In the dissertation from the holistic point of view are discussed export development peculiarities in the global area. The main aim of the dissertation is the expansion of the export development concept in consideration to the challenges of globalization. Therefore, peculiarities of internationalization and globalization processes and their connections in the context of export development are discussed; alternation of internationalization models under conditions of globalization is evaluated, highlighting integrated economic and social export development benefit. The export development mechanisms and instruments as well as their creation, adaptation and other aspects are analyzed and summarized. Moreover, world’s and especially Finland’s innovative experience in this area in the global context is emphasized. Based on analysis and synthesis of scientific literature theoretical integrated export development trajectories model was developed by the author. The main aim of the research is to prepare the integrated export development directions model with the focus on its applicability to Lithuania’s export development possibilities improvement in the context of current state of globalization. Through the use of the summarized results from the Lithuanian SME’s empirical research, discovering main suppressive reasons for export development, and expert research, evaluating Lithuanian export promotion current state and perspectives, the current Lithuanian export promotion activities... [to full text] / Disertacijoje holistiniu požiūriu nagrinėjami eksporto plėtros ypatumai globalioje erdvėje. Pagrindinis darbo tikslas - eksporto plėtros koncepcijos išplėtimas įvertinant globalizacijos iššūkius. Disertacijoje įvairiais aspektais atskleisti internacionalizacijos ir globalizacijos procesų ypatumai ir jų sąsajos, bei teikiamos naujos galimybės eksporto plėtrai; įvertinama internacionalizacijos modelių kaita globalizacijos sąlygomis, išryškinamos integruotos ekonomines ir socialines eksporto plėtros naudos. Disertacijoje atskleista eksporto plėtros instrumentų panaudojimo esmė bei pagrįsti alternatyvių eksporto plėtros ir skatinimo priemonių pasirinkimai ir išanalizuotas empirinis jų panaudojimo ištyrimo lygis pasinaudojant pažangia pasaulio ir ypač Suomijos patirtimi. Remiantis mokslinės literatūros analize ir sinteze sukurtas integruotos eksporto plėtros trajektorijų modelis. Pagrindinis tyrimo tikslas - parengti Lietuvos integruotos eksporto plėtros krypčių modelį šiuolaikinėmis globalizacijos sąlygomis. Darbe atliktas empirinis Lietuvos SVV įmonių tyrimas, kurio metu atskleistos eksporto plėtrą stabdančios priežastys, ekspertinio tyrimo metu atliktas Lietuvos eksporto skatinimo būklės ir perspektyvų vertinimas. Apibendrinti tyrimų rezultatai leido įvertinti Lietuvos eksporto skatinimo veiklos transformavimo motyvus, numatyti integruotos eksporto plėtros būdų tobulinimo sritis ir priemones, skatinančias SVV įmonių eksporto apimčių augimą.

