This book, the fourth volume in the McGill International Entrepreneurship Series, brings together 27 top scholars to explore the structural complexities, evolving relations and dynamic forces that are shaping a new system of multi-polar, multi-level international business relations. It examines entrepreneurial efforts and relations in different national and corporate cultures, each embedded in and also constrained by country-specific socio-economic structures and each vying for consumer attentions in competitive global markets. The new millennia has experienced much rapid change, much of it implicit, intangible and not covered by the headlines of the popular press. The bipolar business system of the 20th century that prioritized the relationship between firms and consumers of developed countries is giving way to an emerging multi-polar and multi-level international system that considers consumers and companies in developing economies as well. In this book, scholars from around the world analyze the nascent architecture and relations in this quickly evolving system. They explore the structural complexities, evolving relations, and dynamic forces that are shaping and re-shaping the new system and examine entrepreneurial efforts and relations that cement its structure. The chapters in this volume portray the operating conditions of firms across 14 emerging country environments and industries ranging from basic foods and information technology to complex business processes. Students and professors of international business, entrepreneurship, marketing and management studies will find this volume an indispensable addition to the literature.

This edited volume develops an understanding of the strategies, processes, issues and concerns involved when small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) go international with their local products/services and vice versa. It is a compendium of eighteen selected chapters on the subject, supported by an introductory chapter. The contributions are organized in four parts based on the sub-themes they deal with. The first part, containing the introductory chapter, provides different perspectives on transnational entrepreneurship, returnee entrepreneurship and their linkages with the internationalization process. The subsequent parts have chapters dealing with three sub-themes of the subject – the internal factors (individual and firm-level resources), the external factors (entrepreneurial ecosystem), and the process of organizational transformation and change, respectively, in the context of SME internationalization. Special issues and challenges being faced by SME entrepreneurs in emerging economies have been highlighted in this book, discussing key contemporary issues with regard to internationalization in the three dimensions outlined above. Further, the book explains how an entrepreneur can engineer the transformation of his/her organization into an international SME. This book is a very useful resource for entrepreneurs and policy-makers in general, and for academics and researchers in particular, as it provides an overview of the contemporary research in the critical areas of SME internationalization and transnational entrepreneurship by highlighting the linkages between them with special reference to emerging economies.

The editors and contributors to this volume show how conventional theories of entrepreneurship and business do not fully address the challenges inherent in achieving and sustaining global competitiveness. Over the course of 11 research-based chapters,

With the globalization process, firms are seeking to expand their activities to international markets but are also “feeling” expanded competition from abroad. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), though seeking to expand abroad, have particularities that hinder their natural international expansion path due to particular barriers and challenges that most multinational firms have already overcome. Cases on Internationalization Challenges for SMEs provides a set of case studies on the internationalization of SMEs in order to share the latest empirical research findings in the field of internationalization in the context of a globalized world, and which considers a highly competitive international business setting. This includes examining the main reasons for the success or failure of the process of internationalization of SMEs and their inherent activities. Covering topics that include competitive advantage, export performance, and inward internationalization, this book targets managers, executives, and entrepreneurs concerned with how to adapt their companies to a fast-changing international business environment, how to conduct internationalization strategies, how to choose the most adequate international entry modes, and how to adapt their products and strategies to international markets. It is also suited for academicians, researchers, and students in the field of management.

This collective book offers a cross-country perspective on the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Scholars from prestigious institutions in Europe, North America, Australia and China provide new insights on how SMEs develop and perform their international activities.

A volume that concentrates on the substantive gaps in the IB/IM field and addresses whether these gaps are resolvable with the theoretical and methodological toolkit.

For nearly two decades, emerging markets have been a primary source of growth in the world economy. They have become more international and compete more extensively with companies in developed countries. For these reasons, an understanding of managing businesses in emerging markets is a fundamental skill for competing in the twenty-first century. The Oxford Handbook of Management in Emerging Markets identifies key elements of the business systems and competition in emerging markets around the world, and then looks at competitive strategies of companies going into and coming out of these countries. While business is business, the handbook's focus is on how management differs depending on the different environmental characteristics in emerging markets, such as the role of the government, the potential weakness of infrastructure, and the skill and innovation bases available locally in emerging markets, among other elements. The volume is organized into five sections. The first section establishes conceptual perspectives for exploring the current business environment in emerging markets. The second section focuses on questions surrounding governance and markets. The third explores multinational enterprises (MNEs) in emerging economies, while the fourth section looks at local firms and emerging market MNEs. The fifth and final section looks at management in emerging markets within specific countries and regions around the world. This handbook is a vital resource for scholars, students, and managers looking to expand into emerging economies by providing comprehensive analyses of functional areas from human resources to finance to marketing, and on issues such as family businesses, state-owned enterprises, and the bottom of the pyramid.

Smaller companies are abundant in the business realm and outnumber large companies by a wide margin. To maintain a competitive edge against other businesses, companies must ensure the most effective strategies and procedures are in place. This is particularly critical in smaller business environments that have fewer resources. Start-Ups and SMEs: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source that examines the strategies and concepts that will assist small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve competitiveness. It also explores the latest advances and developments for creating a system of shared values and beliefs in small business environments. Highlighting a range of topics such as entrepreneurship, innovative behavior, and organizational sustainability, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for entrepreneurs, business managers, executives, managing directors, academicians, business professionals, researchers, and graduate-level students.

This book examines the challenges faced by emerging market multinationals as they develop their international operations and proposes actionable solutions.