Purpose The aim of this study is to explore, describe and analyze how service firms overcome barriers of internationalization at an early stage. Thus, this study is aiming to increase a better understanding of what kind of preconditions these firms have in the very early stages of internationalization. Methodology This research has been based on qualitative case study and abductive approach. We wanted to pursue this research strategy since we were aiming to receive an in-depth understanding of service firms’ early internationalization process. A delimitation we further have applied in this study is a focus only on early entry to Norwegian market and on Swedish consulting firms. These delimitations have been based mainly on the fact that it would be easier to compare the results from the empirical data. We have furthermore conducting a total of 5 interviews with 6 interviewees. Three of these have been with our chosen case companies and the other two have been with two external actors with profound knowledge about the Norwegian market.   Conclusions In our conclusions, we have identified the main characteristics of barriers in an early internationalization stage for service firms and enablers to overcome these barriers. The three key enablers are networks and relationships, international entrepreneurship and presence at the foreign market.

Since the expatriates in management level have profound influences on the overall operation of overseas subsidiaries, it is significant for multinational corporations to understand the predictors of expatriate¡¦s entrepreneurship in cross-cultural contexts. Hence, based on 230 effective samples from expatriates in management level, this research investigates the relationships among expatriate¡¦s personality, cultural intelligence (CQ), expatriate adjustment, and international entrepreneurship, and cultural distance as a moderator. The results are outlined as follows. 1. Expatriate-oriented personality consists of high conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability (i.e., low neuroticism), and flexibility and empathy; international entrepreneurship comprises local internal initiative, external market exploitation, and venture exploration. 2. Expatriate-oriented personality has positive influences on expatriate¡¦s CQ and international entrepreneurship. 3. CQ has positive influences on expatriate adjustment and international entrepreneurship. 4. Expatriate-oriented personality has positive influences on expatriate adjustment and international entrepreneurship through the mediating effect of CQ. 5. No matter how the cultural distance is, expatriate-oriented personality is able to enhance expatriate¡¦s international entrepreneurship; in median-high cultural distance, CQ¡¦s role in international entrepreneurship achieves its maximum effectiveness; in smaller cultural distance, expatriate adjustment better promotes the performance of international entrepreneurship.

The business environment has been changing as it becomes easier to interact acrossboundaries with globalisation. One of the key elements of globalisation is the culturaldiversity resulting from the cross-cultural and ethnic interactions between individuals.This constant growing globalisation challenges small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) to interact with different cultural backgrounds in their foreign markets and withtheir local staff. This cultural diversity can bring both positive and negative outcomes toSMEs depending on how they approach these challenges.The purpose of our research is to discover the contribution of cultural diversity in theinternationalisation process of a Swedish SME, named CodeMill and to understand howthis contribution is ensured by this particular SME. Our research focuses on two specificcriteria of cultural diversity, which are expressed as (1) the individual's internationalexperience as an employee and (2) the SME's social network abroad. Our studyprovides them with practical contributions presented in a final framework, whichexplains how to take advantage of cultural diversity to enhance the positive outcomes ofit and strengthen their internationalisation process.A qualitative case study was conducted with CodeMill, a locally based InformationTechnology (IT). They fulfilled the principal requirements in terms of employees andyearly turnover in order to be categorised as an SME. Conducting seven semi -structured interviews in total, with people from different hierarchical levels and spheresenabled us to gain insights on how matters relating to cultural diversity are handled inCodeMill. Secondary Data served to confirm information we received from theinterviews and functioned as an additional source of information.The study proposes a framework that has been revised from the analysis of ourempirical findings. This framework is positioned within the field of Cultural DiversityManagement in an internationalisation context. The gathered findings implicate that thelevel of informational diversity, which needs to be used with a high synergy level,determines the importance of the contribution of cultural diversity. This can be ensuredvia three key elements: leadership, research & measurement, and follow-up. Thecompany’s Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), especially included the three investigateddimensions of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking proved to be applied inCodeMill. They were considered to have a positive influence on the internationalisationprocess of the company. CodeMill enhances its internationalisation process thanks to sixcompetitive advantages ensuing from its level of cultural diversity. However its socialnetwork hinders the opportunities to enter new markets. We found proof that CodeMillbenefits strongly from connections at an organisational level (e.g. partner companies,international customers); whilst an individual’s international experience, gathered fromliving abroad or just having personal international contacts, did not significantlycontribute to the firm’s internationalisation.

