The Importance of Locally Embedded Personal Relationships for SME Internationalisation Processes - from Opportunity Recognition to Company Growth

• Autorzy: Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The purpose of the paper is to present the importance of locally embedded personal relationships and individuals' networks for the rise of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)' opportunities in the internationalisation process (especially the market entry phase) as well as their international operations and growth. Above all, the aim of the article is to answer the question what is influencing the actual impact of these resulting opportunities on internationalisation and growth. This paper adopts both a conceptual and empirical approach to the problem based upon a critical review of pertinent literature. Two case studies of companies from industries representing different levels of technological advancement, that is the furniture industry and IT industry, are presented. The theoretical and empirical analysis presented in the article points to the fact that relationships simultaneously facilitate opportunity recognition and themselves constitute such an opportunity. The analysis carried out as part of the case study proves that main factors determining the rise of the opportunity based on locally embedded personal relationships are trust and mutual understanding, in this way emphasising the importance of relational embeddedness. At the same time the realisation of these opportunities and therefore their impact on the internationalisation process and a company's growth requires additional social factors (an entrepreneurial attitude) as well as economic factors (such as quality and competitive prices). (original abstract)

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie znaczenia lokalnie osadzonych relacji personalnych dla pojawienia się okazji dla małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw (MSP) w procesie ich internacjonalizacji (a szczególnie w fazie wejścia na rynek zagraniczny) oraz wzrostu. Ponadto celem artykułu jest identyfikacja czynników warunkujących rzeczywiste wykorzystanie i przełożenie tak powstałej okazji na internacjonalizację i wzrost przedsiębiorstw. W artykule zastosowano zarówno podejście koncepcyjne jak i empiryczne do analizy problemu bazując na krytycznej analizie literatury przedmiotu. Przedstawiono również dwa studia przypadków przedsiębiorstw reprezentujących dwie branże o różnym poziomie zaawansowania technologicznego, tj. branżę meblarską i branżę IT. Przedstawiona w artykule analiza teoretyczna i empiryczna wykazała, że relacje jednocześnie umożliwiają rozpoznanie okazji jak i same stanowią taką okazję. Przeprowadzona analiza studiów przypadków dowiodła, że głównymi czynnikami mającymi wpływ na przełożenie relacji personalnych na pojawienie się okazji są zaufanie i wzajemne zrozumienie, podkreślając tym samym znaczenie osadzenia relacyjnego. Przy czym trzeba podkreślić, że tak jak te relacje wspomagają tworzenie okazji, tak już dla ich zrealizowania i przełożenia na internacjonalizację i wzrost przedsiębiorstwa, niezbędne są dodatkowe zidentyfikowane w przedstawionych badaniach czynniki w postaci czynników społecznych reprezentowanych przez postawę przedsiębiorczą oraz czynników ekonomicznych (takich jak jakość i konkurencyjne ceny). (abstrakt oryginalny)

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Small business; Interpersonal relations; Partner relationships; Internationalization

PL

Małe i średnie przedsiębiorstwa; Relacje międzyludzkie; Relacje partnerskie; Internacjonalizacja

• Czasopismo: Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation (JEMI)
• Rocznik: 2014
• Tom: 10
• Numer: nr 3 Learning and Innovation in Space
• Strony: 89--108

Twórcy

autor

Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek

• Poznań University of Economics, Poland

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