Title: Internationalisation of family-owned businesses in the Czech Republic

Authors: Hamid Moini, Frantisek Kalouda, George Tesar

Addresses: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA. ' Masaryk University, Lipova 507/41a, 602 00, Brno, The Czech Republic. ' Umea University, Sweden; University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA

Abstract: This study uses a case-study method through personal interviews with owners of seven family-owned firms in the Czech Republic in order to determine factors affecting their internationalisation. We examine four research questions on factors which have been identified by previous research to influence internationalisation of family-owned firms. The results indicate that owners| motives and size of their companies contribute to their internationalisation. On the other hand, owners| background, product characteristics, and the knowledge of foreign markets are not necessary conditions for internationalisation of family-owned firms. Finally, the results of the study appear to show that the pattern of perceptions about export costs and barriers depends upon the kinds of costs and barriers are being investigated.

Keywords: internationalisation; family businesses; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; exports; transition economies; Czech Republic; ownership; motives; motivation; owner backgrounds; company size; product characteristics; foreign markets; export costs; trade barriers; entrepreneurial venturing; business ventures; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; entrepreneurialism; family firms.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2010.037120

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 2010 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.400 - 418

Published online: 25 Nov 2010 *

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