Title: Globalisation strategy for small and medium sized enterprises

Authors: Christopher Stehr

Addresses: Institute of Internationalisation Research, Merkur International University of Applied Sciences, Karlstrasse 36-38, D-76133 Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract: In 2008, Germany was still the biggest single exporting nation in the world. But entrepreneurial globalisation and a globalisation strategy of a small and medium sized enterprise (SME) is more than just export. Some SMEs reach their limits in this process of an entrepreneurial globalisation which needs activities steps beyond the previous internationalisation of businesses. The aim of the paper is to show on different examples how it is possible to develop from a former regional market leader to an actual world market leader. 30 world market leaders from different branches of the southern part of Germany have been chosen for this best practice oriented survey. The methodology and scientific content evolved are based on structured interviews as well as on the descriptive method. The main aspect of the paper is – on the basis of a theoretical approach adapted from practical examples – how SMEs can tap their full entrepreneurial globalisation potential.

Keywords: globalisation strategies; entrepreneurial potential; strategy implementation; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; Germany; exports; internationalisation; regional markets; market leaders; world markets; regions; best practice; structured interviews; global entrepreneurship; innovation management; entrepreneurial globalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2010.035089

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2010 Vol.12 No.3/4, pp.375 - 391

Published online: 03 Sep 2010 *

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