DateMay 29th, 2009LevelMaster Thesis in International MarketingAuthorsShahid Kalim Khan: Körsbärsvägen 4b, LAG 218, 11423 Stockholm, Sweden Mob: +46 700641495 Email: iamkalim@gmail.comAdeel Asghar: Rum 235, Kallgatan 1 B, 63226 Eskilstuna, Sweden Mob: +46 700783841 Email: adeel1031@gmail.comTutorDaniel TolstoyTitleHow can marketing research help innovative SMEs in exploitation of international opportunities in their early internationalization? A Swedish Case StudyPurposeSMEs are well known for their innovative and risk taking approach. This study aims at providing them with a strategic framework or method to analyze the marketability of their products or services and exploit internationalization opportunities. It also focuses on helping them in reducing their risks linked with cross border business opportunities.Methodology/DesignThis research is performed through case study method. A new conceptual model has been developed by integrating relevant standard approaches within field of research. This model has been further explained by implementing it on case company (Widforss).ConclusionsThis study claims to make a significant and creative contribution to the field of SMEs internationalization through two theoretical models named as International SME Model of Innovation Exploitation (ISMIE) and Proactive International Entrepreneurship model (PIE). Both of these models use marketing research as key success factor. However, sufficient empirical evidences could not be provided due to limitations. Whereas, the practical contribution for the case firm named as Widforss industries is very evident.

Research pertaining to the role of active online internationalization (AOI) in the context of Born Globals has been shown to be an under-researched area of study. This compelled us to explore the possible benefits and challenges that may come from pursuing AOI for Swedish Born Globals. Our theoretical framework combined literature concerning Born Globals and their rapid internationalization with the notion of learning advantages of newness and literature regarding AOI into a theoretical model. Our theoretical investigation displayed a lack of research dealing with the potential challenges of AOI; with the virtuality trap of Yamin and Sinkovics (2006) being the exception. Through abductively analyzing qualitative data collected from four Swedish Born Globals with our theoretical model, we arrived at a number of empirically testable propositions that highlight the effects of using AOI for Swedish Born Globals. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that there are more challenges for Swedish Born Globals pursuing AOI than previously identified by present literature.

The aim of this paper is to understand the roles knowledge and network play in the internationalization process of a small company in an emerging Kenyan market. The research is based on a qualitative approach using an embedded case study design where primary data was collected from Hydro Standard AB, Swedish Trade Council and two water companies in Kenya; Mombasa and Mavoko water companies. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were used in the project. Findings from the study show that the internationalization process of Hydro Standard AB was successful and mainly driven by building of networks. The study also found out that tacit knowledge is crucial for a firm to develop itself in the Kenyan market which is very informal. Through tacit knowledge, a firm is able to gain knowledge and handle challenges concerning business culture and other unwritten rules found in the market. Further, building relationships with politicians or local branch managers can enhance a firm's performance.

Since the late 1980s, deregulation of the banking sector has opened new avenues for the internationalization of banks. There are, however, few studies on the internationalization of banks – particularly Swedish banks. The purpose of this thesis is to deepen our knowledge of bank’s internationalization process by studying how the executive function’s expectation of market conditions influences internationalization patterns. This thesis makes an empirical contribution by describing how the Swedish banks Svenska Handelsbanken AB and Swedbank AB have internationalized during the period 1995-2014. The empirical evidence comprises all of the two banks’ activities in foreign markets and the qualitative cases describing this process have been constructed using archival data (newspaper articles, press releases, and reports) complemented with interviews. Beside the empirical contribution the thesis makes a theoretical contribution to internationalization theory and more specifically to Johanson and Vahlne’s (1977) internationalization process model. While Johanson and Vahlne’s model does have a strong explanatory value, it does not fully explain its mechanisms (Andersen, 1993; Leonidou & Katsikeas, 1996) and only firm’s internationalizing incrementally (Liesch et al., 2002). For explanation of both incremental and non-incremental behaviors this thesis provides a proposed view of bank’s internationalization where the concept of executive expectation is developed as a mediating variable in Johanson and Vahlne’s internationalization process model. To this end, executive expectation is described as the driving and hindering force in bank’s internationalization process influenced by exogenous and endogenous changes.

<p>Abstract</p><p>The process of internationalization of firms has in the past been seen as something that is costly and time-consuming. For those reasons, companies took long before they started expanding internationally, growing strong in domestic markets first. However, now there are companies being started, that right from the outset start producing and selling on international markets. Companies that behave this way are a rather new phenomenon and are known as Born Globals.</p><p>The purpose of our thesis was to increase the understanding of factors that are important for explaining Born Globals rapid internationalization, and also how these factors have affected the process.</p><p>Most of the research done on Born Globals has been of high-tech companies. However, the phenomenon is not limited to them. Therefore we researched one high-tech company and one low-tech to see if there are similarities in the driving forces behind their rapid internationalization.</p><p>Four factors have been addressed repeatedly when trying to explain Born Global’s behavior: Globalization, Industry, Entrepreneur and Networks. These factors were used as a theoretical framework for our thesis. However, our findings point out that to gain a deeper understanding, the interdependent relationship between the variables should also be taken into consideration.</p><p>After gathering empirical data through interviews with key people in each company, our findings point out that access to complimentary resources and a possibility to control them efficiently was important in explaining both companies rapid internationalization. By focusing on the core competencies of the company and outsourcing other value-adding functions, companies are able to internationalize rapidly even with scarce resources. Access to resources through networks, as well as entrepreneurial ambition helped speed up this process.</p><p>Keywords: Born Globals, Rapid Internationalization</p>