This thesis focuses on the internationalization process of SMEs, the strategies and methods they use. The major aim of this research was to gain a better understanding of the process by comparing and analyzing three main internationalization process theories: the Uppsala model, network theory and international entrepreneurship theory. An essential part of this study consisted of gathering empirical data from SMEs that has already been internationalized as well as from some of those who intend to internationalize in the near future. Our findings show the application and usefulness of the three theories to these SMEs, especially their heavy reliance on network relationships. The findings also indicate that firms use a combination of variables from all three theories and some aspects of the much criticized Uppsala model are still significant in describing the internationalization process behavior of SMEs.

This study focuses on how entrepreneurs learn about international business opportunities and explores the factors that affect the way they do it. The main conclusion of the literature review was that current international entrepreneurship research is still under development and the topic of international entrepreneurial learning about business opportunities yet to receive widespread attention. In addition, entrepreneurs utilise different ways to learn about the opportunities. However, there is a lack of coherence among scholars on what learning strategies are exactly, how many of them exist, and how they should be defined and categorised (Kakkonen, 2010).The research strategy of this study is based on the mixed methods approach. The design is a two-phase, sequential mixed methods study, utilising a qualitative, followed by a quantitative phase (Creswell et al., 2003). The qualitative phase was split into two parts: QUAL1 and QUAL2. Each qualitative phase includes the analysis of interviews and focus group discussions (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998). In the quantitative phase, a web-based questionnaire was the chosen data collection tool (Cobanoglu et al., 2001; Sills and Song, 2002). The study was conducted on a sample of 178 high-tech entrepreneurs in Israel. The results show that international entrepreneurs learn strategically about business opportunities. They utilise different ways, means, and mechanisms to assist in the identification process of entrepreneurial opportunities. These processes can be considered as learning processes, and the way they are enacted can be termed as 'learning strategies'. Based on the findings of the qualitative phases (QUAL1, QUAL2) and prior studies, six learning strategies were identified as relevant to the process of opportunity identification. Furthermore, the quantitative phase showed that business ownership experience and entrepreneurial self-efficacy have a significant influence on prior knowledge on international arena. In addition, prior knowledge was found as the most significant factor, affecting the ways entrepreneurs learn about business opportunities, while the cognitive style was found to moderate the strength of the relationships between prior knowledge and the learning strategies. Social networking ties also had an impact on the ways entrepreneurs learn, however this influence is diverse, and its statistical significance depends on the specific learning strategy. The importance and contribution of the proposed study can be defined as follows: Firstly, the study can help to reveal the underlying logic of opportunity identification as a learning process. Secondly, combining different frameworks into a new conceptual model as has been done in this study, may establish a new outlook, and contribute to the progress of research into entrepreneurship. Thirdly, International entrepreneurs can also benefit from these elements by acknowledging that they have a battery of learning strategies, which are relevant to the opportunity identification process, and most importantly, they can be taught how to learn about an idea throughout the process of opportunity identification.

