Internationalisation of SMEs: does entrepreneurial orientation matter?
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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a predictor of
internationalisation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The key research question is “to what extent
do the dimensions of EO (innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking) predict internationalisation of SMEs?”
Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a cross-sectional survey to collect data from 282 SMEs,
with the use of a multi-dimensional self-administered questionnaire. All the measures in this study were adopted
from existing instruments from previous studies and all showed a CVI above 0.8. Data were analysed
quantitatively using descriptive statistics, correlations and hierarchical regression. The nature and strength of
the relationships between the variables was tested using the zero-order bivariate correlation analysis.
Findings – The study establishes a significant relationship between the dimensions of EO and
internationalisation of SMEs.
Research limitations/implications – This paper contributes to the corpus of literature on
internationalisation of SMEs. Future research should consider the major constructs from a longitudinal point
of view given that cross-sectional studies sometimes fail to examine the interaction effect of the variables.
Practical implications – The paper illustrates how EO dimensions can influence an entrepreneur’s
decision to go international especially handling the process of internationalisation and its dynamics.
Originality/value – The paper provides contextual evidence from a developing country to the effect that
as local investors get more inclined to EO, they in the process ease their way to joining the international
business arena.
Description
Keywords
SMEs, Innovativeness, Strategy, Internationalisation, Risk taking, Proactiveness
Citation
Mohammed Ngoma, Abaho Ernest, Sudi Nangoli, Kusemererwa Christopher, (2017) "Internationalisation of SMEs: does entrepreneurial orientation matter?", World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 13 Issue: 2, pp.96-113, doi: 10.1108/WJEMSD-08-2016-0039