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This chapter provides an introduction and outlines the rationale for this book. It also specifies the organisation and structure of the chapter contributions while introducing the authors. The chapter concludes by summarising the main points of the ensuing sections and intimates on directions for further research as well as theoretical implications in the international entrepreneurship field.

Based on an institutional approach to explaining firms’ internationalisation, this paper aims to empirically investigate the role of Export Promotion Programmes (EPPs) in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) propensity to export.

The study uses evidence from Algeria, the largest North-African country. The data were collected using an online questionnaire, targeting SMEs operating in the manufacturing sector. The study considers the influence of procedural, informational, environmental and functional barriers on export propensity, to uncover the moderating role of trade missions, trade shows and export seminars and workshops on such relationships. To examine these links, five main hypotheses are proposed and tested through a non-linear partial least squares structural equation modelling on a sample of 128 Algerian SMEs.

The results show that while internal barriers decrease firms’ export propensity, EPPs including trade fairs and shows may independently pose either a positive or negative influence on such relationships.

The study confirms the applicability of the institutional perspective to explaining firms’ internationalisation. More importantly, the present study highlights the role of EPPs in moderating the influence of export barriers perceptions on SMEs’ international market entry, a role neglected by the extant empirical literature.

The current findings hold important implications to export promotion organisations operating in African countries. Notably, the results reveal that some programmes could have a negative influence if they are not delivered appropriately.

This study offers a rare focus on the moderating role of EPPs in the relationship between export barriers and export propensity, within the setting of a North-African country.

The export entry behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a complex behaviour that requires specific tools for a holistic investigation. Thus far, there are inconclusive findings in the literature on key predictors of export behaviour, which may be explained by methodological limitations. In this chapter, using a novel fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis for its ability to capture complex causality, the authors study the impact of managerial attributes and collaborative behaviours on SMEs’ export propensity. The analysis is based on a sample of 80 SMEs operating in the emerging country context of Turkey. Participants were selected using a non-probability sampling approach. For export propensity, it is found that no single driver is sufficient to facilitate SMEs’ export entry. Rather, a combination of managerial attributes including export knowledge, international orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and export perception is more likely to lead to export entry. Alternatively, the lack of some of these attributes could be offset by the presence of collaborative activities. Specifically, the shortage of export knowledge, international orientation and entrepreneurial orientation at any rate could be mitigated by collaborative activities. These findings hold important implications for SMEs and export promotion organisations in similar emerging contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) propensity to export using data from a North African country, namely Algeria. Drawing on the extended resource-based view, the study examines the role of firms’ resources and capabilities in explaining the probability to export.

The study employs the nascent fuzzy c-means clustering technique to analyse a sample of 208 Algerian SMEs. The sample included both established and potential exporters operating across various sectors. A combination of online and face-to-face methods was used to collect the data.

While a preliminary analysis established the existence of five clusters exhibiting different levels of resources and capabilities, further discernment of these clusters has shown significant variances in relation to export propensity. In short, clusters exhibiting combinations that include higher levels of export-oriented managerial resources showed greater export propensity, whereas clusters lacking such assets were less likely to display high export propensity, despite superior capabilities in marketing and innovation.

The findings provide a more comprehensive insight on the critical resources shaping SMEs’ internationalisation in the North African context. The paper holds important implications for export promotion policy in this area.

The study makes a twofold contribution. First, the use of the fuzzy c-means clustering technique to capture the joint influence of discrete resources and capabilities on SMEs’ export propensity constitutes a methodological contribution. Second, being the first study bringing evidence on SMEs’ internationalisation from the largest country in the African continent, in terms of landmass, constitutes an important contextual contribution.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how cultural values influence the entrepreneurial process. It conceptualises the relationship between post-materialistic values and entrepreneurial intention to explain low entrepreneurial activity.

The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia with non-entrepreneurs. An online survey returned 405 valid questionnaires, representing a 27 per cent response rate. The data were analysed using partial least structural equation modelling.

The paper identifies key factors that explain the influence of changing cultural values on entrepreneurial activity. The results show that post-materialistic values influence entrepreneurial intention by decreasing desirability and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

The study conceptualises the interplay between cultural values and entrepreneurial intention in Saudi Arabia. Further insights can be developed by comparing Saudi Arabia with other countries. The study was conducted as a “snapshot” of the current situation of entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia with a cross-sectional survey design.

The paper holds important implications for entrepreneurship educators when addressing unsupportive cultures for entrepreneurial activity. Cultural and motivational approaches are suggested. While the former focuses on aspects that encourage the desire and confidence to start a business, the latter involves encouraging setting venture creation as a goal.

Previous studies indicated that post-materialistic values negatively influence entrepreneurship; this paper contributes further by exploring how this relationship manifests by exploring the intervening factors between post-materialistic values and entrepreneurial intention. It advances entrepreneurship research by investigating deep assumptions underlying the formulation of entrepreneurial intentions. It also responds to the need to understand the difference in the levels of entrepreneurial activity across countries.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the network promotion role of export promotion programmes in driving small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) export performance.

Drawing on a dual institutional and network-based approaches to internationalisation, the study tests an integrative model that explores the mediating role of SMEs’ relationships in the link between government export promotion programmes (both informational and experiential forms) and export performance. The model was tested using a sample of 160 UK small and medium exporter firms. The data were analysed through a structural equation modelling technique.

The study finds that whilst both informational and experiential export promotion programmes improved all forms of SMEs’ relationships, only experiential forms had an indirect effect on export performance. Further, only relationships with foreign buyers had a positive impact on export performance.

The results of this research provide directions for export promotion organisations in targeting their network support provision and for SMEs in utilising such a support. The study calls for similar research in different contexts to validate the proposed model.

This study brings novel findings to the extant literature by conceptualising and validating the importance of the “network promotion” element of export promotion programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a research model to identify the key determinants and examine their impact towards online pro-brand and anti-brand community citizenship behaviours (CCBs).

A survey based on the research model is used to collect empirical data from 260 and 200 members of online pro-brand communities (OBCs) and online anti-brand communities (OABCs), respectively. A two-stage approach employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and artificial neural network (ANN) is first applied to uncover new observations.

Moral identity and positive brand emotion (BE) are the two most influential factors driving both online pro-brand and anti-brand CCBs. A higher level of internalisation might be required to exhibit online anti-brand CCB as opposed to online pro-brand CCB. This contradicts the current understanding that anti-brand behaviours are less morally restricted given the virtuality and anonymity of online communities. OABC members may need to better justify themselves internally to overcome positive BE when exercising anti-brand action. Also, brand identification, brand dis-identification and BE would be used to identify two types of OABC members.

The effect of motives other than pro-social remains unclear on online pro-brand and anti-brand CCBs.

This is the first paper to develop two new dimensions which provide a more complete definition of CCB. Also, some new observations are uncovered by comparing the effect of different key determinants on online pro-brand CCB against that of online anti-brand CCB. The research model can be used to define and improve member (or brand) engagement which would enhance the management of OBCs and OABCs.

Succeeding in export markets remains a challenging task for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in developing countries. Empirical studies from these regions on SMEs’ internationalisation remain scarce bringing contrasting evidence to those emerging from developed countries. To increase understanding on these issues, the present study adopts a novel fuzzy-set comparative analysis technique to investigate the combination(s) of different resource factors driving Algerian SMEs’ export performance. Using a sample of 103 exporters, the study identifies two distinct resource configurations likely to boost SMEs export performance. The present study holds important implications for the internationalisation literature and the export promotion organisations in developing countries.