During the last three decades, research and activity within international entrepreneurship have accelerated. The international entrepreneurial process consists of, for instance, international opportunities that are recognized as a critical function. Over time, the research view of the entrepreneur within the entrepreneurial process has shifted from being an individual to being more frequently discovered as plural, and more recent studies emphasize that the entrepreneurial team is the primary catalyst for new venture creation. However, the complexity differs for the entrepreneurial teams that internationalize since uncertainty and increased risk, which may require appropriate levels of collective cognition affecting the teams and international opportunities. This thesis aims to combine aspects of international entrepreneurship and international business with exploring to what extent the collective cognition of entrepreneurial teams determines the discovery and exploitation of international opportunities within Swedish SMEs. By investigating from the entrepreneurial team perspective, this thesis strives to present a more accurate picture of the impact of collective cognition on organizations' international opportunities. An abductive research approach combined with a qualitative method has been applied to ensure a more extensive understanding of the subject. The literature review provides definitions as well as an in-depth understanding of the thesis’ four core concepts; collective cognition, internationalization, international opportunities, and entrepreneurial teams. Finally, the theoretical framework concludes with a conceptual framework model explaining how the concepts are related. The empirical findings tie together with the theoretical framework, and the concepts are further analyzed in relation and contrast to each other. Lastly, the findings are gathered in the final chapter, concluding that entrepreneurial teams’ international opportunities are influenced by collective cognition in Swedish SMEs, which can play an essential role in the internationalization and discovery and exploitation of further international opportunities. / Nej

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Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-04-06T15:07:03Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Valéria da Consolação Oliveira.pdf: 1605632 bytes, checksum: 116dc11dbf1f895422ec265854ad6ba7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-06T15:07:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valéria da Consolação Oliveira.pdf: 1605632 bytes, checksum: 116dc11dbf1f895422ec265854ad6ba7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-19 / Nenhuma / O propósito deste trabalho é o de contribuir para os estudos sobre o empreendedorismo internacional no Brasil, por meio de uma análise exploratória da internacionalização de pequenas empresas de um estado pertencente a uma região de industrialização tardia, o Centro-Oeste brasileiro. A escassez de estudos empíricos reveladores das características desse fenômeno na região Centro-Oeste do país, motivou o presente estudo. Partiu-se do entendimento que uma análise da atividade empresarial relacionada à internacionalização em uma região de industrialização tardia, poderia revelar novas tendências a serem observadas. Nesse contexto, o objetivo da pesquisa descrita neste estudo, foi o de analisar as estratégias adotadas por pequenas empresas do estado de Goiás (Brasil) para a inserção em mercados internacionais. Esta análise focou nas características do processo de internacionalização das empresas pesquisadas, nas características dos modos de entrada no mercado externo; em aspectos das estratégias de marketing que favoreceram a inserção internacional; em aspectos da aquisição de conhecimento associada à atividade internacional; em dificuldades enfrentadas pelas empresas para a internacionalização e em efeitos da atividade internacional sobre o desempenho das empresas no mercado interno. Para sustentar a análise, considerou-se como referencial teórico, teorias que explicam o processo de internacionalização de modo geral, e, em particular, estudos sobre a internacionalização de pequenas empresas. O estudo também se apóia em estudos sobre estratégias de internacionalização, marketing internacional, aquisição do conhecimento e dificuldades associadas à internacionalização e desempenho no mercado interno após a internacionalização. A pesquisa, de natureza exploratória e descritiva, contou com duas etapas. Em uma primeira etapa, por meio da consolidação de bases de dados já existentes, identificaram-se 94 pequenas empresas do estado de Goiás que têm atividades associadas à internacionalização. Em uma segunda etapa, realizou-se um levantamento de dados por meio de um questionário com 41 dessas empresas. A análise dos dados revelou que as pequenas empresas investigadas do estado de Goiás, desenvolveram seu processo de internacionalização aproveitando oportunidades que emergiram através da rede de relações dos gestores. A atratividade dos produtos está associada não apenas ao custo, mas também a customização. Na percepção dos gestores, a atividade internacional favorece ao aperfeiçoamento dos produtos ou serviços oferecidos pela empresa no mercado interno. Os dados revelaram também que o conhecimento para a atividade internacional pode ser favorecido por ações em nível de instituições públicas e que o excesso de regulamentações destaca-se como barreira para o desenvolvimento da atividade internacional. Como