Abstract
The principal aim of this study was to investigate how owner-managers practise internationalization in Italian small breweries from Pesaro-Urbino province. Results permit to identify four alternative approaches in which owner-managers understand and practice internationalization, which consequently generates diversity in the management of international activities. Results also revealed that in the majority of cases the decision to start exporting was unplanned: they relied mostly on contacts created through trade fairs or friends/relatives.
References
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Johanson, J., & Vahlne, J.-E. (1977). The internationalization process of the firm: A model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments. Journal of International Business Studies, 8(1), 23-32.
Johanson, J., & Mattsson, L.G. (1988), Internationalisation in Industrial Systems - A Network Approach", in Hood, N. and Vahlne, J.-E. (Eds.), Strategies in Global Competition The Stockholm School of Economics, Croom Helm ,USA.
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Kulendran, N., & Wilson, K. (2000). Is there a relationship between international trade and international travel? Applied Economics, 32(8), 1001-1009. doi: doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2007.04.010
Lamb, P., Sandberg, J., & Liesch, P. W. (2011). Small firm internationalisation unveiled through phenomenograph. Journal of International Business Studies, 42, 672-693. doi: 10.1057/jibs.2011.8
Madsen, T. K., & Servais, P. (1997). The Internationalization of Born Globals: an Evolutionary Process? International Business Review, 6(6), 561-583. doi:10.1016/S0969-5931(97)00032-2
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Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. London: Sage.
Musso, F. (2013). Strategie e competitività internazionale delle piccole e medie imprese: un’analisi sul settore della meccanica. Padova: Cedam.
Musso, F. and Francioni, B. (2015), "L’approccio all’internazionalizzazione del piccolo e medio imprenditore: un’analisi sui birrifici artigianali ", in XII Convegno annuale della Società Italiana Marketing, Torino, 22 e 23 ottobre 2015.
Ojala, A. (2009). Internationalization of knowledge-intensive SMEs: The role of network relationships in the entry to a psychically distant market. International Business Review, 18, 50-59. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2008.10.002
Sharma, D. D., & Blomstermo, A. (2003). The internationalization process of Born Globals: a network view. International Business Review 12, 739-753. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2003.05.002
Sorrentino, M. (2013). L’accounting standard overload: “l’hangman’s noose” delle small business anglosassoni. Piccola Impresa - Small Business, 2, 85-108. doi: 10.14596/pisb.140
Torkkeli, L., Saarenketo, S., & Nummela, N. (2015). The development of network competence in an internationalized SME. In J. Larimo, N. Nummela & T. Mainela (Eds.), Handbook on International Alliance and Network Research (pp. 459-491): Edward Elgar Publishing.
Tunisini, A., & Bocconcelli, R. (2013). Medie imprese in sviluppo: gli assetti relazionali nei processi di integrazione post-acquisitiva. Piccola Impresa - Small Business, 1, 9-32. doi: 10.14596/pisb.130
Yin, R. (1994), Case study research, Design and methods, Sage, London.
Zhou, L., Wu, W., Luo, X. (2007). Internationalization and the performance of born-global SMEs: the mediating role of social networks, Journal of International Business Studies, 38 (4), 673-690. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400282
Awuah, G.B., Gebrekidan, D.A., & Osarenkhoe, A. (2011). Interactive (networked) internationalization: the case of Swedish firms, European Journal of Marketing, 45(7/8), 1112-1129.
Axelsson, B., & Johanson, J. (1992). Foreign market entry — the textbook vs. the network view, in B. Axelsson and G. Easton (eds), Industrial Networks. A New View of Reality, London: Routledge, 218-234.
Bortoluzzi, G. (2011). Risorse, competenze e internazionalizzazione nelle pmi di subfornitura. Un’analisi esplorativa nel comparto plasto-meccanico. Piccola Impresa/Small Business, (1), 11-29. doi: 10.14596/pisb.49
Chetty, S. (1996). The case study method for research in small- and medium-sized firms. International Small Business Journal, 15(1), 73-85. doi: 10.1177/0266242696151005
Chetty, S., & Blankenburg Holm, D. (2000). Internationalisation of small to medium-sized manufacturing firms: a network approach. International Business Review 9, 77-93. doi:10.1016/S0969-5931(99)00030-X
Chetty, S. K., & Wilson, H. I. M. (2003). Collaborating with competitors to acquire resources. International Business Review, 12(1), 61-81. doi: 10.1016/S0969-5931(02)00088-4
Ciravegna, L., Majano, S. B., & Ge, Z. (2014). The inception of internationalization of small and medium enterprises: The role of activeness and networks. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), 1081-1089. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.06.002
Coviello, N.E., & Munro, H.J. (1995). Growing the entrepreneurial firm. Networking for international market development, European Journal of Marketing, 29(7), 49-61. doi: 10.1108/03090569510095008
Coviello, N., & Munro, H. (1997). Network Relationships and the Internationalisation Process of Small Software Firms, lnternational Business Review, 6 (4), 361-386. doi: 10.1016/S0969-5931(97)00010-3
Duarte Alonso, A. (2011), Opportunities and Challenges in the Development of Micro-Brewing and Beer Tourism: A Preliminary Study from Alabama", Tourism Planning & Development, 8(4), 415-431. doi: 10.1080/21568316.2011.598181
Dubois, A., Gadde, L.-E. (2002). Systematic combining: an abductive approach to case research, Journal of Business Research, 55(7), 553-560. doi: 10.1080/21568316.2011.598181
Dunning, J. H. (1980). Toward An Eclectic Theory Of International Production: Some Empirical Tests. Journal of International Business Studies, 11(1), 9-31.
Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989). Building theories from case study research, Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532-550.
Ellis, P. (2000). Social ties and foreign market entry, Journal of International Business Studies, 31(3), 443-469.
Fastigi, M., Esposti, R., & Viganò, E. (2015). La craft beer revolution in Italia e i birrifici agricoli: traiettorie evolutive e principali criticità. Argomenti, 2, 67-92.
Ferrero, G., Fortezza, F., & Savelli, S. (2012). Necessità di un nuovo approccio al mercato delle PI. Il contributo della letteratura di marketing, Piccola impresa/Small Business, 1, 7-19. doi: 10.14596/pisb.191
Francioni, B., Musso, F. & Cioppi, M. (2015), Decision-maker characteristics and international decisions for SMEs, Management Decision, 53(10), 2226-2249. doi: 10.1108/MD-03-2015-0094
Frasson, G. (2014) Il boom dei microbirrifici: analisi delle strategie dei case study per un business model comune.
Gadde, L-E., & Håkansson, H. (2001). Supply Network Strategies. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Grant, R. (1996). Prospering in dynamically- competitive environments: Organizational capability as knowledge integration, Organization Science, 7(4), 375-387.
Gregori, G. L., Temperini, V., & Perna, A. (2013). Quale possibile ruolo delle PMI nello sviluppo del marketing territoriale? Analisi del caso “Land of Value (LOV)”. Piccola Impresa - Small Business, 1, 115-134. doi: 10.14596/pisb.135
Guercini S. (2005), Marketing imprenditoriale, marketing manageriale e conoscenza di mercato del vertice d’impresa, Mercati e Competitività, 1, 143-164.
Håkansson, H., & Snehota, I. (1989). No business is an island: the network concept of business strategy. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 4(3), 187-200. doi:10.1016/0956-5221(89)90026-2
Harris, S., & Wheeler, C. (2005). Entrepreneurs’ relationships for internationalization: Functions, origins and strategies, International Business Review, 14(2), 187-207. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2004.04.008
Johanson, J., & Vahlne, J.-E. (1977). The internationalization process of the firm: A model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments. Journal of International Business Studies, 8(1), 23-32.
Johanson, J., & Mattsson, L.G. (1988), Internationalisation in Industrial Systems - A Network Approach", in Hood, N. and Vahlne, J.-E. (Eds.), Strategies in Global Competition The Stockholm School of Economics, Croom Helm ,USA.
Kuivalainen, O., Sundqvist, S., & Servais, P. (2007). Firms’ degree of born-globalness, international entrepreneurial orientation and export performance. Journal of World Business 42 (3), 253–67. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2007.04.010
Kulendran, N., & Wilson, K. (2000). Is there a relationship between international trade and international travel? Applied Economics, 32(8), 1001-1009. doi: doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2007.04.010
Lamb, P., Sandberg, J., & Liesch, P. W. (2011). Small firm internationalisation unveiled through phenomenograph. Journal of International Business Studies, 42, 672-693. doi: 10.1057/jibs.2011.8
Madsen, T. K., & Servais, P. (1997). The Internationalization of Born Globals: an Evolutionary Process? International Business Review, 6(6), 561-583. doi:10.1016/S0969-5931(97)00032-2
McDougall, P. P., Oviatt, B. M., & Shrader, R.C. (2003). A comparison of international and domestic new ventures. Journal of International Entrepreneurship 1(1), 59-82. doi: 10.1023/A:1023246622972
Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. London: Sage.
Musso, F. (2013). Strategie e competitività internazionale delle piccole e medie imprese: un’analisi sul settore della meccanica. Padova: Cedam.
Musso, F. and Francioni, B. (2015), "L’approccio all’internazionalizzazione del piccolo e medio imprenditore: un’analisi sui birrifici artigianali ", in XII Convegno annuale della Società Italiana Marketing, Torino, 22 e 23 ottobre 2015.
Ojala, A. (2009). Internationalization of knowledge-intensive SMEs: The role of network relationships in the entry to a psychically distant market. International Business Review, 18, 50-59. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2008.10.002
Sharma, D. D., & Blomstermo, A. (2003). The internationalization process of Born Globals: a network view. International Business Review 12, 739-753. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2003.05.002
Sorrentino, M. (2013). L’accounting standard overload: “l’hangman’s noose” delle small business anglosassoni. Piccola Impresa - Small Business, 2, 85-108. doi: 10.14596/pisb.140
Torkkeli, L., Saarenketo, S., & Nummela, N. (2015). The development of network competence in an internationalized SME. In J. Larimo, N. Nummela & T. Mainela (Eds.), Handbook on International Alliance and Network Research (pp. 459-491): Edward Elgar Publishing.
Tunisini, A., & Bocconcelli, R. (2013). Medie imprese in sviluppo: gli assetti relazionali nei processi di integrazione post-acquisitiva. Piccola Impresa - Small Business, 1, 9-32. doi: 10.14596/pisb.130
Yin, R. (1994), Case study research, Design and methods, Sage, London.
Zhou, L., Wu, W., Luo, X. (2007). Internationalization and the performance of born-global SMEs: the mediating role of social networks, Journal of International Business Studies, 38 (4), 673-690. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400282
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