The Resource-based Perspective and Small Firm Internationalisation: an Exploratory Approach

Abstract

The term ‘internationalisation’ is commonly used to describe ‘the developmental process of increasing involvement in international business’ by the firm (Young et al. , 1989). Despite this fairly broad definition, the emphasis in the literature has been on a narrow range of issues, particularly the mode of entry and country choice (although there has been increasing attention paid to inward—outward connections — see Welch and Luostarinen (1993)). There is, therefore, an interest in advancing the field of investigation beyond these limited confines to encompass a broader range of questions, as well as continuing to seek improved frameworks for explanation. This chapter pursues this line of enquiry, the two-fold objective being, first, to develop a framework derived from the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm; and, second, to evaluate its potential usefulness in understanding wider issues relating to the growth and internationalisation of smaller sized enterprises. By considering internationalisation within a strategic management context (see also Welch and Welch, 1996), the aim is to provide encouragement to take the debate forward and broaden the avenues of enquiry. Given the exploratory nature of the research, a case study approach is pursued. The topic of this chapter is particularly important today when a new breed of high growth, rapidly internationalising small firms is emerging, especially in knowledge-intensive sectors. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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