Tyrimo objektas – tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos ugdymo ypatybės magistrantūros studijose.Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos struktūrą, sudedamuosius elementus bei ugdymo ir vertinimo strategijų, metodų ir formų veiksmingumą ugdant magistrantų tarpkultūrinę kompetenciją.Teorinėje disertacijos dalyje analizuojama tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos samprata, struktūra, jos ugdymas skirtingų teorinių ir metodologinių paradigmų kontekste, sąryšis su kitomis kompetencijomis ir skėtiškumo sampratos formavimosi prielaidos. Analizuojama socializacijos ir savaiminio ugdymo reikšmė ugdant magistrantų tarpkultūrinę kompetenciją aukštojoje mokykloje. Identifikuojamos tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos (bendrosios ir profesinės) ugdymo ir vertinimo strategijos bei metodai aukštajame moksle. Empirinėje dalyje, atlikus kiekybinį ir kokybinį tyrimą trijose Lietuvos aukštojo mokslo institucijose, atskleista socialinių mokslų magistrantūros programose studijuojančių magistrantų tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos patirtis ir atskleistos bendrosios bei profesinės tarpkultūrinės kompetencijos ugdymo galimybės monokultūrinėje (institucinėje) ir realioje tarpkultūrinėje aplinkoje. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad tarpkultūrinė kompetencija ugdosi anapus formaliojo ugdymo srities, t.y. jos ugdymuisi taip pat turi įtakos asmens individuali ir institucinė patirtis bei kitos edukacinės aplinkos ir formos (už universiteto ribų, bendruomenėse, įmonėse, socialiniuose tinkluose ir pan.). / Object of the Research – peculiarities of educating intercultural competences in Master’s degree studies. Aim of the Research is to reveal the structure, elements of intercultural competence as well as efficiency of strategies, methods and forms for education and evaluation within the process of educating intercultural competence of Master’s degree students. Theoretical part of the Dissertation analyses the conception, structure of intercultural competence and educating it within the context of different theoretical as well as methodological paradigms, their links with other competences and preconditions for the formation of an “umbrella” concept. Importance of socialisation and self-education in the process of educating intercultural competences of Master’s degree students in institutions of higher education is analysed, intercultural competences (general and professional) as well as strategies and methods for education and evaluation in institutions of higher education are identified. Empirical part reveals the experience of intercultural competence of students in Master’s degree study programmes in Social Sciences from three Lithuanian institutions of higher education on the basis of the performed qualitative and quantitative research; possibilities for the development of their general and professional intercultural competences in mono-cultural (institutional) and real environments are revealed. Results of the Research indicate that the intercultural competence is educated... [to full text]

No description available.

The number of multinational corporations (MNCs) has increased tremendously since the 1990s, as companies have started to act in a more global environment. This has resulted in more integration between economies, where companies have to adjust to this changing environment. In this paper, we study the impact of internationalization on nationality diversity in boards of Swedish MNCs during the period 1994-2012. Our propositions suggest that board size, a company’s degree of internationalization and country of origin are contributing factors that affect how a board is composed. Our findings concluded that companies with a high degree of internationalization often are more nationality diverse and that Swedish companies have gradually increased the number of non-Swedes in their boards over time.

Internationalization of post secondary institutions has been suggested as one of the most critical undertakings of higher education today. Despite growing interest in this phenomenon as an institutional initiative, relatively few studies consider internationalization from the perspective of faculty members whom some have identified as key catalysts of the internationalization process. Using a phenomenological research approach to examine the experience of five faculty members actively engaged in the internationalization process of their Canadian university I seek to understand how participants define internationalization, what motivates them to engage in this process and how the institutional and individual efforts to internationalize influence each other. I compare faculty motivations with institutional positions through an analysis of strategic institutional documents using de Wit’s (2002) internationalization rationale categories. Results suggest that institutional internationalization might be more effective in engaging faculty members when faculty perspectives and priorities are considered in the development of institutional strategies.

The role of governments in the internationalization of the firm had early recognition in prominent seminal studies in international business, such as Hymer’s thesis or the Uppsala Model, though the interaction between multinationals and governments has attracted scarce attention. As such, the main stream of economics and management studies have focused on internationalization essentially as an issue of the firm, wherein the multinationals’ interaction with the environment is limited to a business-industrial scope of suppliers, clients, and competitors. In a different direction, this thesis includes the political setting and studies the beneficial side of governments in the internationalization process of the firm. With this purpose, the present dissertation proposes a conceptual framework based on Johanson and Vahlne’s (1977) internationalization process model, complemented with Williamson’s (1975) Transaction Costs Economics, and encompassed by conceptual insights from institutional studies related to international business. Specifically, the role of governments in the internationalization process is examined through the variances of the relation between knowledge and commitment at the micro, meso, and macro level. The structure of the thesis reflects the multilevel approach, integrating one conceptual and three empirical papers, each of which dealing with a particular level of analysis. Through the aggregation of each paper’s intrinsic contribution, the dissertation’s summary offers a wide view on the internationalization phenomena, adding the political elements to the industrial-business elements of the environment. Overall, internationalization is conceptualized as a process of interaction with the business environment, whereas the public nature of political elements induces the compromise of combining activities between firms and governments. Evidence gives the ground to conclude that internationalization is not a game played just between firms, or, even, between firms and markets, but also with and within governments.

