This thesis deals with some aspects of internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in present globalized world. The goal of this thesis is to analyze the causes, forms and entry barriers for SMEs from the Czech Republic expanding to international markets. This is facilitated by own survey. The survey with questionnaire covering 20 questions was conducted among almost a thousand SMEs. Basic characteristics of SMEs as well as internationalization and enterprise support is mentioned in the thesis. The part is also devoted to the impacts of current economic crisis on SMEs. Survey results are included in the final part of this thesis.

The thesis focuses on the barriers to the internationalization of SMEs. The theoretical part consists of four chapters outlining the basic theoretical resources necessary for the practical part. The first part explains the nature of internationalization and globalization, the second defines SMEs in the Czech Republic and the European Union, the third section presents the most important and most common barriers to the internationalization of SMEs, the last fourth part provides an overview of the institutions involved in export promotion in the Czech Republic. The practical part of the thesis consists of an analysis sample of four companies that led to the determination of the largest and most common barriers to the internationalization of Czech SMEs.

Cette thèse aborde la thématique de l’internationalisation des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) globalisées dès leur naissance ou peu de temps après, et nommées dans la littérature anglosaxonne « Born Globals ». Plus spécifiquement, notre recherche est focalisée sur l’approche décrivant les relations des « Born Globals » avec le réseau d'influence développé sur le territoire d’implantation des entreprises. Au delà des formes multiples de réseaux accompagnant les entreprises dans leur démarche d’internationalisation (relationnels, informels, personnels et territoriaux), nous pensons que le réseau d'influence joue un rôle dans l’internationalisation de ces PME. « Quel est le rôle du réseau d’influence dans l’internationalisation des « Born Globals » ?» Pour répondre à cette question, nous avons réalisé une étude auprès des « Born Globals » implantées dans la région de Kalouga en Russie.Les résultats de notre recherche nous permettent de définir les principales caractéristiques du réseau d’influence (les acteurs, les liens entre eux et les ressources qu’ils partagent avec les entreprises) dans l'internationalisation des « Born Globals », de cartographier ce réseau afin d'apprécier le rôle de chacun et de définir les étapes de l'intégration des « Born Globals » par le prisme de ce réseau sur un territoire donné. Ces éléments peuvent être exploités aussi bien par les théoriciens du point de vue des différentes étapes mises en évidence, que par les dirigeants des « Born Globals » lors de leur internationalisation dans d'autres pays et enfin par les pouvoirs publics qui cherchent à attirer des investisseurs étrangers et améliorer leurs prestations. / The main topic of this thesis is the small and medium entreprises (SMEs) that go international from their inception or shortly after. These business organizations were named in the Anglo-Saxon literature "Born Globals". More specifically, our research is focused on the approach describing the relationships of the "Born Globals" with the influence network developed in the area of their currrent location. Beyond the multiple forms of networks supporting companies in their internationalization process (relational, informal, personal and territorial), we think that the influence network plays the most important role in the internationalization of SMEs. "What is the role of the influence network in the internationalization of "Born Globals"?" To answer this question, we conducted a survey about "Born Globals" located in the Kaluga region in Russia.The results of our research allow us to describe the main characteristics of the influence network (players, links between themselves and the resources they share with companies) in the internationalization of "Born Globals" and to elaborate the network map and to define the different integration phases of "Born Globals" in the local network. Our results can be used by academic researchers, managers and leaders of "Born Globals" in their internationalization process and finally by the government seeking to attract foreign investments and improve their performances.

This study uses the absorptive capacity perspective and adds the firm's commitment to enhance the internationalization process of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is proposed that each of the dimensions of absorptive capacity should be considered a separate capability that exists prior to internationalization and that enhances and reinforces the firm's ability to take advantage of its resources to advance international expansion and that internationalization has an effect on firm performance. Based on the absorptive capacity perspective, it is further proposed that an SME's organizational learning, which is gained from international expansion, will influence the relationship between internationalization and the firm's performance. The central theme of the proposed model is, therefore, that understanding the relationships among an SME's absorptive capacity, its abilities, and its commitments to internationalization can improve understanding of the relationship between internationalization and performance. The conceptual framework presented in this study indicates that the process of absorptive capacity which flows across SMEs is complex and it involves multiple levels of analysis. I argued that the moderating effect of absorptive capacity needs to be explicitly transferred to SMEs if it is to have a sustained effect on firm performance through internationalization. Adapting absorptive capacity perspective, my model derives key determinants that influence SMEs' performance, through internationalization, and examines how absorptive capacity leads to the creation of internationalization of SMEs. The perspective advanced here describes how all four facets of absorptive capacity -acquiring, assimilating, transforming, and exploiting -are geared toward internationalization of SMEs and produced competitive advantage for SMEs.

