Internationalization is a topic of high actuality, and in this study the spotlights is on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access foreign market opportunities and go international. There are a large numbers of studies of internationalization processes but most of them mainly focus on multinational enterprises. There is a need for studies on how SMEs internationalize, what barriers they face and what role immigrants play in the process of internationalization. In this study the purpose is to investigate the internationalization process of Swedish SMEs and the contributions of social networks in the process. Immigrants are introduced as a social network. Drawing on the Uppsala internationalization process model with the network approach, the literature on social network with a knowledge-based view, this study aims to fulfil the above mentioned purpose. For the empirical study, a qualitative method has been used and semi-structured interviews have been performed in six Swedish SMEs. The results of our study illustrate that the Swedish SMEs experience several barriers in the internationalization process due to the lack of financial resources and knowledge-related resources. They also gradually start the internationalization process in their neighbour countries. Moreover, the study shows that the immigrants contribute in the process of internationalization by providing the SMEs with market knowledge and through offering experiential learning.

Internationalization is a key concept in today’s globalized world. Globalization has brought about a major shift in the way firms internationalize. Previously, large firms were thought to follow an incremental internationalization process. However, as a result of the rise of international new ventures, the internationalization process has seen a dramatic shift in the internationalization process of firms. Firms no longer follow the traditional models of internationalization. Instead, there are three general phases an international new venture may pass through which are identified by Leonidou and Katsikeas (1996, p. 524): namely: pre-engagement, initial, and advanced.   The change in the internationalization process of firms has led firms access networks to internationalize. The use of networks have been shown to help international new ventures to skip the traditional phases of internationalization  and expand rapidly by linking themselves to established networks (Coviello & Munro, 1995, p. 53). Participation in networks, among other benefits, includes acquiring the necessary knowledge for international operations.   Several important network forms have been identified by different authors. This raises the question what effect these network forms have at the phases of the internationalization process. Three major networks were identified, namely, social, business and intermediaries where each form has its own benefits in the internationalization process of an Small-to-Medium-Size Enterprise (SME). The forms of networks are often described as positive drivers for internationalization. We, however, think that there might also be negative aspects concerning the use of network for internationalization. This study sets out to find what the benefits of each form of network is and also how the networks are used in the internationalization process of an SME. We take into account the perspective of the entrepreneurs as to how they perceive network forms affecting SMEs’ performance at each phase of the internationalization process.  Along with that, we also aim to find out how the forms of networks interact with each other and how they evolve from one network to the other.   We use qualitative methods, in our study, by interviewing six SMEs located in northern Sweden. Multiple case studies were developed, in order to analyse the collected data from the semi-structured interviews. The collected data was transcribed and categorized in order to find the phases of internationalization, benefits of networks, interaction between networks and the negative aspects of networks. It was then analysed using the three predefined forms of networks: social, business and intermediaries.   The findings of the study show that business networks were the most widely used network form throughout the phases of the internationalization process. Social networks and intermediaries were used equally. However, social networks had a greater influence than intermediaries. Our research also identified three phases in the internationalization process. Networks were found to influence each other at all the phases of internationalization and therefore cannot be seperated from each other.

As the closed innovation model requires firms to be strongly reliant on their own R&D- capabilities in order to generate new innovations (van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 425), a new approach has emerged over the last decade: The open innovation model. Open innovation is a model where organizations commercialize both their own and external ideas through purposive out and inflows of information (Chesbrough, 2006, p. 1). As a result, enterprises can benefit from the reduction of costs it infers, and simultaneously gain a larger amount of competence (Ghezzi et al., 2018; Rehman et al., 2018; Dodgson et al., 2006).  The open innovation model favors smaller firms and gives them an increasingly prominent position in the innovation landscape (Chesbrough, 2003, cited in van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 427), and since SMEs are limited by a lack of financial resources, manpower, and substitutes for lack of sales, they especially benefit from collaboration with external parts to increase innovation performance (Hanna & Walsh, 2002; Kaufmann & Tödtling, 2002). However, successfully implementing an open innovation model as an SME comes with its unique challenges. In this study we will aim to investigate how SMEs in Sweden addresses these barriers through the following research question:  How do Swedish SMEs overcome the challenges of open innovation in practice?  The purpose of our study was to explore how SMEs overcome the barriers of working with open innovation in order to provide guidance for organizations who struggle to do so. To answer our research question and fulfill our purpose, we have conducted semi- structured interviews with eight different decision-makers from eight different SMEs. We performed a thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Our study found many ways that SMEs overcome barriers related to open innovation and resulted in several actions for decision-makers to overcome different categories of barriers. For example, our research showed how an equal exchange of value between partners could be an efficient way of maintaining a partnership, how shaping the team to be open for and involved in the organization's innovation work was a way of overcoming the barrier of company culture, and that educating the employees on open innovation was a way of tackling the barrier of lack of resources.  From a theoretical standpoint, our study contributes with a new perspective on the existing literature. It complements what is claimed to be an under-researched area, not only for open innovation in SMEs in general (Lee et al., 2010, p. 299), but also with a focus on overcoming innovation barriers (Hölzl & Janger, 2012, p. 25). It also brings a new geographical perspective of the concept, providing insights from the Swedish innovation climate.

