دانلود رایگان مقاله ارتباط و اثر آن بر رشد شرکت

ABSTRACT

Firms can internationalize via two types of operations: inward (related to international supply operations) and outward (related to serving or selling in foreign markets). This paper analyzes variations in growth for firms that adopt different international strategies: those that perform only one type of international operation, and those that undertake both types simultaneously. The study starts from the premise that connections exist between inward and outward operations, connections that give access to related and diverse knowledge. Based on a sample of European SMEs from different sectors, the empirical findings indicate that undertaking inward and outward operations simultaneously exerts a greater positive effect on turnover growth than performing just one type of international operation. This simultaneous effect is significantly higher when these operations take place in the same foreign country. The findings provide support for the idea that the acquisition of country-specific knowledge allows firms to boost sales growth.

Discussion and conclusions

5.1. Discussion The study of international operations has traditionally centered on the analysis of outward operations, with most scholars until recently largely neglecting the strategic importance of inwardoperations (Quintens et al., 2006). Similarly, although research on inward–outward connections has been gathering speed, it remains an area of study where many questions await answers (Bertrand, 2011). This work adds to the literature on how complementary activities can reinforce each other to increase firm performance (Golovko & Valentini, 2011). The paper considers the organizational learning literature, with its emphasis on the role of knowledge in developing absorptive capacity (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990; Eriksson & Chetty, 2003). Firms that look beyond their national borders acquire both internationalization and market knowledge (Eriksson et al., 1997), along with technological knowledge (Fletcher & Harris, 2012). This study, then, shows how undertaking inward and outward operations simultaneously helps firms combine diverse and related knowledge in a more comprehensive way – and helps generate complementary knowledge that increases the opportunities for learning and results in improved performance. The paper contributes to advancing our understanding by analyzing the impact of undertaking inward and outward operations simultaneously on the turnover growth of firms, bearing in mind that both operations can play a role in obtaining and transferring knowledge and developing absorptive capacity.