Conceptualizing a Model to Promote Smes Towards Internationalization

Abstract

Internationalization of SMEs has emerged since 1980s as a popular concept among researchers in the field of international marketing and international entrepreneurship as well as among national and regional level policy developers. This paper presents a conceptual framework encompassing a range of different motives affecting to internationalization of SMEs; barriers faced by the SMEs in the process of internationalization; and the supportive measures proposed in the research literature assisting the SMEs to be strengthen then competitiveness in the global market. The framework provides a basis for organizing existing literature on the topic and for creating a map of the field. Such a map can be useful for entrepreneur development service providers; and policy planners and developers in national and regional level as well as for future researchers in this area.