Table Of ContentHandel und Internationales Marketing /
Retailing and International Marketing
Edited by
Professor Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda
Professor Dr. Thomas Foscht
Th e book series focuses on the fi elds of Retailing and International Marketing. Th e-
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Edited By
Professor Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda,
Universität Trier, Germany
Professor Dr. Thomas Foscht,
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Austria
Edith Olejnik
International Small
and Medium-Sized
Enterprises
Internationalization Patterns,
Mode Changes, Confi gurations
and Success Factors
With a foreword by
Prof. Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda
Edith Olejnik
Trier, Germany
Dissertation Universität Trier, 2013
ISBN 978-3-658-04875-4 ISBN 978-3-658-04876-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-04876-1
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Foreword V
Foreword
There are many reasons to study internationalizing small and medium-sized enter-
prises (SMEs), e.g. their smaller size compared to large multinational enterprises,
their considerable importance for the German economy, their ability to rapidly and
flexibly react to different circumstances but also the challenges that many SMEs still
face during their internationalization process. Hence, it is advantageous and im-
portant to analyze how SMEs develop new capabilities and new knowledge to suc-
ceed abroad. The objective of Dr. Edith Olejnik’s thesis is to advance the knowledge
on internationally active SMEs and their internationalization processes. Addressing
these issues the dissertation of Dr. Olejnik includes four studies:
- SMEs’ Internationalization Patterns: Descriptives, Dynamics and Determinants:
This study identifies internationalization patterns of SMEs and discusses the de-
terminants of these patterns. Based on a cross-sectional survey of German SMEs
and a latent class clustering approach the findings suggest three internationaliza-
tion patterns: traditionals, born globals and born-again globals. Comparing modern
SMEs with the same SMEs from ten years ago, it is found that firms may change
their patterns. Moreover, the patterns are determined by international orientation,
growth orientation, communication capability, intelligence generation capability,
and international marketing strategy.
- Changes in Foreign Operation Modes: Stimuli for Increases versus Reductions:
This study explores the reasons leading executives to change their firm’s foreign
operation mode by contrasting mode increases and reductions. Based on a survey
of 320 mode changes the results show that executives recognize a wide range of
reasons for mode change, but the importance and magnitude of those stimuli differ
for mode increases and reductions. This study contributes to the knowledge on the
reasons for mode changes in a specific way because it provides empirical results
on the under-researched but highly relevant phenomenon of mode increases and
reductions.
- A Taxonomy of Small and Medium-sized International Family Firms: This study
develops a taxonomy of smaller family firms that internationalize and discusses
the different configurations of these firms based on firm culture (in terms of organ-
izational orientations), firm strategy (in terms of differentiation, cost leadership and
marketing standardization) and firm structure (in terms of integration, centralization
and specialization). Based on a survey of family firms the empirical findings sug-
gest that there are four groups of firms: Domestic-focussed Traditionalists, Global
VI Foreword
Standardisers, Multinational Adapters and Transnational Entrepreneurs. These
configurations are distinctive in terms of their structure, orientations and perform-
ance but differ less in terms of their strategies.
- Linking Processes and Dynamic Capabilities of International SMEs: The Mediating
Effect of International Entrepreneurial Orientation: This study examines the link be-
tween foreign market scanning and planning processes with international entre-
preneurial orientation and performance. Based on a dynamic capability perspec-
tive and a sample of 604 SMEs the study finds that international entrepreneurial
orientation completely mediates the relationship between scanning and planning
and international performance. Further, the results imply a bi-directional relation-
ship between processes and international entrepreneurial orientation.
With her work Dr. Edith Olejnik makes a significant contribution to international man-
agement and international marketing research. She advances the knowledge on in-
ternationally active smaller firms and provides invaluable insights into SMEs interna-
tionalization processes, both for researchers and executives. Her work impresses
with the extent of attention paid to the conceptualization but also the combination of
different types of studies and methodologies. I am particularly happy with her work
because Dr. Olejnik presents the eleventh dissertation at my chair for Marketing &
Retailing at the University of Trier. Moreover, she is the first research associate who
managed to develop four studies for her dissertation and publish all of them in refe-
reed international journals.
Not only in her dissertation, Dr. Olejnik has shown the remarkable ability to combine
research and practice and always to go the extra mile. She never hesitated to partici-
pate in other projects and to help improving other research studies. I thank Dr. Ole-
jnik for her commitment and I regard her as a very honourable, hardworking and al-
ways kind-minded person. I thank Dr. Edith Olejnik for working as a research associ-
ate at my chair and I wish her all the best for her future endeavours.
Professor Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda
Trier, November 2013
Acknowledgments VII
Acknowledgments
The mission is accomplished! I am glad that I completed this doctoral thesis within the
given timescale and I am proud that I was able to get all of my papers accepted in refe-
reed journals. Three papers have already been published and one has been accepted
for publication at the time this thesis was prepared. Although the copyrights for the arti-
cles are with the four publishers, the author retains the right to use the papers for her
scientific career by including them in her doctoral thesis provided acknowledgement is
given to the original publication. But before I state the original sources of publication, I
would like to express my appreciation to several people who helped me to achieve this
aim and who accompanied me during this journey.
First of all, I have to thank my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Prof. h.c. Bernhard Swoboda, for
convincing me to accept the post as research associate at his chair and to pursue the
doctoral degree. He has supported me ever since and trusted me enough to give me
the amount of freedom I needed. Professor Swoboda has always supported my work
and encouraged me to present my research at renowned conferences such as the
Academy of International Business Annual Conference (in Rio de Janeiro, Nagoya
and Washington DC), the European Academy of International Business Conference
(in Porto and Bucharest) and several other national and international conferences.
