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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the international business strategy, key driving factors and the major barriers that may hinder the internationalisation progress of Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Based on the aims of the study, the paper encompasses both quantitative and qualitative data. For quantitative data, structured questionnaires were used, and a total of 216 SMEs that engaged in international business participated using purposeful sampling, covering all the states in Peninsular Malaysia. For the collection of qualitative data, the study involved in-depth interviews with 25 owners/managers of SMEs.

The findings indicate that the motives of SMEs for international expansion are varied, and that SMEs still face many institutional challenges, which have prevented them from making a greater contribution.

Due to lack of resources, firms from West Malaysia were included. West Malaysian firms may well possess characteristics concerning the challenges and issues to internationalisation that are unique to their region.

The paper addresses a knowledge gap in respect of the internationalisation process of SMEs in the context of Southeast Asia. The findings of this paper will have relevance for policymaking and supportive measures at the government level to create an environment that will stimulate the competitiveness of SMEs in their attempts for internationalisation.

This paper aims to develop an integrated perspective on the relationship between multinationality and performance in the outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese firms. The study not only represents contrasting OFDI patterns – namely, born global-natured multiple synchronous foreign investments versus conventional internationalization process (IP)-natured steady increasing foreign investments – but also contributes to understanding the extent to which explanations of home political influence need to be rooted within the general theory of multinationality.

By testing a comprehensive panel observation of 8,635 OFDI projects from 1991-2016 in China, this study found that multinationality with the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs has a superior performance effect compared with the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs.

This study also finds a positive relationship between multinationality (international diversification and home political influence) and the performance effect with the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs, as well as a partial positive relationship between multinationality and the performance effect with the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs.

The study extends the understanding of the performance effects of Chinese multinational enterprises, which may benefit more from the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs than from the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs when the home-country institution is strongly positioned.

This paper concludes that multinationality needs an integrated framework that accounts for the new pattern of OFDI and the influence of diversification and home politics, particularly for the emerging country, China.

This study examines to what extent Internet firms have globalized and the key factors that have enabled some firms to globalize more than others. Contrary to arguments that Internet-based firms automatically benefit from a global market, this study shows that most Internet firms serve regional markets, consistent with Rugman's (2000) findings for firms in the FT500. However, there are a few notable exceptions. In these cases a combination of early mover advantages, unique product, technology standards and complementary products and services have created a ‘winner-takes-all’ market in which a few firms dominate markets worldwide. Implications for globalization theories are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the business model components and related attributes of biotech spin-offs activity that are key to the implementation of the internationalization strategy.

The paper is based on a multiple case study analysis including business models of seven biotechnology spin-offs traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Based on the literature review the authors identify the key attributes of the business model for the commercialization of R&D outcomes. The authors conduct an analysis taking into consideration the determinants of biotech spin-off activity. The authors also measure the internationalization strategy implementation with the use of indicators identified in the empirical research literature review.

According to the results, the authors identified that international cooperation in research projects and partnering, as well as international experience in the management board and tacit knowledge, play a facilitating role in the business model for the commercialization of biotech spin-off research findings. The cost advantage on the global market, tax advantages and support of venture capital are the key to the exploitation of profit potential on the global market. An important component of the business model specific to companies conducting R&D activities is to ensure firm survival activities by funding research grants to makes R&D possible prior to commercialization.

The main limitation of this study is the small magnitude of the sample, particularly as only two of the seven analyzed spin-offs realized their profit potential on the global market.

The findings are important for the development of business models of new biotech ventures. Research results can be used as recommendations for universities on how to effectively build a business model for the commercialization of biotech spin-offs on the basis of R&D outcomes for the internationalization strategy.

The paper’s uniqueness results from the synergy of combining three research areas: components of business models for commercialization; attributes of biotech R&D activity; and indicators measuring the internationalization strategy implementation. The results can contribute to the existing body of knowledge on business models for the commercialization of R&D outcomes in the context of internationalization. The value of this paper is an extended knowledge of the internationalization of biotech ventures based on R&D outcomes.

Purpose – To describe and analyze the situation prior to and during the initial stages of internationalization of Chinese SMEs, as well as analyzing the role of clusters as take-off nodes for such firms.

Methodology – A multiple case study is conducted based on semistructured interviews with five private-owned exporting Chinese SMEs. Also, data on Chinese industrial clusters are analyzed.

Findings – The findings complement the model presented with new knowledge. In the take-off situation, Chinese SMEs deviate from assumed paths due to disadvantages in the emerging Chinese market. In the initial stages of internationalization, the focus on indirect exports hinders the building of international relationships being the key for further international expansion. Cluster localization is a take-off node for individual dedicated exporters into international markets.

Research limitations – Few cases, co-location of firms in the advanced Yangtze River Delta region and issues of Chinese versus Western SME definitions limits the possibility to generalize the findings of the study.

Practical implications – Chinese as well as foreign firms can gain from this paper regarding, for example, that competitiveness built up abroad can be utilized for increasing the market share in an attractive domestic market, the pitfall of indirect exports can be overcome by developing direct international relationships, and cluster localization can spur the internationalization of (individual) Chinese SMEs.

Originality – Empirical contribution of internationalization patterns of Chinese private-owned SMEs as well as pinpointing the importance of the domestic market as trigger for internationalization.

