Title: Knowledge – a critical factor in the internationalisation of SMEs: the case of Portuguese SMEs in China

Authors: Maria Fernanda Pargana Ilheu

Addresses: Management Department, ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Rua Miguel Lupi, 20, 1249–078 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: Normally, SMEs have internal shortages of information, capital and management experience, and, in foreign markets, limitations related to their difficulty of adjustment to different environmental conditions; the bigger the difference, in cultural, linguistic and social terms, of the country where the company plans to enter, the bigger the difficulties faced by companies| management, owing to scarce resources. These limitations justify SMEs| having more difficulty in bearing the cost of internationalisation than large companies. China is a very attractive market, with a huge potential economic growth in the liberalisation phase, but very distant from Portugal in geographic and cultural terms. Information and knowledge are critical factors for the expansion in China, for diminishing that distance and for helping companies in adopting market-oriented strategies and getting a competitive advantage positioning.

Keywords: internationalisation; information; knowledge; China; Portugal; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCCM.2007.016165

International Journal of Chinese Culture and Management, 2007 Vol.1 No.1, pp.22 - 37

Published online: 07 Dec 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article