In this thesis the authors have analyzed what risks Swedish business-to-business (B2B) small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) perceive when internationalizing to Indonesia, as well as what factors impacting their perception of risk. By distinguishing the risks and the impacting factors, the aim of the research has been to increase the awareness of these risks and provide an understanding of the means necessary for decreasing them. The authors have implemented a qualitative study method with an abductive research approach to gain a deeper insight to the subject. Qualitative interviews have been conducted with three relevant case firms and one council in order to gain a wider perspective. To fulfill the purpose of the study and to gain deeper understanding, the study has been based on two questions: (1) What are the risks Swedish B2B SMEs perceive when internationalizing to Indonesia? And (2) What factors impact the Swedish B2B SMEs' perception of risk in Indonesia? The literature review includes theories and findings of previous research related to international business and how it can be impacted depending of several factors such as risk, distance, commitment, knowledge and relations. The findings of the study show that the most prominent risks perceived are the financial risks of default and insecure payments, corruption and vulnerability to the network. The risk perception is determined by an interrelation between the factors of commitment, knowledge and relations. Furthermore, by examine these underlying factors’ impact on risk perception, the study contributes to a wider understanding necessary for a successful practical business implementation in a foreign country.

Att gå från en nationell till en internationell etablering innebär en finansiell risk, men samtidigt stora möjligheter för en modeentreprenör. Frankrike anses som en av de viktigaste modemarknaderna i världen och så även för modeentreprenörer. Marknaden karakteriseras av lyxmode, men få svenska modeentreprenörer lyckas etablera sig i detta segment. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilka utmaningar som kan uppkomma för svenska modeentreprenörer vid etablering på den franska marknaden inom lyxsegmentet. Avgränsningar har gjorts i enlighet med studiens syfte, för att kunna besvara studiens frågeställningar och för att kunna lyfta upp resultatet ur sin kontext och applicera på internationellt entreprenörskap inom lyxsegmentet. Utlandsbaserat entreprenörskap behandlas genom att studiens fokus har lagts på etablering på den franska marknaden och lyxsegmentet. Kvalitativa intervjuer och ett kvantitativt frågeformulär har använts för att skapa en bred och djup förståelse för hur svenska modeentreprenörer resonerar kring internationellt entreprenörskap inom modebranschen generellt, och på den franska marknaden inom lyxsegmentet i synnerhet. Generella etableringsteorier kring utlandsbaserat entreprenörskap och lyxmarknaden samt internationaliseringsprocesser presenteras. Resultatet visar att den franska marknaden och dess lyxsegment till stora drag är som andra internationella marknader inom Europa. Marknadens långa historia inom lyxsegmentering har dock medfört att den har utvecklat institutioner och ramverk för lyxmodeföretag. Dessa fakta kan innebära såväl möjligheter som utmaningar. / Expanding a business into international markets poses some significant financial risks, but also presents business opportunities for a fashion entrepreneur. The French fashion market is one of the most powerful in the world, which makes the market important for fashion entrepreneurs. The market is characterized by luxury goods, but few Swedish fashion entrepreneurs succeed with establishment in the luxury segment. This thesis aims to examine the challenges that might arise when entering the french market and luxury segment as a swedish fashion entrepreneaur. The major focus of the study is international entrepreneurship, and the reserach has been carried out to benefit the wider industry. In order to perform the research a combination of the qualitative and quantiative approach has been used. Internationalization processes, general establishment theories of international entrepreneurship and definitions of the luxury market and luxury segmentation are presented. The qualitative data was collected through three in-depth interviews. The interviews were held with one professor, one swedish company established as a luxury company on the frenchmarket, and one swedish fashion company in the higher price segment that has been established on the french market. The quantiative data was collected through a questionnarie put out to 20 new-established fashion companies in the higher price segment. The results show that there is indeed a correspondance between luxury segmentation and establishment on the french market and establishement on international markets in Europe. But, the long history of luxury segmentation in France have resulted in institutions and frameworks for fashion luxury companies and the luxury industry. These facts can mean both opportunities and challenges for swedish fashion entrepreneurs.