<p>With the conditions of new economy such tendencies as internationalization of firms, mi-gration of high skilled workers, growing importance of the knowledge and others become relevant. Having these contextual matters in mind, the authors of this thesis identify the beneficial aspects that are related to Diasporas' inclusion into the process of internationali-zation. In broad outline, this thesis is about the competitive advantage achieved by a firm which employs foreigners to work with the process of business expansion to foreigners' countries of origin. This competitive advantage is proved to manifest itself through the knowledge and competences embedded in those employed foreigners.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to answer 'in what ways can Swedish SMEs benefit from Di-asporas' inclusion into the process of internationalization?' and thus fill the theoretical gap in the existent studies. In order to address the purpose of the research, a theoretical model which merges the research field of internationalization and Diaspora studies, considered the conditions of new economy, was constructed. With the help of this model, the role of Diasporas in the process of internationalization has been explored and explained.</p><p>For the empirical study, the qualitative method was applied and semi-structured interviews were conducted in five different Swedish SMEs. The interview guide, which was based on the theoretical model and on the main research objectives, was used when conducting in-terviews with a number of management positions fulfilling participants, as well as Diaspora.</p><p>The results of an empirical study showed that Diasporas can be efficiently used for compa-ny's expansion strategies and significantly benefit due to several reasons. First of all, fo-reigners, or Diasporas, can be considered as holding relevant knowledge base in regards to their home countries, such as language, culture, personal contacts, etc. At the same time, while staying in Sweden, they get to familiarize with the Swedish culture, social structures, and business opportunities, and establish diversified contacts. With regards to international business expansion, this knowledge of two-fold nature is proved to be highly valuable.</p>

Since 1994, South Africa has undergone comprehensive political and economic changes in a positive direction, however, the country’s business environment still constitutes of corruption and inequity. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how South Africa’s business environment affects Swedish SMEs establishment in the country. The methodology chosen for this research was a qualitative multiple case study with an abductive approach. The theoretical framework was established based on various theories related to business environment, internationalization and risk management, these theories was interlinked into a conceptual framework. In the empirical chapter, the primary data gathered from four cases was presented and thereafter analyzed together with the conceptual framework. The research concludes that the South African business environment affects the Swedish SMEs business activities in the country differently, depending on the firm’s size. The last decade’s political changes have generated in a more cautious approach among Swedish SME and their establishment in the country. Lastly, limitations of the research and recommendations for further research is outlined.

<p>Increasing globalization and decreasing trade barriers have created opportunities for Swedish companies to establish their activities in India. The aim with this dissertation is to explore if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model when establishing their activities in India.</p><p>In order to find out if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model, a multiple case study was conducted, adopting a qualitative approach. Three Swedish SMEs in the IT industry, that have successfully established their activities on the Indian market, were interviewed.</p><p>The results indicate that none of the companies in this study followed the internationalization process suggested by the Establishment Chain and the Psychic Distance. However, the examined companies in this study internationalized as suggested by the Basic Mechanism of Internationalization.</p><p>There is limited research on the internationalization processes of Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering the Indian market. Subsequently, this study has contributed theoretically to exploring what factors are of importance for Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering India. Furthermore, it has possibly contributed to the initial step of further research within the field of SMEs internationalization processes, should further research be conducted involving various internationalization models. In addition, this study has contributed by strengthening the existing research regarding the Uppsala Internationalization Model.</p><p>A suggestion to future research is to explore various existing internationalization models and to investigate what aspects of each model is applicable to Swedish SMEs.</p>

