Title: The determinants affecting the internationalisation of the Italian SMEs producing sparkling wines: an empirical study on the RBV of the firms

Authors: Antonino Galati; Maria Crescimanno; Matteo Rossi; Domenico Farruggia; Salvatore Tinervia

Addresses: Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, Building 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy ' Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, Building 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy ' Department of Analysis of Social and Economic System (DASES), Via delle Puglie, 82 – 82100 Benevento, Italy ' Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, Building 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy ' Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, Building 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy

Abstract: In the last few years, wine industry has been characterised by profound changes that have determined an intensification of competition on a global scale. The aim of this study is to identify the firms' internal factors that most influence the export intensity and the ability to fit into the international market of the Italian wineries producing sparkling wines through a resource-based view (RBV) approach. Results of our study supporting the findings of previous empirical researches presented in this paper. In particular, the main factors affecting export intensity are: innovation degree and intensity of investment in advertising and promotion, among firms' characteristics, and abroad experience, proficiency of foreign languages, educational level, and perception barriers, among managers' characteristics.

Keywords: internationalisation; sparkling wines; wineries; resource-based view theory; RBV; export intensity; Italy; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; wine industry; innovation degree; investment intensity; advertising; promotion; experience abroad; foreign language proficiency; educational level; perception barriers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSB.2014.066463

International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, 2014 Vol.6 No.2, pp.100 - 118

Received: 03 Jan 2014
Accepted: 04 Jul 2014
Published online: 14 Jan 2015 *

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