Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In light of the discussions about the internationalization of firms and the challenges inherent in this process, several theories emerged seeking to understand the critical factors for the success of organizations in the foreign market. A recent theoretical approach argues that the main barriers in the internationalization process are related to the burden of being out of international networking, ie, the y face the so - called liability o f outsidership . Considering the importance of China for the trade balance of Brazil, the presence of 44.4% of Brazilian multinationals in Asia, and the complexity of business relationships in China ( guanxi ), this study aims to investigate how Brazilian com panies operating in China develop guanxi as a way to overcome the liability of outsidership. For this, it was developed a descriptive research with qualitative nature, and performed a multiple case study in four Brazilian companies that operate in the serv ices sector, being two law firms and two trading companies, with a subsidiary in China. The observation units involved professionals who had more experience in driving the company's business in China. Th e information was collected through semi - structured interviews explored in depth. To analyze the data, it was opted to content analysis, with the help of the software NVivo 8.0. The results show: (1) the motivations of the firms for the internationalization in China; (2) the difficulties arising from the liability of outsidership; (3) the im portance and benefits of guanxi ; (4) the activities for the development of guanxi ; and (5) the exper ience of the companies developing guanxi according to the model of Chen & Chen (2004). It is hoped that this research will contribute to knowledge generation about the internationalization of Brazilian companies to China. / À luz das discussões sobre internacionalização de empresas e os desafios inerentes à este processo, diversas teorias emergiram buscando compreender os fatores críticos para o sucesso das organizações no mercado estrangeiro. Uma recente abordagem teórica defende que as principais barreiras no processo de internacionalização estão relacionadas ao ônus de estar fora das redes de relacionamento internacionais, ou seja, enfrentam a chamada liability of outsidership. Considerando a relevância da China para a balança comercial do Brasil, a presença de 44,4% das multinacionais brasileiras na Ásia, e a complexidade das relações de negócios na China (guanxi), este estudo se propôs a investigar como as empresas brasileiras que operam na China desenvolvem guanxi como meio de superar a liability of outsidership. Para isso, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa de caráter descritivo e natureza qualitativa, sendo realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos em quatro empresas brasileiras que atuam no setor de serviços, sendo dois escritórios de advocacia e duas tradings, que possuem filial na China. As unidades de observação compreenderam os profissionais que possuíam mais experiência na condução dos negócios da empresa com a China. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas exploradas em profundidade. Para o tratamento dos dados, optou-se pela análise de conteúdo, com o auxílio do software NVivo 8.0. Os resultados obtidos identificaram: (1) as motivações das empresas na internacionalização para a China; (2) as dificuldades enfrentadas decorrentes da liability of outsidership; (3) a importância e os benefícios do guanxi; (4) as atividades realizadas para o desenvolvimento do guanxi; e (5) a experiência das empresas no desenvolvimento do guanxi à luz do modelo de Chen e Chen (2004). Espera-se que este trabalho contribua para geração de conhecimento sobre a internacionalização das empresas brasileiras para a China.

The internationalization process is a well-researched and explored topic. However, many older models do not consider digitization as a phenomenon. Nor is any further consideration given to the smaller companies. The aim of this study is to investigate how small businesses feel that they are affected by digitalization during an internationalization process. In order to find an answer to this, a qualitative study has been done where a total of three people have been interviewed from three different companies. Based on these interviews, an analysis has been made which has then been analyzed in the context of the theoretical background. Theories used in the study to be able to fulfill the aim includes theories about Mental distance, Liability of Foreignness, Liability of Outsidership and other theories about growth, internationalization and digitalization. The conclusion drawn is that digitalization has simplified the internationalization process, mainly through progress in how knowledge can be collected and shared over greater distances. Digitalization has facilitated contact with the contact network through simpler and alternative contact channels. / Internationaliseringsprocessen är ett välundersökt och utforskat ämne. Många äldre modeller beaktar dock inte digitaliseringen som fenomen. Man tar inte heller någon vidare hänsyn till de mindre bolagen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur småföretag upplever att de påverkas av digitalisering under en internationaliseringsprocess. För att kunna besvara detta har en kvalitativ studie gjorts där totalt tre personer har intervjuats från tre olika företag. Utifrån dessa intervjuer har analyser gjorts som sedan har analyserats i kontexten av den teoretiska bakgrunden. Teorier som använts i studien för att kunna uppfylla syftet är bland annat teorier om Psykiskt avstånd, Liability of Foreignness, Liability of Outsidership samt andra teorier kring tillväxt, internationalisering och digitalisering.  Slutsatsen som dras är att digitaliseringen har förenklat internationaliseringsprocessen främst genom framsteg i hur kunskap kan insamlas men även delas över större avstånd. Digitaliseringen har underlättat kontakten med kontaktnätet genom enklare och alternativa kontaktkanaler.