conclusão, o estudo leva a inferir que o empreendedorismo internacional pode ser considerado como uma alternativa para o desenvolvimento de pequenas empresas do estado de Goiás e, com efeito, do país. Sugere-se a realização de outros estudos que possam trazer uma análise mais abrangente sobre os recursos e capacidades necessárias, em diferentes setores industriais, para o incremento dessa atividade. / The purpose of this work is to contribute to the study of international entrepreneurship in Brazil, through an explanatory analysis of the internationalization of small businesses of a state that is part of a region with late industrialization, The Center?West region of Brazil. The shortage of empirical studies revealing the characteristics of this phenomenon in the Center-West region of the country motivated this study. It started from the understanding that an analysis of the entrepreneurial activity related to internationalization in a region of late industrialization, could reveal new tendencies to be observed. In this context, the objective of the research described in this study, is to analyze the strategies adopted by small companies of the state of Goiás, Brazil, to the insertion in international markets. This analysis focused in the characteristics of the process of internationalization of the companies researched, in the characteristics of the ways they entered the international market; in the aspects of the marketing strategies that favor the international insertion; in the aspects of acquisition of knowledge associated to international activity; in the difficulties faced by the companies in internationalization and in the effects of the international activity over the performance of the companies in the national market. The theoretical referral considered to sustain the analyses, were theories that explain the general process of internationalization, in particular, studies about the internationalization of small companies. The study also relies in studies about internationalization strategies, international marketing, acquisition of knowledge and difficulties associated to internationalization and its performance in the national market after internationalization. The research of exploratory and descriptive nature was done in two phases. The first phase, through the consolidation of existing data, 94 small businesses in the state of Goiás that have activities associated to internationalization, were identified. The second phase, data was collected through a questionnaire applied to 41 of the 94 companies. The data analyses revealed that the small companies investigated in the state of Goiás, developed their process of internationalization taking advantage of opportunities that emerged from manager?s network relationships. The attractiveness of the products is not only associated to its cost but also to its customization. In the manager?s perception, international activity favors the improvement of the products or services offered by the company in the national market. The data also revealed that the knowledge of the international activity can be favored by actions at the level of public institutions and that the excess of regulations stands out as the barrier to the development of international activity. In conclusion, the study infer that international entrepreneurship can be considered as an alternative to the development of small businesses of the State of Goiás, making an impact in the country. The realization of other studies is suggested, for a wider analyze of the resources and necessary capabilities in different industrial sectors, to increment this activity.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-13T18:46:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 empreendedorismo_internacional.pdf: 17153130 bytes, checksum: a5a490df4c6fa52ac21f75db9357b8ca (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-13T18:46:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 empreendedorismo_internacional.pdf: 17153130 bytes, checksum: a5a490df4c6fa52ac21f75db9357b8ca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-30 / Nenhuma / O objetivo deste trabalho é o de analisar os aspectos que caracterizam a inserção de steak houses de origem brasileira nos Estados Unidos. A análise se dá na ótica dos estudos sobre empreendedorismo internacional, especialmente aquele com características étnicas, uma vez que os mesmos podem ser explicativos para a inserção internacional de alguns empreendimentos. De forma complementar, considera-se os estudos sobre o ambiente de experiência que abordam os efeitos do ambiente durante as experiências interativas de serviços. Entende-se que esses estudos podem também ser explicativos para o entendimento de uma tendência sociocultural voltada à aceitação de produtos e serviços que propiciam uma percepção de identidade cultural ou étnica. Como método de investigação, realiza-se um estudo de caso do tipo exploratório e descritivo de uma steak house de origem brasileira e que atua nos Estados Unidos. A análise dos dados sugere que, a internacionalização em foco da steak house, está associada ao espírito empreendedor dos fundadores e à utilização de recursos adquiridos por meio da experiência combinados com um modelo inovador de serviço. . A análise do caso não revela características reconhecidas pela literatura como predominantes em economias étnicas, como redes sociais étnicas, redes comunitárias e de apoio na inserção e manutenção do empreendimento. Os dados sugerem que a criação de um ambiente que expressa uma