A década de 70 foi caracterizada por grande atividade de construtoras brasileiras no exterior, particularmente na África e no Oriente Médio. Nos anos 80, as organizações brasileiras destacaram-se pelo grande fluxo de investimentos realizados no exterior, e na década de 90, em conseqüência da abertura comercial que houve em nosso país, as empresas brasileiras foram buscar atualização tecnológica no exterior, para enfrentar competidores estrangeiros. Esse movimento de internacionalização caracterizou-se principalmente pelo deslocamento de empresas do setor industrial; a internacionalização das empresas de varejo é um fenômeno mais recente. Pesquisas sobre o processo de internacionalização da empresa varejista brasileira ainda não são muito numerosas no país, o que talvez se deva ao fato de que esse fenômeno ainda é relativamente recente no cenário brasileiro. Nesse contexto o estudo objetivou investigar a relação entre as teorias sobre internacionalização de empresas e o processo de expansão de empresas de varejo brasileiras para países estrangeiros e identificar o que leva uma empresa a se deslocar para outros países, para onde se desloca (por que escolhe determinados locais em detrimento de outros), quais são os modos de entrada selecionados e como as empresas se adaptam aos novos locais, sob os conceitos de internacionalização de empresas. O estudo utilizou dados secundários provenientes de teses, dissertações, artigos e Internet, além de dados primários coletados em entrevistas em profundidade com os principais gestores de dez empresas de varejo brasileiras. A metodologia de pesquisa empregada englobou a Análise de Conteúdo e a Análise de Correspondência. Um dos resultados do trabalho foi a proposta de uma Taxonomia de Encadeamento Teórico sobre a internacionalização de empresas. A análise dos dados mostrou que todas as estruturas teóricas registradas nesta tese foram identificadas no processo de internacionalização das empresas de varejo brasileiras pesquisadas. / The decade of 1970 was characterized by the intense activity of Brazilian construction companies abroad, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. In the eighties, Brazilian organizations stood out because of the large flow of investments they made abroad and in the nineties, as a result of the trade opening made in our country, Brazilian companies sought updated technology abroad to face foreign competitors. However, the movement of internationalization is primarily characterized by the displacement of industrial companies. The internationalization of retail businesses is a more recent phenomenon. Studies on the process of internationalization of Brazilian retail companies are not numerous yet in the country. This may be due to the fact that this is a still relatively recent phenomenon in the Brazilian scene. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the internationalization theories and the expansion process of Brazilian retail companies towards other countries. Additionally, by using the concepts of international business, this work sought to identify why companies go global, where they head, which entry modes they employ and how they adapt themselves to new locations. This work has utilized secondary data retrieved from theses, dissertations, articles and internet, besides primary data collected through in-depth interviews with executives from 10 Brazilian retail companies. Content Analysis and Correspondence Analysis techniques were employed. Findings a taxonomy for theoretical comprehension of the phenomenon under investigation. Data analysis showed that all theoretical frameworks employed in this work were present in the internationalization process of Brazilian retail companies.

[pt] A indústria de software no Brasil, apesar de considerada prioritária e estratégica nas políticas de incentivo do governo, têm apresentado dificuldades para se firmar no cenário internacional. Entretanto, algumas empresas se sobressaem, gerando interesse tanto do meio acadêmico quanto do empresarial pela evolução do processo de internacionalização dessas firmas. No intuito de investigar esse fato, o presente trabalho teve como escopo analisar a trajetória de internacionalização de uma empresa de software líder no Brasil, sendo selecionada para tal a empresa Totvs. O estudo realiza uma revisão da literatura, apresentando os desenvolvimentos teóricos recentes a respeito de internacionalização de empresas, abrangendo duas teorias de internacionalização: Teoria de Uppsala e a Teoria do Empreendedorismo Internacional. O método escolhido para concretização da pesquisa foi o Estudo de Caso, tendo utilizados dados primários (entrevista) e secundários (livro sobre a empresa, informações da internet, notícias publicadas na imprensa e documentos da empresa). Os resultados indicaram que o sucesso da estratégia de internacionalização da Totvs está primordialmente atrelado a dois fatores: (i) às características empreendedoras de seus dirigentes e (ii) não por acaso, ao rápido movimento estratégico de internacionalização por parte da empresa quando se deparou com mudanças ambientais na economia local (em particular, a abertura do mercado brasileiro à concorrência internacional). O estudo também aponta que, embora a Totvs tenha iniciado o processo de forma pouco estruturada, a empresa soube aprender com os erros e com o passar do tempo criou um processo bem sucedido de escolha de entrada em outros países. / [en] The software industry in Brazil, although considered within the priority and strategic government policies to encourage the sector, has presented difficulties to stand in the international arena. However, some companies stand out, creating attention on the process of evolution of internationalization of these firms in both academic and business arenas. In order to investigate this fact, the scope of this study was to analyze the trend of internationalization of a leading software company in Brazil, being selected for such the company Totvs. The study included a literature review, presenting recent theoretical developments concerning the internationalization of companies, including two theories of internationalization: the Uppsala Theory and the Theory of International Entrepreneurship. The method chosen to implement the survey was the case study, having used primary data (interviews) and secondary data (book about the company, information from the Internet, press reports and company documents). The results indicated that the success of the internationalization strategy of Totvs is tied primarily to two factors: (i) the entrepreneurial characteristics of its directors and (ii) not by chance, the rapid strategic movement towards internationalization done by the company when it came across environmental changes in the local economy (in particular, the opening of the market to international competition). The study also points out that although Totvs have started the process in a loosely structured way, the company was able to learn from mistakes and over time have created a successful process of entry choice into other countries.