Uppsatsen undersöker hur investmentbolag i sin strategi kan använda relationsbyggande till portföljbolag och andra aktörer för att stärka sin marknadsposition. Detta görs utifrån ett fokus på de hinder som liability of outsidership representerar vid global expansion. Uppsatsen baseras på ett explorativt och kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt där primärdata i form av intervjuer med representanter från investmentbolag, samt sekundärdata i form av textuell data använts för att ge en fördjupad förståelse till ämnet. Uppsatsens resultat visar att investmentbolagens ägarandelar och styrkan i deras relationer med investerare och portföljbolagen har stor betydelse för hur väl bolaget ifråga överkommer de hinder som liability of outsidership representerar. / The thesis examines how investment companies can use relationship-building with portfolio companies and other actors in their strategy to strengthen their market position. This is done with a focus on the obstacles that the liability of outsidership represents in global expansion. The thesis is based on an exploratory and qualitative approach, where primary data in the form of interviews with representatives from investment companies, as well as secondary data in the form of textual data, have been used to provide a deeper understanding of the subject. The results of the thesis show that the ownership stakes of investment companies and the strength of their relationships with investors and portfolio companies are of great importance for how well the company in question overcomes the obstacles that the liability of outsidership represents.

<p>This thesis aims to describe how Swedish firms have established themselves on the Japanese market with help from their business network. This research has been conducted in the light of the economic recession and the complicated Japanese business networks. We have chosen to use a qualitative approach and by doing so we received the three respondents’ views of doing business on the Japanese market. We have focused this thesis on the importance of networks and relationships and have chosen to use new theories regarding business networks and business relationships for the base of our research and to link them with our empirical findings. The interviews conducted have been focused on three respondents who all have broad experience of the Japanese market. These three interviews have been compared to each other in our analysis and through this we have drawn our conclusions. We also give recommendations for Swedish firms who aim to establish themselves on this market.</p>

This thesis aims to describe how Swedish firms have established themselves on the Japanese market with help from their business network. This research has been conducted in the light of the economic recession and the complicated Japanese business networks. We have chosen to use a qualitative approach and by doing so we received the three respondents’ views of doing business on the Japanese market. We have focused this thesis on the importance of networks and relationships and have chosen to use new theories regarding business networks and business relationships for the base of our research and to link them with our empirical findings. The interviews conducted have been focused on three respondents who all have broad experience of the Japanese market. These three interviews have been compared to each other in our analysis and through this we have drawn our conclusions. We also give recommendations for Swedish firms who aim to establish themselves on this market.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to extend the knowledge on how Swedish companies canbecome more embedded in the Chinese market by building relationships with political actors. Research question: How do Swedish managers develop and maintain relations with politicalactors in China, and how do they perceive the outcomes from such relations? Method: Qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews. Results: The results of the study shows that managers initially use local middlemen orconsultancies to get in contact with political actions. Further, they participate in variousactivities to build upon and develop that relationship, something that is argued by therespondents to be more time-consuming and extensive than in western countries. The outcomeof having these relationships is that firm could gain a competitive edge and the managers tobecome more efficient in their role. Contribution: This study contributes with additional research to the Extended BusinessNetwork and relationship building with non-business actors in China from a Swedishmanagerial perspective.

