Micromultinationals – antecedents, processes and outcomes of the multinationalization of small- and medium-sized firms
Vanninen, Heini (2017-10-06)
Aineistoon ei liity tiedostoja.
Väitöskirja
Vanninen, Heini
06.10.2017
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-127-1
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-127-1
Tiivistelmä
This thesis focuses on micromultinationals, i.e. small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs)
that invest and operate in two or more countries. The rise of micromultinationals results
from the opportunities brought about by globalization, digital communications and the
Internet. What makes these firms important in the global economy is the fact that
micromultinationals achieve greater control over international activities, thus realizing
superior performance. Most research has assumed that SMEs use low-commitment
international market entry modes, such as exporting, which makes micromultinationals’
operations a largely unexplored research avenue.
As the economy has shifted away from physical goods and toward the production of
information, SMEs have more options for organizing themselves. Internationalization
strategies resulting from that shift are not yet captured in a comprehensive way by existing
theoretical frameworks, partly because the multinationalization of SMEs is a rather novel
phenomenon on a larger scale, and partly because of the literature gap separating studies
of born globals (BGs) and international new ventures (INVs) from studies of
multinational enterprises (MNEs). Thus, in this thesis, a more holistic outlook is taken
and several theoretical frameworks are employed to examine the antecedents, processes
and outcomes of SMEs’ rapid multinationalization. The main goal of this thesis is to
understand how and why an SME becomes a multinational company. The thesis utilizes
a qualitative multiple case based approach to answer this question. Data is collected from
ten case study firms originating from Finland and New Zealand.
The results of the thesis suggest that the answer to the research question is intertwined,
meaning that the antecedents (why multinationalization occurs in the context of SMEs)
affect the process (how it actually happens) and the outcomes. In addition, the timing of
multinationalization in a firm’s lifecycle has an effect on the process and the outcomes.
that invest and operate in two or more countries. The rise of micromultinationals results
from the opportunities brought about by globalization, digital communications and the
Internet. What makes these firms important in the global economy is the fact that
micromultinationals achieve greater control over international activities, thus realizing
superior performance. Most research has assumed that SMEs use low-commitment
international market entry modes, such as exporting, which makes micromultinationals’
operations a largely unexplored research avenue.
As the economy has shifted away from physical goods and toward the production of
information, SMEs have more options for organizing themselves. Internationalization
strategies resulting from that shift are not yet captured in a comprehensive way by existing
theoretical frameworks, partly because the multinationalization of SMEs is a rather novel
phenomenon on a larger scale, and partly because of the literature gap separating studies
of born globals (BGs) and international new ventures (INVs) from studies of
multinational enterprises (MNEs). Thus, in this thesis, a more holistic outlook is taken
and several theoretical frameworks are employed to examine the antecedents, processes
and outcomes of SMEs’ rapid multinationalization. The main goal of this thesis is to
understand how and why an SME becomes a multinational company. The thesis utilizes
a qualitative multiple case based approach to answer this question. Data is collected from
ten case study firms originating from Finland and New Zealand.
The results of the thesis suggest that the answer to the research question is intertwined,
meaning that the antecedents (why multinationalization occurs in the context of SMEs)
affect the process (how it actually happens) and the outcomes. In addition, the timing of
multinationalization in a firm’s lifecycle has an effect on the process and the outcomes.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [1070]