Le résumé en français n'a pas été communiqué par l'auteur. / Our thesis has for purpose to explain how subcontracting SMEs evolving in changing and globalized space industry respond to institutional complexity whilst going international. We refer to the literature on SMEs’ internationalization: processual approaches, International Entrepreneurship, research investigating more specifically subcontracting firms and their modes of internationalization, as well to institutional logics perspective. We conducted a single-embedded qualitative case study in the space industry in France with five subcontracting SMEs, carried out 4 open-ended interviews, 35 semi-structured interviews, took part in 2 international events and 3 professional meetings and analyzed 830 pages of field material related to the space industry. Our analysis shows that social actors involved in space activities and SMEs perceive two institutional logics: Space as National Pride and Space as Global. These both logics drive institutional change which creates institutional uncertainty and institutional disequilibrium between French and international markets. Despite the same changing context, the five SMEs adapt different strategies reflected in different patterns of internationalization. We suggest that this variation may be explain by each SME’s receptivity to institutional change and more particularly by the meaning associated to the impact of change on firms’ activities perceived as: either local threat, status quo, ambiguity, international threat, or potential growth. Furthermore, we suggest that receptivity to institutional change and more particularly the attitude associated to the French space industry, with namely: loyalty to one big contractor, inconsistency, historical ties, new dynamic needed, and detachment may contribute to reinforce the type of strategy and to shape patterns of internationalization.

Los modos de entrada en el plano internacional cuentan con diversas teorías. Se han realizado, asimismo, estudios generales del comportamiento de las empresas y la gran mayoría recae en que factores relacionados provienen de las características de la empresa o de las características del país destino. Sin embargo, pocos estudios profundizan sobre cierto tipo de empresas o sectores dedicados para analizar si estos factores son relevantes o no en la toma de decisión. Incluso, menos aún, analizan la percepción real de la compañía sobre la toma de decisión. El siguiente estudio se enfoca en las droguerías multinacionales que operan en el Perú, que comercializan productos farmacéuticos de marca y genéricos. Se busca conocer si las características que poseen tienen influencia o no sobre la toma de decisión para el modo de entrada que tuvieron al mercado peruano, a través de la percepción misma de las compañías. El enfoque de la investigación es de carácter cualitativo. Se realiza un estudio bibliográfico y se complementa a la par con la percepción y experiencia del mercado local obtenido a través de entrevistas de profundidad con expertos. Asimismo, se realizan encuestas a las 26 compañías que componen la muestra, para comparar sus respuestas con aquellos datos recogidos en la revisión de fuentes secundarias. / The entry modes in the international landscape have diverse theories. Even so, many general studies have been realized focused in the companies’ behavior and most of them conclude that most of the factors account for company characteristics or destination country characteristics. However, few studies have deepened in the understanding of certain companies or industrial sectors dedicated to analyze whether these factors were relevant or no in the decision making process. Moreover, even few, analyze the real perception of the company through the decision making process. The following study focuses in the multinational drugstores that operate in Peru, commercializing branded or generic pharmaceutics. The objective is to acknowledge if the characteristics these companies possess have an influence or not over the entry mode decision for the Peruvian market, through the companies own perception. This study’s approach is qualitative. It includes a literature review and complemented with the local market perception and experience through deep interviews to experts in the field. Additionally, the study surveys the 26 companies that compound this market to compare their answers with the data collected. / Tesis