Problem discussion – we identified the gap concerning the lack of researches in exploring the impacts of both business and social networks in B2B companies’ internationalization process based on the network model proposed by Johanson and Mattsson (1988), especially taking the Chinese environmental factors into consideration. Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of environmental factors and networks for B2B companies to internationalize into the Chinese market. Methodology – The thesis adopts the abductive approach and employs a qualitative research strategy. In order to obtain relevant information, multiple case study is chosen. The primary data are collected through semi-structured interviews with three Swedish B2B companies. Secondary data such as scientific articles, reports and books are also used in this thesis. Findings – Firstly, this thesis concludes that B2B companies’ business activities in internationalization process in China are influenced by four environmental factors: cultural, legal, economic and political factor. Secondly, business networks have impacts on the process of international extension, penetration and international integration, whereas the impacts of social networks are clearer in the phase of penetration. Thirdly, in China, there is no clear distinction between business- and social networks, but the building of trust is important in developing networks. Besides, B2B companies have to rely on their local employees when utilizing Guanxi in business activities. Managerial Implications – The managers should not only focus on the advantages, but also constantly perceive the risks in the Chinese market. Besides, managers could also take specific advantages of their Chinese employees’ social networks. Furthermore, managers should connect and coordinate the networks in different countries. Finally, managers could rely on their local employees to utilize Guanxi in business interactions. Theoretical Contribution – Firstly, this thesis identifies four key market environmental factors and their impacts for companies’ business activities in the Chinese market. Secondly, this thesis contributes to Johanson and Mattsson’s (1988) network approach by elaborating on the impacts of both business- and social networks in the three phases respectively. Thirdly, this thesis proposes a new conceptualized model that provides a deeper understanding and a clearer demonstration of the importance of environmental factors and networks when firms internationalize into global markets. Limitations – The results of this thesis might be limited to generalize to all kinds of market segments or industries. Moreover, in this thesis, the impacts of social networks are only identified in the phase of penetration. Keywords - Internationalization process, B2B companies, Environmental factor, Business network, Social network, Network approach, Impacts of network, the Chinese market

Introduction  Globalization has opened up for opportunities, as well as challenges, for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to distinguish themselves in a competitive environment. A branding strategy that aims to develop a strong reputation and recognition can be an attempt for Swedish SMEs to create awareness and differentiate themselves in the European market. This thesis is composed of three major bricks; branding, and how the firms exercise it; SMEs resource constraints, in terms of employees and financial assets; and internationalization. All these combined become special challenges for SMEs. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to examine how Swedish SMEs exercise branding internationally in order to develop a strategic model of how they can continue their brand expansion in the European market. Method In order to fulfill the purpose of the study, a qualitative study based on four Swedish SMEs were included in the sample. Through semi-structured interviews (six face-to-face and one telephone interview). The respondents were the owners, external CEOs, product or marketing managers of the SMEs. The collected data was categorized and each SME was analyzed in order to finally construct a model. Conclusion  The findings in this thesis show that all the investigated SMEs, to different extents, use branding strategies in order to succeed in the international market. Generally the findings conformed to a certain degree to previous findings concerning branding. Further, the importance of international fairs and networking while developing the brands outside the Swedish market was found. The authors came forward with the SME European Brand Expansion-model, which is strongly influenced by the empirical findings in this thesis.