tradição cultural pode ser explicativo para a inserção internacional da empresa. / The aim of this paper is to analyze the features of the insertion of steak houses of Brazilian origin in the United States. The analysis takes the viewpoint of international studies on entrepreneurship, especially those with ethnic characteristics, since they may account for the insertion of some international ventures. As a complement, it is considered the studies on the environment of experience that deal with the effects of environment during the interactive experiences of services. It is understood that such studies may also be explaining to the understanding of a sociocultural trend focused on the acceptance of products and services that provide a sense of cultural or ethnic identity. As a method of investigation, there will be an exploratory and descriptive case study of a steak house of Brazilian origin and which operates in the United States. Data analysis suggests that the internationalization of the steak house in focus, is associated with the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders and the use of resources acquired through experience combined with innovative service model. The analysis of the case does not reveal features recognized by the literature as prevalent in ethnic economies, ethnic and social networks, community networks and support in the insertion and maintenance of the enterprise. The data suggest that creating an environment that expresses a cultural tradition can be explanatory for the international integration of the company.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-06-08T14:48:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 capacidades_para.pdf: 5630989 bytes, checksum: 32cb596f62ee70996f62aa9111c91338 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-08T14:48:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 capacidades_para.pdf: 5630989 bytes, checksum: 32cb596f62ee70996f62aa9111c91338 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-06-17 / Nenhuma / A economia criativa tem se revelado como contexto para novos empreendimentos que têm potencial para atender a demandas locais e globais. A peculiaridade dessa indústria reside no alcance mundial de suas atividades, o que se facilita com a mobilidade do talento e/ou da criatividade, elementos não tangíveis próprios do agir e pensar, que são recursos essenciais dessas organizações. Sob a ótica da indústria de jogos digitais, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a relação entre capacidades e empreendedorismo internacional nessas empresas. Esta pesquisa possui como alicerce teórico os temas: empreendedorismo internacional, capacidades para esse processo e economia criativa. A literatura possibilitou a elaboração de categorias que foram utilizadas na construção do instrumento de coleta de dados, bem como na análise destes. A escolha do objeto empírico foi embasada em observações não sistemáticas que apontaram os estúdios produtores de jogos como destaque na internacionalização da economia criativa. Assim foram conduzidas sete entrevistas com empresários e entidades de classe, inspiradas na técnica de estudo de caso, ampliaram a compreensão das ações que conduziram suas atividades a outros países, bem como das capacidades associadas. A organização dos achados na categorias previamente definidas permitiu evidenciar que a orientação internacional está no cerne dessa indústria, e que o know-how técnico e científico, assim como a construção de networks favorecem e facilitam a atuação no mercado externo. Da mesma maneira capacidades dinâmicas e inovativas parecem ser um caminho para acompanhar o dinamismo característico dessa indústria. A partir disso, foram construídas proposições que instigam a continuidade de estudos sobre o tema. / The creative economy has proved to be an argument for new ventures that have the potential to attend local and global demands. The distinctiveness of this industry lies in the worldwide scope of its activities, which is facilitated by the mobility of talent and/or creativity, non-tangible elements of acting and thinking, which are essential features of these organizations. In the context of digital games industry, this research aimed to analyze the relationship between capabilities and international entrepreneurship in these companies. The theoretical foundation of this research is international entrepreneurship, capabilities needed in this process and creative economy. This literature enabled the elaboration of categories that were used in the construction of data collection instrument and the analysis thereof. The choice of the empirical object was based on a non-systematic observation, that showed that the internationalization of game producers studios as a highlight in the creative economy. For that matter, seven interviews with entrepreneurs and associations were conducted, inspired in the case study technique which increased the understanding of their actions that led to foreign activities, as well as the associated capabilities. The organization of the findings in the previously defined categories highlighted that the international orientation is in the nature of this industry, and that the technical and scientific know-how as well as building networks encourage and facilitate performance in foreign markets. Likewise dynamic and innovative capabilities seem to be a way to follow the characteristic dynamism of this industry. From this, propositions that instigate the continuation of studies on the subject have been built.