME internationalization and also for the conceptualization of the effectuation process itself.

Both innovating and internationalizing can hold the key to survival and growth among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Service innovation in particular is highly relevant in the increasingly digitalized and high-technology global trade. However, there have been until now few studies on service innovation in international entrepreneurship. Thus, in an effort to illuminate its role in entrepreneurial internationalization, the present study examines the profitability impact of service innovation in SME internationalization, while also outlining the differing impacts of entrepreneurial orientation and human capital as the antecedents of both. The empirical data were collected via an online survey of Finnish SMEs in the information and communications technology (ICT) industrial sector, the final sample comprising 104 companies. The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results indicate, first, that entrepreneurial orientation underlies both degree of internationalization and service innovation, yet different dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation have distinct impacts on the two outcomes. Second, we find that the level human capital also determines the level of service innovation in as an antecedent and third, international expansion, but not service innovation, has a negative impact on profitability. We discuss the implications of these results, which imply that SMEs may face an internationalization-innovation paradox in that engaging in both activities may not be a feasible strategic option for them, and that prioritizing internationalizing in favor of innovating may incur costs and result in lower profitability.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are known for being less prone to international expansion due to the many hazards and challenges that are difficult to face with limited financial and managerial resources. Joint Ventures (JVs) with foreign partners may thus represent strategic weapons for growing internationally, reducing the risks of investments in uncertain environments and allowing access to critical resources not available otherwise. However, due to the high uncertainty of the future behaviour of partners with different national cultures and the complexities related to the entrance in new foreign markets, SMEs usually engage in JVs only at domestic level and are reluctant to engage in such ventures internationally. Drawing on resource dependence and agency theory, we hypothesize and test that the board of directors has an important effect on the willingness to engage in international JVs. Specifically, we found that board interlock ties to other firms increase the likelihood of SMEs to engage in international rather than domestic JVs. Moreover, we found that the positive effect of board interlocks on the formation of international JVs is amplified when there is high ownership concentration. Our study aims to contribute at both theoretical and practitioner level to the literature at bridge between governance and internationalization of SMEs.

Responsibility and sustainability are today a key part of doing business globally. However, the attention of scholars and policymakers has mainly been on large multinational enterprises, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) receiving less attention. Recent studies have noted the importance of learning for SMEs to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR), but it is not yet known how the learning orientation of SMEs impacts their CSR, and how the development impacts the internationalization and performance of SMEs, which are research gaps that recent studies have noted. Shedding light on those dynamics is also important from a practical perspective since in most countries SMEs constitute a large majority of firms in both amounts and total employment. The present study contributes by illustrating how CSR impacts different types of performance in SMEs, and how the learning orientation of SMEs predetermines their CSR. Regression analyses conducted on an empirical sample of Finnish SMEs indicate that CSR in SMEs has an impact on certain types of performance and that their learning orientation determines their CSR. Therefore, the study contributes to the literature on responsibility and sustainability in SMEs, and to that SME internationalization, by shedding light on the antecedents and outcomes of CSR for SMEs.

Family small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) internationalize their business after consolidating their position in their domestic market. Once family SMEs have built up the necessary resources and capabilities for their growth in the domestic market, they may leverage it later on for further expansion abroad. This paper seeks to examine the determinant factors that may explain the internationalization of family SMEs. More specifically, this study will examine the relationship between ownership, governance, top management team (TMT) and internationalization in family SMEs. Family SMEs may reap the benefit of stewardship orientation. This study seeks to examine the potential moderating role of stewardship orientation and TMT behavioral integration. The main contribution of this study is in examining theoretically and conceptually the relationship between ownership, governance, TMT and internationalization in the family SME context.