From the network approach, the purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence about the role of international cooperative alliances (CAs) in the decision of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to internationalize and remain in the external market.

To fulfill the proposed objective, qualitative research was carried out through analyzing two SMEs (case studies) in the Portuguese textile sector. Data collection was based on structured interviews, direct observation and some documental analysis.

The results show that the analyzed SMEs internationalized immediately after their creation, with this decision not being influenced by CAs but rather by the founder’s role and above all by a saturated domestic market.

Alliances are determinant in subsequent developments in the foreign market, allowing SMEs to reach new markets, increase their market share and consolidate their name in the international market. Thus, managers/entrepreneurs should adopt strategies that stimulate the firm’s expansion in the external market, prioritizing the formation of CAs with international partners.

This study suggests that none of the dominant models can exclusively explain the internationalization process of the studied SMEs. Therefore, this research has implications for the recent stream of literature that argues for a holistic view of internationalization models, considering the arguments of all models instead of only one.

Many newly established Internet loss-making enterprises (NEILEs) are always willing to expand overseas within a very short time from their establishment. This phenomenon is becoming a hot research area. This paper aims to explore why these enterprises are always willing to expand overseas rapidly even if they are facing severe and persistent losses, and to study the different rapid internationalization modes and the international market entry ways for NEILEs.

This paper constructs a theoretical framework with the dual situation of negative attainment discrepancy and advantageous slack resources to explain the rapid internationalization of NEILEs. Furthermore, cross-case comparative analysis method, based on interviews, questionnaires and secondary data collection, is adopted to reveal the rapid internationalization modes and the international market entry ways of such enterprises.

Whether blocking competitors or seeking opportunities or both, NEILEs' goal of rapid internationalization depends on the severity and persistence of negative attainment discrepancy. When the severity and persistence of negative attainment discrepancy are very significant, moderate and mild, NEILEs choose sniper-type, opportunity-type and dual-type internationalization target mode in turn; it is very important for NEILEs to match advantageous slack resources and international market entry ways to achieve specific internationalization goals.

This paper enriches the understanding of NEILEs' transnational entrepreneurial behavior in the era of digital economy. The theoretical contribution of this paper is that the authors build a theoretical framework based on the logical starting point, the logical fulcrum and the logic ending point for understanding the rapid internationalization of NEILEs.

This study demonstrates that NEILEs can also expand into foreign markets according to their own characteristics. Undoubtedly, they need to choose appropriate internationalization target mode and international market entry way in line with the extent and duration of their losses, and their advantageous slack resources.

In this paper, the authors construct the rapid internationalization theory of NEILEs based on the dual situation of negative attainment discrepancy and advantageous slack resources in digital economy era. Moreover, the authors discover the behavioral characteristics and patterns of NEILEs' transnational entrepreneurship.

Research on corporate entrepreneurship (CE) has grown rapidly over the past decade (for reviews, see Dess et al., 2003). This interest in CE stems from rising international competition, requiring companies to learn new skills and develop new competencies (Eisemhardt & Santos, 2003). These competencies enable companies to compete in new market arenas both at home and internationally, creating value for shareholders (McGrath, MacMillan & Venkataraman, 1995). With more and more companies focusing on international expansion, recent research on CE has focused on examining international issues. Though most past research is comparative in nature, some has investigated companies’ international expansion as a forum within which CE activities unfold (Zahra & Garvis, 2000).

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature addressing internationalisation of firms from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

This paper presents an inter-disciplinary systematic review of literature about the internationalisation of firms from CEE.

Three different clusters of research were identified. In the “Internationalisation Processes” cluster, containing many comparative studies, the focus is on specific approaches adopted by local firms in the process of internationalisation. One of the leitmotivs is the dichotomy between hostile home-country factors that create the need for internationalisation and market-seeking motives that guide the search for international expansion. The “Internationalisation Variables” cluster aims to explain the reasons of success or failure of internationalisation processes and strategies; this cluster focuses on possible facilitating or hindering aspects experienced by CEE firms and one often-cited element is the firm’s network. Finally, the “Internationalisation Outcomes” cluster assumes a reverse approach when compared to the other two clusters. Indeed, the internationalisation phenomenon can also be studied in terms of its effect on the firm; the elements sought in these types of studies are both potential benefits and risks associated with internationalisation in CEE countries. The latter category in particular gives rise to interesting questions for future research.

Given that large, developed economies tend to receive much academic interest and that smaller transitional economies are not always adequately represented in the scientific discussion, this paper contributes to the literature on internationalisation.

Relying on the theoretical lens of a knowledge-based view, the purpose of this study is to explore the sources and roles of experiential knowledge in the rapid internationalisation of an emerging market-based micro export firms (EMMFs).

This is an inductive theory building study, which attempts to understand the “how” and “why” questions. In so doing, the study used nine micro export firms operating in the handicrafts sector of Nepal.

The findings suggest that internationalisation of resource-poor EMMFs relies on the entrepreneurs’ experiential knowledge, which is mainly acquired through prior experience, social networks and participation in international trade-fairs.

This study contributes by formulating a number of propositions on the sources and roles of experiential knowledge, which could be tested in pursuit of theory building on micro firms’ internationalisation based in emerging markets.

The paper advances an understanding on the patterns of firms’ internationalisation, and discusses EMMFs’ possibilities to emerge as a faster internationalising firm, so-called “born globals”.