Pre-internationalization : - A case study of the decision to internationalize among small and medium sized Swedish enterprises

Sammanfattning: The process of internationalization has been one of the major areas of interest for researchers for over four decades. The phase that precedes internationalization for firms, known as the pre-internationalization phase, has also been of interest to study. Firms that are in this early stage of becoming international, are characterized by being active only in the domestic market but with intentions to expand. However, within this phase, little is known about the stimuli that affect firms to expand their operations to foreign markets. By combining the traditional theories of the drivers and barriers to internationalize, with the new theories concerning the entrepreneurial influence in small and young firms, this study serves to complement a particular research gap in the pre-internationalization phase. The purpose of this study is to describe the pre-internationalization phase of SMEs, analyze how drivers, barriers and entrepreneurial characteristics of managers affect the decision to internationalize and to contribute to a further understanding of the research gap in the preinternationalization phase. A deductive research approach and a qualitative research method have been chosen for this study. In this way, in-depth answers can provide understanding to a phenomenon that is still partly undiscovered. To increase understanding in a broader environment than within one organization the multiple case study design is used for this study. Therefore, three managers from different firms participated in interviews, which is the basis for the empirical data. When the empirical data is combined with relevant theories it provides a basis for the analysis where the effects of drivers, barriers and international entrepreneurship are evaluated. This analysis provides a foundation for the conclusion that it is a necessity to combine traditional and new theories, with further empirical research, to fully understand why young domestic small and medium-sized enterprises decide to internationalize. When these are put together, it is possible to establish that barriers that are neglected by entrepreneurs are seemingly small impediments, in comparison to the drivers to reach success and the entrepreneurial urge to expand.