Breaking down barriers: Understanding the limiting factors for SMEs on internationalization

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

It is perhaps the most difficult, hard to predict stage in the development of a small-to-medium sized enterprise (SME) when they take the success they have achieved at home and try to replicate it in foreign markets. The transition can, of course, go wrong in a number of ways – there is simply no demand for the products and services being offered, or the price is too high, advertising doesn’t reach the right audiences, or demand cannot be fulfilled. Indeed, there are so many ways it could go wrong that it must be one of the most dispiriting steps SMEs try to take in their growth curve when they realize that they are unable to transplant the success they have had in their home market.

Practical implications

This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Citation

(2020), "Breaking down barriers: Understanding the limiting factors for SMEs on internationalization", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-01-2020-0016