On researching the internationalisation of SMEs in transformation economies

This paper contains a review of the current debate concerning SME internationalisation and sets out a research agenda for investigating SME internationalisation in transformation economies. Current developments and various theoretical approaches in explaining the dynamics of SME internationalisation are examined, together with the role of government policies that could expedite the internationalisation processes of SMEs. It is argued that the adoption of a resource-based approach might provide a unifying theoretical approach to the examination of SME internationalisation in transformation economies. Subsequently a research agenda in the form of a set of research propositions is proposed.