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The purpose of this study was to investigate internationalisation of Ethiopian SMEs by examining internal and external factors that motivate or restrict internationalization process and the impact of internal and external barriers on SMEs export performance. The small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) sector in Ethiopia is a significant group within the economy in terms of firm numbers and total employment. However, the SMEs sector’s share of exports is disproportionately small, which raised considerable research concerns. Firm export propensity and export performance were the dependent variables and export stimuli and barrier factors were used as explanatory variables. The study was conducted through mixed research design. A questionnaire was administered to 90(36 exporting and 54 nonexporting) SMEs in Leather and Leather Products Industry in Addis Ababa selected through stratified random sampling. In order to complement survey results nine (4 exporting and 5 non-exporting) SMEs were selected through critical case purposive sampling and an in-depth interviews were conducted. Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS 20) was used to analyse the quantitative data whereas, qualitative data were analysed manually. Analytical techniques used were, Chisquare test of independence, Spearman rank order correlation, factor analysis, binary logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis. The statistical results of binary logistic regression analysis and chi-square tests indicated that managerial factors, internal marketing factors and foreign government related factors, firm ownership and size are the most significant motivators of SMEs internationalisation in Ethiopia. On the contrary the result showed that, logistics problem, insufficient finance, functional barriers, lack of export knowledge and information, procedural barriers and international trade barriers are the factors hindering it. Further analysis was conducted to examine the impact of export barriers on performance of firms. The result of multiple regression analysis indicated that, export barriers significantly and negatively affect export performance. The overall results revealed that explanatory variables used in the analysis significantly predict the dependent variable at 95% confidence level. Considering these results numerous implications for theory, practice, and future research were recommended. Finally, the study concluded that internationalisation of SMEs has to be encouraged by mitigating both internal and external barriers identified in this study. / Business Management / D. Admin. (Business Management)

The purpose of this study was to investigate internationalisation of Ethiopian SMEs by examining internal and external factors that motivate or restrict internationalization process and the impact of internal and external barriers on SMEs export performance. The small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) sector in Ethiopia is a significant group within the economy in terms of firm numbers and total employment. However, the SMEs sector’s share of exports is disproportionately small, which raised considerable research concerns. Firm export propensity and export performance were the dependent variables and export stimuli and barrier factors were used as explanatory variables. The study was conducted through mixed research design. A questionnaire was administered to 90(36 exporting and 54 nonexporting) SMEs in Leather and Leather Products Industry in Addis Ababa selected through stratified random sampling. In order to complement survey results nine (4 exporting and 5 non-exporting) SMEs were selected through critical case purposive sampling and an in-depth interviews were conducted. Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS 20) was used to analyse the quantitative data whereas, qualitative data were analysed manually. Analytical techniques used were, Chisquare test of independence, Spearman rank order correlation, factor analysis, binary logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis. The statistical results of binary logistic regression analysis and chi-square tests indicated that managerial factors, internal marketing factors and foreign government related factors, firm ownership and size are the most significant motivators of SMEs internationalisation in Ethiopia. On the contrary the result showed that, logistics problem, insufficient finance, functional barriers, lack of export knowledge and information, procedural barriers and international trade barriers are the factors hindering it. Further analysis was conducted to examine the impact of export barriers on performance of firms. The result of multiple regression analysis indicated that, export barriers significantly and negatively affect export performance. The overall results revealed that explanatory variables used in the analysis significantly predict the dependent variable at 95% confidence level. Considering these results numerous implications for theory, practice, and future research were recommended. Finally, the study concluded that internationalisation of SMEs has to be encouraged by mitigating both internal and external barriers identified in this study. / Business Management / D. Admin. (Business Management)

Background:             Internationalisation for businesses has been researched for decades and has been well understood. However, new types of organisations have emerged in the digital age, disrupting the organisational landscape. One of these disruptive organisations is born digitals (BD), which have become more prominent in recent years. Some of the biggest companies today are BDs, including Google and Spotify. However, how they internationalise and their processes look is not well understood. Because of this, it is of interest to understand how these organisations internationalise as they have been such a disruptive force in the international market.  Purpose:                       The purpose of the study is to investigate the internationalisation process of a BD firm, to recognise what internal and external factors influence their decision-making and whether specific strategies are being used. It aims to utilise prior internationalisation theories to provide a further understanding of these organisations and the way they work. The goal of the study is also to provide a framework that BDs can use to internationalise successfully.  Method:                         This study implemented a qualitative research design with an inductive approach and a single case study for the research design. The case company works with search engine optimisation (SEO) within the online service providers (OSP) industry. It included interviews with six employees from the company, with a total of nine interviews. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner to create flexibility in the interview design.   Conclusion:                  The key points of the study results were the following: (i) several internal and external factors and how they influenced BDs' internationalisation were identified, and which factors had a more significant impact on their processes. (ii) It was identified that they do not plan for specific internationalisation strategies, however, it was seen that they do develop strategies, although done unconsciously. (iii) This resulted in the development of a new framework that aims to provide insights into the process BDs undergo when internationalising.

