Resource dependency and institutional theory perspectives on direct and indirect export choices

Direct export, Indirect export, SMEs, Resource dependency theory, Institutional theory, L2, L26, M16,

The effects of top management team composition on SME export performance: an upper echelons perspective

Survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly depends on their ability to exploit opportunities in foreign markets. Given their limited resources, exporting is one of the most viable modes of entry into foreign markets for SMEs. The present study is an attempt to contribute to the research that identifies the factors associated with SME export performance. Specifically, the association between top management team demographic composition and SME export performance was examined in an emerging market context and drawing from upper echelons perspective. Focusing on such commonly examined upper echelons attributes as age, education level, and tenure, the present research assessed whether top management team composition distinguished between SMEs in terms of their export levels. Data were collected from 128 SMEs operating in Ankara and Bursa regions of Turkey. Results obtained by a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that SMEs with lower mean industry tenure and higher age separation diversity had higher levels of export performance

Service Markets: Digital Business Models and International Expansion

Service markets are both global and local. Firms develop strengths in the domestic market that can be exploited abroad, but we also see firms that from the very start work with international business models. The markets for these service firms are very different and the underlying competitive advantages that can be exploited can change rapidly. Through digitalization and the possibility to provide highly value-added services through the Internet, the spatial dynamics of these markets are volatile. This chapter discusses how firms can work over geographical distances and what makes a digital business model internationally scalable. Whereas the Internet has paved the way for rapid international expansion for firms such as Google and Facebook, most digital business face difficulties in expanding across borders. By analyzing the spatial logic for digital business models and by presenting an in-depth case study of a Swedish firm, Truecaller, this chapter analyzes the determinants for international scalability for firms with digital business models, and contributes new theoretical insights and practical advice for business managers seeking to internationalize their digital businesses