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By applying the logic of the resource-based view and process-based internationalisation theory, this study aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of product innovation capability on the export scope of firms based in developing countries and the role of export experience as a facilitating mechanism.

Using survey data obtained from three developing countries, two main research hypotheses were empirically tested: a quadratic relationship exists between product innovation capability and export scope and export experience has a moderating effect in this relationship.

Product innovation capability and export scope have a U-shaped relationship, and export experience exerts a moderating effect. The greater the export experience is, the more the relationship between product innovation and export scope changes, taking on a more inverted U-shaped form.

Firms based in developing countries need to catch-up on innovation capabilities before being able to succeed in international markets. Managers must be aware that initial investments in product innovation could not pay off immediately and that significant additional efforts might be needed to obtain noteworthy results in terms of international expansion.

This study is among the first to focus on the curvilinear relationship between product innovation capability and export scope for firms based in developing countries while accounting for the moderating role of firms’ export experience.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the curvilinear effects of firm innovativeness (i.e. product, organisational and marketing innovation) on international expansion as well as the effect of expansion on performance in the developing countries (DCs) setting.

Research hypotheses are tested using survey data obtained from firms located in four South-East European DCs. Covariance-based structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed conceptual framework.

Empirical findings support the hypothesised U-shaped relationship between product innovation and organisational innovation and the level of international expansion of firms in developing markets. The authors found an inverse U-shaped relationship between marketing innovation and the level of international expansion. Furthermore, the existence of a strong positive link between the level of international expansion and firm performance is also confirmed.

While this research utilises a sample of firms from a homogenous group of DCs, further research could use a more heterogeneous sample and thus control the model for various contingency effects (e.g. environment turbulence, market structure and competitive dynamics).

When it comes to product and organisational innovation, international expansion is achieved only with a higher level of innovativeness. On the contrary, beyond a certain level, further investments in marketing innovation do not have additional positive effects on international expansion.

This study is one of the first that explicitly focuses on examining the non-linear effects of innovativeness on international expansion in the DC context.

The purpose of this paper is to discover and empirically test the gap between the theory and practice of integrated marketing communications (IMC) in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).

The paper follows a quantitative approach, using the questionnaire technique. Questionnaire items emerged from a literature review and a qualitative step (in‐depth interviews). The questionnaire was submitted to a sample of 210 manufacturing firms. Factor and cluster analysis were performed in order to give a descriptive overview of different communication behavioral profiles within SMEs.

The sample shows evidence of a certain ability in marketing communication management on the part of SMEs. A group of virtuous firms able to employ a great variety of communication tools, to define in‐depth and consistent messages and to declare ambitious and long‐term goals appears. However, these firms do not adequately manage the internal organizational process aimed at marketing communication planning. As well as these virtuous firms, a large group of firms which show more gaps including in their range of activities, message, and goal definition, still exists. Structural characteristics are useful but not exhaustive in order to understand the existence of such a distance between SMEs active in communications and those with greater communication gaps. Besides, structural characteristics, internal dynamism proves to be one of the most important motivating factors in marketing communications.

Although this paper is restricted to a small sample, it constitutes a significant starting point in attaching importance to marketing communications within SMEs.

From this paper, practitioners may understand where intervention guidelines are needed in order to improve a marketing communications plan for a small or medium enterprise.

Owing to the focus of previous research on large company practices, this paper represents an original trial to empirically apply the IMC approach only within SMEs.

Crowdfunding (CF) has been recognized by media narrations as a disruptive approach to funding social entrepreneurship, although there is a lack of evidence in academic literature about factors capable of supporting social entrepreneurs in developing a successful CF campaign. This chapter aims to improve both academic knowledge and CF practice in those areas that can effectively support social entrepreneurs in managing their campaigns. An empirical analysis of 250 CF campaigns launched by Italian social enterprises was conducted. We focused on three main issues in terms of their effect on the overall level of funding achieved: the social enterprise’s network, the choice of CF platform, and CF campaign design. Our results demonstrate that the social enterprise’s presence on Twitter, the choice of a specific reward-based platform, and active management of the CF campaign have a significant impact on the achievement of the funding goal.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the systematic relationships among dynamic capabilities in startups’ survival.

This study is based on a systematic literature review on dynamic capabilities related to startups’ survival, following the content analysis approach.

This study presents four different perspectives of analysis about dynamic capabilities from resources exchange and business factors that meet needs of startups' survival. It also points out new area for future research in this field. In doing so, this study differentiates itself by its approach not limiting dynamic capabilities research and enriching entrepreneurs' capability theory.

By indicating an evolution of dynamic capabilities theory among tangible and intangible resources exchange in a more favorable adaptation to startups growth, this study boosters and contributes to the society, economy in general and to the science of business management in various perspectives such as overcoming cognitive barriers, entrepreneur’s commitment, innovation capabilities and knowledge capacity of startups.

This study amplifies dynamic capabilities vision in startups’ survival as one of the main sources for growth in this type of organizations. It also develops a deeper understanding about new avenues for dynamic capabilities theory among tangible and intangible resources exchange.