Current theoretical insights into firm internationalisation have mainly been established from research on firms originating from developed countries, with a strong focus on the manufacturing sector. Studies have recently begun to examine the internationalisation of emerging market firms, the international growth of SMEs, and service firm internationalisation, and a range of theories have been employed to gain understanding in these areas. This study examines internationalising small service frims from an emerging market, whose location-intensity makes them a rare type of firm for whom internationalisation might appear to be a counter-intuitive strategy. This study seeks to understand the internationalisation motives, enablers, and paths of location-intensive food service SMEs from the emerging Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It asks why, what and how to location-intensive food service SMEs from emerging markets internationalise? The aims is to provide a deeper understanding of firm internationalisation by examining a group for whom the purpose and methods of internationalisation appears to be obscure. To do this, the thesis introduces a more comprehensive account of firm internationalisation by identifying the three interrelated aspects of internationalisation, which are presented as motives, enablers and paths. This is followed by a review of the mainstream internationalisation theories and perspectives, before revealing important findings that have emerged from previous internationalisation research separately on the emerging markets, SMEs and services and these are drawn together into an overall research framework. The research method balances deductive and inductive approaches. It recognises existing research an theoretical frameworks, but allows for new themes to emerge inductively from the data. A multiple case study was adopted, with qualitative data collected through interviews with owners and top managers of purposefully selected case firms. Industry experts were also interviewed and relevant documents were reviewed to achieve triangulation and minimise bias. Data was explored and thematically analysed by coding into the pre-existing categories suggested by the conceptual framework, and this allowed new findings and themes to emerge. This exploratory study revealed a number of concepts that shaped a coherent approach to the interrelated aspects of internationalisation. Perspectives found in emerging market MNE literature are extended and offer useful insights for location-intensive service SMEs from emerging markets but other important themes emerged from the findings itself. the study suggests that asset augmenting motives, strategic and entrepreneurial enablers and outward and inward linked paths are important when explaining the internationalisation of these firms. These firms have strategic motives of increasing their organisational legitimacy in their home market primarily due to the entrance of well-established MNEs and consumer perceptions. The strategic entrepreneurship paradigm captures many of the internationalisation enablers of the case study firms, specifically the entrepreneurs' role in simultaneous opportunity seeking (either recognition or creation), and advantage seeking behaviour through research building. The paths pursued by the firms are found to be both outwardly and inwardly linked, in a way closely associated with Luo and Tung's (2007) springboard perspective. Finally, the case firms' internationalisation paths reflect a deviation from the born-again global viewpoint first presented by Bell et al (2001). This study advocates that emerging market service firms need to implement and coordinate a number of strategies simultaneously to upgrade their resources, due to the entrance of established foreign MNEs. This implies that foreign MNEs should recognise their own resource combinations that represent real value to local firms, and therefore re-examine whether further standardisation over adaption is better suited when entering certain host markets. This thesis highlights the importance of impression management to complement legitimacy in consumer-centred industries, and this is suggested as a rich avenue for future enquiry. Future research might also test the theoretical contributions made her, especially concerning the new motives, enablers and paths identified in this study.

Higher education has undergone significant change as universities have sought to respond to government reforms in a period of globalisation. One major reform that globalisation has introduced is the reduction in state funding for higher education. Universities have turned to other resources to provide funding and one of these is the recruitment of international students. The focus of this thesis is on contrasting the internationalisation policies of two nations, Australia and the United States, by analysing published policies, statistics and carrying out interviews on two campuses. Two universities, one in Australia and the other in the United States, served as case studies to examine the strategies used to implement these policies. Approximately 100 participants were interviewed, including administrators and faculty members, international and domestic students. Each university featured internationalisation as a goal in its mission statement. By integrating intercultural and global dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of a university, internationalisation encompasses a multitude of activities that provide an educational experience. While administrators generally stated that the implementation of strategic plans to achieve international goals had been successful, many faculty members, domestic and international students were of the view that international goals were yet to be realised. These contrasting discourses revealed that each university was falling short of achieving its internationalisation goals. Faculty members and domestic and international students expressed dissatisfaction about cultural insensitivity, lack of adequate services that offered housing and emotional/social support, and language barriers. At the same time, each university was achieving some of its internationalisation goals. In conclusion, strategies are suggested that might improve the implementation of internationalisation at both universities.

