In order to balance their local and global operations optimally, SMEs are moving toward a ‘global factory’ type of organizational form, meaning a differentiated network of activities held together through the control of key assets and flows of knowledge, and coordinated by a focal firm....

Small firms start operating internationally much more quickly than was previously the case. However, this requires that companies acquire resources and skills in a significantly shorter time than earlier. This paper discusses the pressures that such development puts on company boundaries from...

As a response to the increasing interest in the internationalisation of knowledge-intensive firms, a measure for analysing their international growth orientation was developed. This measure was applied in empirical setting of Finnish information and communication technology companies. The...

This paper contributes to the literature on born globals by introducing the concept of strategic orientations into this domain. Only few empirical studies have investigated them in this context. The study extends the existing knowledge on born globals and responds to complaints about lacking...

Entrepreneurial founding teams (EFTs) are often essential to new venture creation and successful internationalisation. Although the composition of EFTs has been the subject of enquiry, little research exists into the exit of team members and the consequences for rapid internationalisation. We...

It is now recognised that many firms are “born global’ and initiate international business from inception or shortly thereafter. They have been influenced by both globalisation and the impact of new ICT technologies. This paper examines the role of the Internet in the internationalisation of...

The paper examines the interrelationships among the domestic institutional environment for entrepreneurship, a firm’s innovation capability, and an SME’s decision to grow using an internationalization or innovation-based strategy. The effects of both the external institutional environment...