With the conditions of new economy such tendencies as internationalization of firms, mi-gration of high skilled workers, growing importance of the knowledge and others become relevant. Having these contextual matters in mind, the authors of this thesis identify the beneficial aspects that are related to Diasporas' inclusion into the process of internationali-zation. In broad outline, this thesis is about the competitive advantage achieved by a firm which employs foreigners to work with the process of business expansion to foreigners' countries of origin. This competitive advantage is proved to manifest itself through the knowledge and competences embedded in those employed foreigners. The purpose of this thesis is to answer 'in what ways can Swedish SMEs benefit from Di-asporas' inclusion into the process of internationalization?' and thus fill the theoretical gap in the existent studies. In order to address the purpose of the research, a theoretical model which merges the research field of internationalization and Diaspora studies, considered the conditions of new economy, was constructed. With the help of this model, the role of Diasporas in the process of internationalization has been explored and explained. For the empirical study, the qualitative method was applied and semi-structured interviews were conducted in five different Swedish SMEs. The interview guide, which was based on the theoretical model and on the main research objectives, was used when conducting in-terviews with a number of management positions fulfilling participants, as well as Diaspora. The results of an empirical study showed that Diasporas can be efficiently used for compa-ny's expansion strategies and significantly benefit due to several reasons. First of all, fo-reigners, or Diasporas, can be considered as holding relevant knowledge base in regards to their home countries, such as language, culture, personal contacts, etc. At the same time, while staying in Sweden, they get to familiarize with the Swedish culture, social structures, and business opportunities, and establish diversified contacts. With regards to international business expansion, this knowledge of two-fold nature is proved to be highly valuable.

In today’s global market, China attracts great attention due to its rapid growing economy. Organizations from different countries take advantage of this, and move production to China. The noteworthy aspect of this situation is that most of these companies are Multi National Enterprises. These MNEs are aggressive in their expansion due to possession of major capabilities and possibilities to confront barriers and take economic risks. However, there are smaller companies with fewer resources that are more limited and choose not to move production to China. What drives these companies to bypass the well documented advantages with a production process in there? This research aims to fill that gap. This deductive research is based on Swedish SMEs that have been inquired to rank the most influential drivers behind their decision to move or not to move production to China. The investigation is conducted quantitatively by a survey. Another aspect of the survey which strengthens the result is the core strategies of the SMEs, which are asked to be ranked in order to reveal the most dominant one. The results analysis signifies that the key-drivers and the core strategy together influence the decision, to either move or not to move. However, the generalizability is negatively affected by the low level of participants. Therefore, in-depth analysis has been conducted, which highlights that the results do reveal a connection between the drivers and the core strategy and how they influence the decision. This research reveals the most influential processes for Swedish SMEs, which can further be considered by other SMEs that are in the process of making a decision to move or not to move production to China.

Increasing globalization and decreasing trade barriers have created opportunities for Swedish companies to establish their activities in India. The aim with this dissertation is to explore if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model when establishing their activities in India. In order to find out if Swedish SMEs in the service sector follow the process suggested by the Uppsala Internationalization Model, a multiple case study was conducted, adopting a qualitative approach. Three Swedish SMEs in the IT industry, that have successfully established their activities on the Indian market, were interviewed. The results indicate that none of the companies in this study followed the internationalization process suggested by the Establishment Chain and the Psychic Distance. However, the examined companies in this study internationalized as suggested by the Basic Mechanism of Internationalization. There is limited research on the internationalization processes of Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering the Indian market. Subsequently, this study has contributed theoretically to exploring what factors are of importance for Swedish SMEs in the service sector when entering India. Furthermore, it has possibly contributed to the initial step of further research within the field of SMEs internationalization processes, should further research be conducted involving various internationalization models. In addition, this study has contributed by strengthening the existing research regarding the Uppsala Internationalization Model. A suggestion to future research is to explore various existing internationalization models and to investigate what aspects of each model is applicable to Swedish SMEs.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of what impact external factors could have on international active Swedish SME’s. Since these factors influence the firm throughout the internationalization process we will investigate how firms mitigates the impact of external factors at later stages in the internationalization process. Furthermore, we will investigate how companies prepare themselves when it comes to external factors. To conduct this research, we have decided to use a qualitative research approach so that we as researcher can receive a deeper understanding of the international business environment. The thesis will use the abductive research approach since we match the theory regarding external factors with the empirical findings.   The Literature review has been conducted to conclude theroies regarding external factors, internationalization, export performance and finally a theory regarding divestment. This has resulted in a conceptual framework, which show how the theories are linked to each other. The conceptual framework has later been used to analyze the empirical data. The empirical data has been gathered through four case companies, which has been presented in the chapther empirical findings.   The analysis includes a discussion that compares the differnces and similarities between the theoretical framework and the empirical findings. It also includes the differences and similarities between our respondents and their experience from external factors and its impact. The final chapter concludes the thesis with results from our resource questions and further includes implications, recommendations, limitations and suggestions for further research in this subject. The main theoretical implication is the filling of the research gap regarding external factors and their impatcs for Swedish SMEs. Furthermore, the thesis concluded that it would be beneficial for companies to develop a strategy to overcome the obstacles that come from external factors when a company is internationalized. Our thesis has concluded that it is better to be proactive to external changes rather than be reactive on the international market.