Title: Internationalisation strategies for SMEs for enhancing the typical supply system in the age of globalisation: the Vietri Ceramics network

Authors: Vittoria Marino, Carmen Gallucci, Giada Mainolfi

Addresses: Department of Business Studies and Researches, University of Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo – 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. ' Department of Business Studies and Researches, University of Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo – 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. ' Department of Business Studies and Researches, University of Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo – 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy

Abstract: At present, in our globalised economy it would appear that consumers are more and more interested in buying artisan products, considering them synonymous to quality, tradition, culture and respect for the environment. From this perspective, after illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of this particular sully system, we intend to stretch the conceptual scheme of typical products to the point of including in the concept of supply the relative experience connected to such specificity, which can be found only in their places of origin. Our approach in declining the globalisation-localisation dichotomy attempts to identify opportune strategies of internationalisation for particular categories of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), such as the ceramic district at Vietri sul Mare, with its heritage of culture, resources, relations, relationships, experiences, competence, knowledge and information – and to firmly link the strategy to the territory of origin.

Keywords: internationalisation; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; typical supply systems; globalisation; ceramics industry; Italy; localisation; strategy; territory of origin.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSB.2007.015478

International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, 2007 Vol.2 No.2, pp.122 - 136

Published online: 19 Oct 2007 *

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