Since the opening of formerly closed markets in Eastern Europe and China in the early 1990s, numerous firms have sought to capture the growth opportunities prevailing in the virgin but institutionally distant business networks in these countries. I claim that the entry process into an institutionally distant business network has been realised when the entering firm has reached an insidership position in the network. To advance this idea, the thesis introduces the overlooked medium-sized multinational exporter (MME) and answers the following overarching research questions: (I) how do MMEs establish insidership positions in institutionally distant business networks, and (II) what critical abilities are developed by MMEs in the process of entering an institutionally distant business network? To answer these questions, qualitative and quantitative methods have sequentially been mixed to first give an in-depth understanding of the empirical field, and second to verify and generalise some of the most central tentative findings. Empirically, the study reports from a case study of eight firms in the Baltic Sea Region and from an on-site survey of 203 Swedish firms with experience of entries in Eastern Europe and/or China. Five individual essays are presented—all designed to reflect different aspects of the institutionally distant network entry process. The findings are condensed in the cover of the thesis, where it is claimed that an insidership position is reached through three main phases: the Scouting phase, the Qualifying phase and the Shielding phase. Furthermore, it is found that that the most critical abilities developed through the institutionally distant network entry process is local experience-based knowledge of high specificity. It is shown that previous experiences, generated in different business networks in mature markets, are not useful in the network entry process in immature markets. As a consequence, there is reason to believe that the entering firm needs to develop unlearning abilities to replace obsolete or misleading experience.

The purpose of this study was to explore key factors to consider for a Swedish Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) firm to successfully enter the Norwegian market, and examine how these factors compare to incumbent theories on foreign market establishment. The study is based on an interpretivist research design and utilizes qualitative methods in order to achieve the intended purpose. The empirics were gathered by a combination of methods, namely, an extensive literature review, a pilot-study, and a multiple-case study. The data gathering methods utilized in the pilot study were semi-structured interviews conducted with individuals with expertise in the KIBS environment, as well as participant observations. The pilot study resulted in a deeper understanding of the KIBS sector. The multiple-case study consisted of semi-structured interviews with Swedish KIBS firms that have entered the Norwegian market. The empirics have been analyzed and discussed in relation to existing literature. Consequently, several success factors and pitfalls have been identified that may aid an internationalizing firm, especially a Swedish KIBS firm entering the Norwegian market. The identified success factors were: Narrow your focus through relational embeddedness, Understand customer’s business, Educate customers, Become familiar with foreign laws, Be aware of network position, Exploit existing networks, Identify new relevant networks, Refresh and expand the network, and Ensure relational embeddedness with key actors. The identified pitfalls were: Underestimation of time and resources required, Lacking awareness of aggravating effects, Knowledge transfer problems, Failure of internally anchoring foreign ventures, Underestimation of the language barrier, Underestimation of differences in organizational structures, Underestimation of the cost of spatial distance, Underestimation of Patriotism, and Underestimation of loyalty to suppliers. Moreover, the study provided insights as to how the concepts of liability of foreignness and liability of outsidership might interplay, and thereby exert pressure on a firm's dynamic internationalization capabilities in the foreign market establishment process. As such, the need for firms and researchers to undertake a holistic view in order to avoid faulty conclusions has been discussed and visualized. / Syftet med denna studie var att utforska nyckelfaktorer för svenska KIBS-företag som vill expandera till den norska marknaden. Vidare analyserades det hur dessa faktorer relaterar till befintliga teorier inom marknadsetablering. Studien är baserad på en forskningsdesign där kvalitativa metoder används för att uppnå syftet. Empirin är insamlad via en kombination av metoder, nämligen en omfattande litteraturstudie, en pilotstudie och en flerfallsstudie. Datainsamlingsmetoderna som användes i pilotstudien var semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som har erfarenhet inom KIBS-miljön och även deltagarobservationer. Pilotstudien resulterade i en djupare förståelse av KIBS-sektorn. Flerfallsstudien bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska KIBS-företag som har expanderat till den norska marknaden. Empirin har analyserats och diskuterats i relation till befintlig litteratur. Utifrån analysen identifierades flertalet framgångsfaktorer samt fallgropar. Genom att belysa dessa faktorer underlättas internationaliseringen för företag, i synnerhet för svenska KIBS-företag som vill expandera till den norska marknaden. De framgångsfaktorer som identifierades var: Begränsa sin fokus genom relationell inbäddning, Förstå kundens verksamhet, Utbilda kunder, Bli bekant med utländska lagar, Var medveten om nätverksposition, Utnyttja befintliga nätverk, Identifiera nya relevanta nätverk, Uppdatera och utöka nätverket och Säkerställa relationell inbäddning med nyckelaktörer. Medan de fallgropar som identifierades var: Underskattning av tid och resurser, Bristande medvetenhet om försvårande effekter, Kunskapsöverföringsproblem, Misslyckande med att internt förankra utländsk satsning, Underskattning av språkbarriären, Underskattning av skillnader i organisationsstrukturer, Underskattning av avståndskostnader, Underskattning av patriotism och Underskattning av lojalitet mot leverantörer. Vidare har det argumenterats för att det finns ett samspel mellan koncepten liability of foreignness och liability of outsidership som sedermera sätter press på ett företags dynamiska internationaliseringsförmågor. Följaktligen har det även visualiserats samt diskuterats att företag och forskare bör vidta ett holistiskt synsätt för att undvika att dra felaktiga slutsatser i internationalseringsprocesser.