La presente investigación busca conocer los efectos de las políticas de comercio justo en los productores que exportan quinua perlada hacia Francia, dentro del marco del Acuerdo Comercial entre Perú y la Unión Europea. Es importante resaltar que, desde su creación en 1959 en Holanda, las políticas de comercio justo han traído a los productores beneficios tales como un precio justo por sus productos, inclusive por encima del mercado, el desarrollo en conjunto de la población, un trato equitativo entre hombres y mujeres, el respecto a la niñez, entre otros. En ese sentido, se considera necesario analizar los efectos directos en cuanto a calidad de vida se refiere, tomando en cuenta variables como acceso a la salud y educación, además de la inversión en infraestructura de la vivienda, lo que permitirá validar dichas mejoras. Otro aspecto importante para comprobar y que tiene injerencia directa con la variable anterior es el nivel de ingresos de los productores y su evolución en la línea de tiempo tomada como muestra, ya que un aumento en las ganancias obtenidas conlleva a una relación directa en el aumento de la capacidad de gasto. Asimismo, como última variable, es pertinente analizar el fenómeno del comercio justo y su efecto en las empresas productoras, conociendo el por qué muchas de ellas desean participar en comercio justo y cuáles no, de manera de conocer las implicancias que tiene el acceso a la certificación en comparación con los beneficios que trae el acceso a la misma. / This research seeks to know the impacts and effects of fair trade policies on producers that export pearl quinoa to France, within the framework of the Trade Agreement between Peru and the European Union. It is important to highlight that, since its creation in the Netherlands in 1959, fair trade policies have brought benefits to the producers such as a fair price for their products, including above the market, the overall development of the population, an equitable treatment between men and women, respect for children, among others. In that sense, it is considered necessary to analyze the direct problems in terms of quality of life, take into account the variables such as access to health and education, in addition to investment in housing infrastructure, which require validating various improvements. Another important aspect to evaluate and that has direct injection with the previous variable is the level of income of the producers and their evolution in the timeline taken as a sample, since an increase in the profits obtained entails a direct relationship in the increase of the spending capacity. In the same way, as a last variable, it is relevant to analyze the phenomenon of fair trade and its impact on producing companies, knowing why many of them want to participate in fair trade and without problems, in order to know the implications that it has Access to certification compared to the benefits of access to it. / Tesis

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como propósito determinar cómo los elementos de la oferta exportable influyeron en el incremento de la internacionalización de las empresas exportadoras de palta Hass hacia China durante los años 2014 al 2018. La palta Hass ha tenido un crecimiento de las exportaciones de US$800 millones en el 2018 (Chávez, 2019). Es preciso señalar, el Perú tiene los mercados de destino de palta Hass a Holanda, Estados Unidos, España, Chile y China. No obstante, se elige China por tener un crecimiento en exportaciones durante el periodo de estudio (SUNAT, 2019). Para el análisis y desarrollo de la investigación, se presentan cinco capítulos: marco teórico, plan de investigación, metodología de trabajo, desarrollo – aplicación y análisis de los resultados. La investigación es cuantitativa, en donde se utiliza un cuestionario como instrumento, dirigido a profesionales relacionados al tema. Es preciso señalar, las empresas que fueron seleccionadas para la investigación son aquellas que representan al 80% de las exportaciones de palta Hass hacia China durante el periodo 2014 al 2018 (SUNAT, 2019). De este modo, se identifica que los elementos de la oferta exportable: disponibilidad de producto, capacidad económica – financiera y capacidad de gestión han influido en el incremento de la intercionalización de las empresas exportadoras de palta Hass hacia China durante el periodo 2014 a 2018. No obstante, se debe continuar con la misma gestión, teniendo en cuenta la importancia de gestionar las certificaciones y requisitos necesarios. / The purpose of this research work is to determine how the elements of the exportable supply influenced the increase in the internationalization of HASS avocado export companies to China during the years 2014 to 2018. The Hass avocado has had an export growth of US $ 800 million in 2018 (Chavez, 2019). It should be noted, Peru has Hass avocado destination markets to the Netherlands, the United States, Spain, Chile and China. However, China is chosen because it has a growth in exports during the study period (SUNAT, 2019). For the analysis and development of research, five chapters are presented: theoretical framework, research plan, work methodology, development - application and analysis of the results. The research is quantitative, where a questionnaire is used as an instrument, aimed at professionals related to the subject. It should be noted, the companies that were selected for research are those that represent 80% of HASS avocado exports to China during the period 2014 to 2018 (SUNAT, 2019). In this way, it is identified that the elements of the exportable offer: product availability, economic - financial capacity and management capacity have influenced the increase in the internationalization of HASS avocado export companies to China during the period 2014 to 2018. However, the same management must be continued, considering the importance of managing the necessary certifications and requirements. / Tesis