The Entrepreneurial Value of International Knowledge A Qualitative Study of Internationalized Swedish SMEs

Sammanfattning: Research Question: How does international knowledge and its sources impact the strategic entrepreneurship of internationalized Swedish SMEs? Methodology: A qualitative research of Swedish SMEs, where the research was predominantly cross-sectional in nature. 17 firms were investigated and semi-structured interviews were the primary source of data. The data was analyzed in an inductive matter. Theoretical Perspective: Literature on international corporate entrepreneurship and strategic entrepreneurship are at the heart of this thesis. However, different models of internationalization, international entrepreneurial orientation, and organizational learning, namely absorptive capacity, were also relied upon as supportive literature. Conclusions: The case companies revealed how knowledge from international sources can impact the strategic entrepreneurship of the firm. Through examination of the findings and consultation of the literature, it has been found that the sources of international knowledge were primarily external sources in the form of customers and competition. Further, five key relationships have been highlighted. That is, international knowledge’s relationship to changes around the business model, the products/services, the strategy, the capabilities, and lastly, the structure and culture of the firm.