企業著眼於國際市場機會進行國際化的同時，面臨到不同的阻礙，過去國際化的理論討論到影響國際化的速度、進入模式、國家選擇等的各種因素，但隨著產業的型態改變，以及進入國家的不同，國際化的歷程或是成功因素可能因而有所差異。因此，本研究欲探討電子商務在國際化的過程中，特別是進入新興市場國家時，由於電子商務尚未成為主要消費模式，電商企業的國際擴張將會受到哪些因素影響，不同於過去生產導向的國際化歷程，這些障礙又能夠如何被克服。過去學者曾討論外來者劣勢在企業國際化中的影響，但並沒有探討是否適用電商產業，由於產業特性的不同，以及母國市場與進入市場的差異，過去學者提出企業外來者的身份在新市場中面對外來者劣勢，然而，隨著電子商務產業的出現，亦有學者提出局外人劣勢才是新型網路企業在國際化中的主要劣勢，因此，本研究針對過去學者提出的從外來者劣勢（Liability of Foreignness）、局外人劣勢（Liability of Outsidership）出發，結合企業專屬優勢（firm-specific advantage）以及創新擴散理論（Diffusion of Innovations Theory），針對國內外共四家電商業者，採用深度訪談法歸納研究結果。研究結果發現雖然電子商務相較於一般企業在進行國際化初期，主要仍受到外來者劣勢影響，方能順利進入市場去處理身為局外人所帶來的劣勢，透過創新擴散理論的資訊溝通方式以及企業本身的專屬優勢，則可以有效降低進入所遇到的障礙，達到企業在東南亞市場成長的目標。 / During internationalization, firms seek growth opportunities in global markets, while being faced with various sources of obstacles and disadvantages. Previous researches and theories discuss the factors that influence the speed of internationalization, mode of entry, and country selection. However, with the change of industry, and the difference types of countries that are entered, the process of internationalization and the factors that influence the success might vary. As a result, the research aims at clarifying the variables that influence the internationalization of ecommerce corporations, especially when entering emerging markets. In the research, structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper understanding of the internationalization of 4 e-commerce firms. Our findings is that in emerging markets, e-commerce has not become the main stream; therefore, firms need to deal with both liability of foreignness and liability of outsidership because of the new technology and the role as a foreigner in the market. With the firm-specific advantages and the usage of online media and opinion leaders in the countries, e-commerce corporations are more likely to offset the liability that stems from foreignness and outsidership. However, the research shows that the liability of foreignness is more important and urgent for firms to overcome than liability of outsidership. Our research conceptualizes the framework for e-commerce internationalization and provides empirical evidence for the entry and growth in emerging markets.