<p>During the last decade, the concept of knowledge has gained increased</p><p>attention within the research field of international business.</p><p>This has its backdrop in the knowledge-based view of the firm,</p><p>seeing knowledge as a resource and capability. Accordingly,</p><p>knowledge has been stated to be a prominent factor in regard to</p><p>firm survival and success. In this thesis, we are to identify the type</p><p>of knowledge that exists, and examine how this knowledge is transferred,</p><p>within a firm. This has been done through a single case</p><p>study, analyzing the knowledge transfer on an intra-firm basis between</p><p>the head quarter and the subsidiary units, as well as among</p><p>the subsidiary units. Data has been obtained through interviews</p><p>and secondary materials. The case study has concluded in an</p><p>analysis illustrating how knowledge can be ennobled outside the</p><p>head quarter, and lost, if not incorporated into the firm.</p>

During the last decade, the concept of knowledge has gained increased attention within the research field of international business. This has its backdrop in the knowledge-based view of the firm, seeing knowledge as a resource and capability. Accordingly, knowledge has been stated to be a prominent factor in regard to firm survival and success. In this thesis, we are to identify the type of knowledge that exists, and examine how this knowledge is transferred, within a firm. This has been done through a single case study, analyzing the knowledge transfer on an intra-firm basis between the head quarter and the subsidiary units, as well as among the subsidiary units. Data has been obtained through interviews and secondary materials. The case study has concluded in an analysis illustrating how knowledge can be ennobled outside the head quarter, and lost, if not incorporated into the firm.

Internationalisation of Higher Education has emerged as a response from institutions to increasing challenges posed by Globalisation and fast advances in Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs. MBA students, particularly those in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), are now presented with a growing offer of Programmes with some level of Internationalisation. This research investigates and assesses the extent to which different levels of Internationalisation in Higher Education MBA Programmes influence Brazilian students’ and HR Professionals’ Perceived Value of such programmes and institutions and thus, their Level of Trustworthiness towards said programmes and institutions. To investigate the relationship between the Level of Internationalisation and Perceived Value, a Trustworthiness Index was developed for the Higher Education sector. Developed from a tested Trustworthiness Index originally designed by Ennew and Sekhon (2007) for the Financial Sector, this study used an adapted Delphi technique to reach consensus between 3 Higher Education Senior Executives and 3 Marketing Scholars. The new Questionnaire had 363 responses from MBA students who were presented with different levels of Programme and Institution Internationalisation divided into 4 Bundles - from no (zero) Internationalisation to 100% Internationalisation. The findings indicate that the proposed Index is a reliable and valid instrument to measure MBA Students’ Level of Trustworthiness towards MBA Programmes and Institutions, with an excellent Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for reliability (above .9). The variables were then grouped into four Factors using Exploratory Factor Analysis. Thus, the underlying dimensions of Trustworthiness in Higher Education that emerged are Student Support and Quality; Values and Respect; Excellence and Academic Rigour; Diversity and Long-Term Commitment. A Trustworthiness Equation for Higher Education was developed using Structural Equation Modelling and applied to the four different Bundles. Each Bundle’s Level of Trustworthiness was then compared and the results, using ANOVA, show a positive relation between the Level of Internationalisation and the Level of Programme and Institution Trustworthiness. The findings of the quantitative stage with the MBA students were then discussed in semi-structured interviews with 13 Human Resources Professionals. MBA students and HR Professionals agree that Internationalisation in Higher Education increases the perceived value of both programmes and institutions. In the students’ opinion the best model would be a Programme with 100% Internationalisation, while HR Professionals believe the local experience equally matters, and therefore, the best choice would be a programme that offered an Intermediate Level of Internationalisation. This thesis also explores the valuable input that this research provides to Higher Education managers in what concerns students’ perceived value of several course components such as curriculum and syllabus design, instructional materials and resources, face-to-face and distance learning modes, teacher and staff qualification and preparation, amongst others.

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