Many higher education institutions in Canada are enrolling international graduate students as part of their internationalization strategy. However, once international graduate students arrive at their host institution, they often experience tensions in the classroom. There is a lack of critical examination concerning how these students are treated once they are admitted (Lee, 2007b). Much of the existing research frames international students as having to acclimate to their institution rather than examining the institutional structures in place to support these students. There is a paucity of studies that explores the relationship between international graduate students, university administrators, and policymakers in the context of internationalization. This qualitative study sought to extend the research on internationalization and the academic experiences of international students in Canada by examining: (1) The classroom experiences of international graduate students at a higher education institution in relation to internationalization; (2) University administrators’ understandings of international graduate students’ classroom experiences in relation to internationalization; (3) Existing university policies and initiatives that address the classroom experiences of international graduate students in relation to internationalization; and (4) The relationship between university policies, administrators’ understandings of international graduate students’ classroom experiences, and international graduate students’ actual experiences in relation to internationalization. This study used a grounded theory approach. An expanded critical race theory lens was used to illuminate students’ experiences. Overall, a disjunction was found between the policies and reports, university administrators’ understanding of international graduate students’ experiences in the classroom and international graduate students’ actual experiences. Four key findings emerged from the interview data and document analysis, which were reflected across the data sets: (1) Lack of inclusive practices within the classroom environment; (2) Absence of international perspectives and content within the curriculum and pedagogy; (3) Language and accent discrimination; and (4) Lack of initiatives to create a welcoming and inclusive campus climate. This study will add to the literature on international graduate students and extend existing theories on this population. It will also expand future research on organizational factors that influence international graduate students’ academic experiences. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-07-24 14:42:45.681

Thesis advisor: Hans de Wit / Thesis advisor: Laura Rumbley / This study will identify to what extent the different campuses that compose the Universidad of Guadalajara (UdeG) have taken steps to internationalize uniquely and “independently,” beyond the frameworks for internationalization offered exclusively via central administration, and to identify some of the specific challenges and opportunities inherent in the internationalization processes for a multi-campus system. / Thesis (MA) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Internationalization on campus is being called for in order to adapt to a rapidly globalizing social and economic context. However, many institutions, including those across Vermont, have not yet polled their faculty to see what international experiences or background faculty members have. Few have a comprehensive understanding of faculty language competencies, or in what ways faculty members have been collaborating with foreign scholars. This study looked at attitudes and beliefs faculty members have towards bringing global dimensions into their faculty role, as well as their perceptions of internationalization on campuses. This study takes the extra step of looking at the data collected on Vermont faculty, and then slices it through multiple lenses, looking to see if there are trends and connections by demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, discipline, number of years in the field, or having a preference for student learning or research. Results of this dissertation study revealed a faculty composition that was reassuringly internationalized when looking at language abilities, international experiences, among other demographic factors. Results also revealed that faculty attitudes and beliefs as well as perceptions of campus climate towards internationalization, were overwhelmingly positive. Following comparisons to prior national and international studies, Vermont institutions have strong evidence to claim support for internationalization among their faculty. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / This study traces the policy and implementation of internationalization in the Russian higher education system from 1917 to the present. The analysis suggests that international academic policy has been applied by the Russian state continuously, though with radically differing emphasis and mechanisms, through the last hundred years. Chapter One presents the research questions, design and methodology of the study. Chapter Two reviews scholarly literature related to academic internationalization and situates this definition within the context of Russian higher education. Chapters 3-5 explore the role of international activities in Russian higher education during the seventy years of the Soviet era. Trends in Soviet academic international policy related to three major historical periods are discussed in this section: a) the initial Bolshevik program for global academic reform; b) Sovietization of higher education in the countries of Communist Bloc; and c) East-West international academic competition during the Cold War period. Chapters 6-7 address the role of internationalization in the reformation of Russian higher education during the last two decades of Post-Soviet period. This section examines the extent and likely outcomes of these changes. This research demonstrates that Russian higher education has had a continuous international aspect, though organized differently than Western structures. The analysis also suggests that key organizational components of the Soviet administrative system still exist in the current Russian higher education structure. The current implementation of internationalization presents Russian academics with an opportunity to enforce academic professionalism and promote their status as global academics. At the same time, however, state organization and governing administration principles of Russian higher education continue to reduce academics to functional executors of state directives and deliverers of vocational training. In this way, internationalization serves as a critical nexus for the collision of traditional administrative structures with the new aspirations of Russian academics. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Business leaders require the appropriate strategies and knowledge to successfully grow their companies through international expansion. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the West Bank in Palestine often encounter complex barriers as the executives of the firms explore business opportunities in foreign countries. The objective of this single case study was to explore, in depth, the perspectives of business leaders from a population of executives of an MNE in the West Bank. The conceptual framework used in the study was cultural intelligence. The selected multinational business leaders participated in semistructured, face-to-face interviews followed by member checking. The 2 executives of the MNE shared their experiences and knowledge concerning the internationalization processes of their company. The data analysis process followed Yin's 5-phase analysis cycle; it entailed an analysis of interview responses followed by member checking and a review of administrative documents of the MNE under study. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: international knowledge and adaption of local conditions, strategic partnerships, and diversification and specialization. The findings from the study could contribute to positive social change by encouraging executives to explore business opportunities in the West Bank, resulting in an increase in employment rate and better living standards for the residents.