Thesis
Key marketing factors in SMEs' international market entry mode choice
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2016
- Thesis identifier
- T14455
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 200558328
- Person Identifier (ORCID)
- 0000-0001-7144-7895
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prefer to employ independent entry modes for the development of their international markets. Among their various advantages, independent modes allow for the internalisation and better protection from competitive imitation of the firms’ sources of competitive advantage (e.g., proprietary knowledge). Even where the use of these entry modes would be in their best interests, however, SMEs often have little choice but to employ collaborative entry modes. A major reason for this appears to be the firms’ generally insufficient marketing resources and the consequent common inability by these to undertake adequate marketing for successful international market development. This would force many of the firms to cooperate with others (export intermediaries, joint venture partners, etc) in their efforts to enter and develop international markets. With marketing variables (marketing resources, marketing ability, etc) appearing to influence the entry mode choice of SMEs, it is surprising that these have received little scholarly consideration as factors in the firms’ mode choice. This is especially so where the firms’ choice between independent and collaborative entry modes is concerned, a mode choice decision representing a crucial strategic decision with far reaching implications that include the participation of others (in the case of collaborative modes) or not (in that of independent modes) in the establishment and exploitation of competitive advantages in international markets. The present study investigates the influence marketing factors have on SMEs’ choice between independent and collaborative entry modes in the context of international market development. The study, whose theoretical foundation is the resource-based view (RBV), examines the impact of six important marketing resources and marketing strategy variables on the choice. In doing so, this study, apparently the first to consider the influence of various key marketing resources and marketing strategy variables on this mode choice decision by smaller firms, addresses a significant gap in the literature and among its contributions expands much-needed knowledge about the internal (firm) characteristics of SMEs affecting their entry mode choice. Based on the results of a survey of 194 UK SME manufacturers, the study found that the focal marketing factors have varying effects on SMEs’ independent-collaborative entry mode choice decision and that in the case of some factors these differ to that indicated by the literature. Being of consequence to SME managers and scholars, the findings and their managerial and theoretical implications are discussed. Recommendations for future research are made and the limitations of the study outlined.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Paliwoda, Stanley J.
- Ibeh, Kevin
- Resource Type
- Note
- This thesis was previously held under Moratorium from 1st December 2016 until 1st December 2025.
- DOI
- EThOS ID
- uk.bl.ethos.701544
- Date Created
- 2016
- Former identifier
- 9912538583502996
- Funder
Relations
Items
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
PDF of thesis T14455 | 2021-07-02 | Public | Download |