Nowadays, the internationalisation process of companies is moved more and more in the core of daily business life. This process is eased by reduced costs facilitated by less tariff barriers among Europe, faster ways of communications like the Internet and appealing emerging markets. These days, nearly every company is involved in the internationalisation process.
When we have considered the internationalisation process of Swedish SMEs, we found it interesting to have a close look at their decision to change from an indirect exporting mode to a direct exporting mode within their internationalisation process. Our research shall point out the important factors which influence their decision to change or not to change from an indirect exporting mode to a direct exporting mode.
Therefore, in our research we have compared theories with empirical findings of seven conducted interviews in order to fulfil our purpose which is to increase the understanding of the internationalisation process of Swedish SMEs, especially the reasons why firms change or do not want to change from indirect to direct export modes. According to that we came up with the following problem formulation:
What are the influencing factors for Swedish SMEs to change or not to change their exporting modes?
By evaluating possible influencing factors concerning their value of similarity among case companies and their value of consistency between theories and empirical findings we could identify a couple of factors which influence a company’s export decision. We could develop a model for each case whether to change or not to change exporting mode. By that we could classify influencing factors by the value of consistency and similarity in order to identify the most valuable influencing factors.
Table of Contents
- INTRODUCTION.
- BACKGROUND..
- PROBLEM DISCUSSION
- PROBLEM FORMULATION
- PURPOSE
- LIMITATIONS...
- THEORETICAL RELEVANCE
- PRACTICAL RELEVANCE...
- THEORY
- INTERNATIONALISATION PROCESS OF A FIRM
- Internationalisation process of SMEs....
- Internationalisation process theory: Uppsala Model.
- Internationalisation process theory: Network Model.
- THE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPORTING..
- Indirect export.
- Direct Export..
- CHANGE WITHIN EXPORT MODES..
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode.
- CONCLUSIVE THEORETICAL REMARKS
- METHODOLOGY.......
- SCIENTIFIC APPROACH...
- PREUNDERSTANDING
- General Knowledge, Specific one and Personal attributes
- RESEARCH APPROACH....
- TYPE OF RESEARCH
- QUALITATIVE VERSUS QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH...
- DATA COLLECTION..
- SELECTION METHOD.
- EVALUATION CRITERIA..
- SUMMARY OF METHODOLOGY
- EMPIRICAL DATA
- GALVIN GREEN.
- Internationalisation process.
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode
- HAMMARPLAST AB...
- Internationalisation process.
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode
- LINDER AB
- Internationalisation process of the company..
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode
- BERGKVIST-VÄXJÖ KB.
- Internationalisation process.
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode
- FLÄKT WOODS AB...
- Internationalisation process....
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode
- ACKURAT AB...
- Internationalisation process.
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode.
- ABSTRACTA AB..
- Internationalisation process.
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode..
- Influencing factors putting forward not to change exporting mode.
- COMPILING SUMMARY OF THE EMPIRICAL DATA.
- ANALYSIS
- INTERNATIONALISATION PROCESS..
- Internationalisation process of SMEs..
- Uppsala model...
- Network Model
- THE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPORTING...
- Indirect Export......
- Direct Exporting.
- CHANGE WITHIN EXPORT MODES.....
- Influencing factors putting forward to change exporting mode...
- Influencing factors putting forward NOT to change exporting mode..
- Additional Comments on other influencing factors..
- CONCLUSION.
- INFLUENCING FACTORS PUTTING FORWARD TO CHANGE EXPORTING MODE.
- INFLUENCING FACTORS PUTTING FORWARD NOT TO CHANGE EXPORTING MODE
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- FINAL REMARKS..
- CRITICISM TO OUR WORK
- SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH.
- REFERENCES.
- ARTICLES:
- BOOKS:
- WEBSITES..
- INTERVIEWS
Objectives and Key Themes
This research investigates the factors influencing Swedish SMEs in their decision to change or maintain their exporting modes during the internationalisation process. By examining both theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, it aims to contribute to a better understanding of these dynamic choices. The key themes explored in this thesis include:- The internationalisation process of SMEs
- The different modes of exporting (indirect and direct)
- Factors influencing the change or non-change of export modes
- The theoretical frameworks of the Uppsala and Network Models
- An analysis of empirical data from interviews with Swedish SMEs
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the research, providing background information on the internationalisation process of SMEs, the rationale behind choosing this topic, and the specific research problem. It also outlines the purpose, limitations, and theoretical and practical relevance of the study.
- Theory: This chapter presents theoretical frameworks relevant to the study, including the internationalisation process of firms, specifically focusing on SMEs. It delves into the Uppsala Model and the Network Model, outlining the different modes of exporting (indirect and direct) and the factors that might influence the decision to change or maintain these modes.
- Methodology: This chapter describes the methodological approach used in the research, including the scientific approach, pre-understanding, research approach, type of research, data collection methods, selection method, evaluation criteria, and a summary of the overall methodology.
- Empirical Data: This section presents the findings from interviews with seven Swedish SMEs, including a detailed examination of their individual internationalisation processes, the factors influencing their decisions to change or not to change their export modes, and a compilation of the overall empirical data. The specific companies included in this section are: Galvin Green, Hammarplast AB, Linder AB, Bergkvist-Växjö KB, Fläkt Woods AB, Ackurat AB, and Abstracta AB.
- Analysis: This chapter analyzes the empirical data in light of the theoretical frameworks presented earlier. It examines the internationalisation process of SMEs, comparing the findings to the Uppsala Model and the Network Model. It also analyzes the different ways of exporting (indirect and direct) and the factors influencing the decision to change or not to change these export modes.
Keywords
This thesis examines the dynamic process of internationalisation for Swedish SMEs, focusing on the factors influencing their decision to shift from indirect to direct exporting modes. Key concepts explored include: internationalisation process, export modes, indirect exporting, direct exporting, influencing factors, Uppsala Model, Network Model, empirical data, case studies, and qualitative research.- Quote paper
- C. Brüggemann, Tobias/ Lassek, S./ Gence (Author), 2004, A view on reasons for Swedish SMEs to change or not to change export modes in the internationalisation process, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/25973
