Purpose
Internationalizing the Small and Medium Sized Firm – four cases
The intention of this study is therefore to provide the reader with insights into an area of subject, which normally is not thoroughly described in traditional literature. The specific purpose of the thesis is to analyze and discuss the perceived factors of failure and success for small and medium sized companies1) (below referred to as SME’s) when entering new markets. A more general purpose is to in a descriptive as well as pragmatic way present a number of different case studies dealing with internationalization that will entertain and hopefully educate the reader on the subject. The authors do not in any way intend to analyze the specific reasons why any of the case-companies succeeded or failed. The cases only serve as general examples from which the authors will derive patterns that are used to identify potential factors for success or failure.
Since there are no ways to evaluate the internationalization process in a fully objective sense, focus will be on perceived factors since the study is based mainly on interviews with respondents within the companies (see empirical chapter for a brief discussion on perceptions). From the authors’ experience there are many different aspects arising during an internationalization process, and the intention is to use a fairly broad and general perspective and take organizational, leadership and psychological as well as strategic considerations into account. In the end, these factors will be edited and presented to the reader as a list of important points to consider when internationalizing the small and medium sized firm.