Moreover, I thank Prof. Dr. Jörn Hendrich Block for evaluating my work as a second
advisor. I appreciate that Prof. Dr. Lutz Richter agreed to chair the defense committee.
I would also like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers that have contributed
to the development of my research. I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Jorma Larimo, Prof.
Dr. Klaus Meyer, Dr. Richard Owusu and Prof. Dr. Sami Saarenketo for their valuable
feedback at the Doctoral Tutorial in Vaasa, and Prof. Dr. Breda Kenny, Prof. Dr. Jim
Love and Prof. Dr. Glenn Richey for their comments at the Doctoral Colloquium of the
AIB UK and Ireland-Chapter Conference in Edinburgh. Thank you for your input and
for considering my work for the best dissertation proposal awards. I would also like to
express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. Allen McCutcheon for his excellent course on latent
class modelling at the Essex Summer School and for taking the time to talk about my
research. Also Prof. Dr. Matthias Baum, Prof. Dr. Dirk Morschett and Prof. Dr. Christian
Schwens contributed at some stage to the successful completion of this thesis.
I am indebted to our students and student assistants who also helped in developing
my papers. I would like to thank Ines Armbruster, Irina Bayer, Madeleine Boos, Sarah
Liesenfeld, David Said and Max Rosenthal for many fruitful, challenging and inspiring
VIII Acknowledgments
discussions. I am also grateful that Eileen Blanke and Anja Morbach helped me col-
lect the data for my empirical study.
Furthermore, I wish to thank my colleagues at the chair for Marketing and Retailing at
Trier University. I have had the pleasure to get to know all “generations” of research
associates at Professor Swoboda’s chair so far and I would like to thank all of them
for their companionship and a very good atmosphere throughout the years. Thank
you, Dr. Stefan Elsner, Dr. Frank Hälsig, Dr. Martin Jager, Margot Löwenberg, Dr.
Markus Meierer, Lukas Morbe, Dr. Karin Pennemann, Cathrin Puchert, Dr. Andrea
Schlüter, Christoph Schröder, Dr. Sandra Sommer, Dr. Judith Walter, Dr. Bettina
Weimann and Julia Weindel. I am very grateful to have had the chance to work with
Margot and Bettina and I thank both for numerous insightful discussions, many
laughs and their enduring friendship. Moreover, I always enjoyed working with Ursula
Fassbender and I appreciate our talks and her emotional support. Finally, I wish to
thank Eva Thielen for proofreading.
There are not enough words to express my gratitude towards my friends and family. I
thank my parents, Elvira and Robert Kimmel, for everything they have done for me,
for their continuous help and understanding. I thank my friends, especially Margarita
Bourtmann, for bearing with me during that period of time. Finally, I would like to
thank my partner, Marcel Greuel, for his support, encouragement and love. You have
enriched this journey. I dedicate this doctoral thesis to my dear family.
After these words of gratitude, I finally highlight the original sources of publication of
the four papers included in this thesis.
Study 1: Olejnik, Edith and Bernhard Swoboda (2012), "SMEs' Internationalisation Pat-
terns: Descriptives, Dynamics and Determinants," International Marketing Review, 29
(5), 466-495.
Study 2: Swoboda, Bernhard, Edith Olejnik and Dirk Morschett (2011), "Changes in
Foreign Operation Modes: Stimuli for Increases versus Reductions," International
Business Review, 20 (5), 578-590.
Study 3: Swoboda, Bernhard and Edith Olejnik (2013), "A Taxonomy of small- and
medium-sized International Family Firms," Journal of International Entrepreneurship,
Special Issue on Family Firm Internationalization, 11 (2), 130-157.
Study 4: Swoboda, Bernhard and Edith Olejnik (2013), " Linking Processes and Dy-
namic Capabilities of International SMEs: The Mediating Effect of International Entre-
preneurial Orientation," Journal of Small Business Management, accepted for publica-
tion on 08.01.2013.
Edith Olejnik
Table of Contents IX
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... IX
List of Figures and Tables ....................................................................................... XIII
List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................. XV
A. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1
1. Focus .................................................................................................................... 1
2. Research Gaps ..................................................................................................... 2
2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................... 2
2.2. Literature Review ......................................................................................... 4
2.3. Research Objectives .................................................................................. 11
3. Overall Framework ............................................................................................. 14
3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 14
3.2. Summarizing Model .................................................................................... 14
3.3. Structure of and Contribution by the Studies .............................................. 20
3.3.1 Determinants and Development of Internationalization
Patterns ........................................................................................... 20
3.3.2 Change of Foreign Operation Modes .............................................. 21
3.3.3 Configuration of International Family Firms ..................................... 21
3.3.4 Processes, Dynamic Capabilities and International
Performance .................................................................................... 22
4. Further Remarks ................................................................................................. 23
B. Study 1: SMEs’ Internationalization Patterns: Descriptives,
Dynamics and Determinants ............................................................................ 25
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 25
2. Conceptualization and Hypotheses Development .............................................. 26
2.1. Literature Review on Internationalization Patterns ..................................... 26
2.2. Identifying Internationalization Patterns ...................................................... 29
2.3. Discussing the Determinants of Internationalization Patterns ..................... 31
3. Empirical Study ................................................................................................... 35
3.1. Empirical Design ........................................................................................ 35
