Abstract
The remarkable expansion of globalization stands as one of the most significant phenomena in the twenty-first century, shaping both the business landscape and robust strategic approaches that prioritize the internationalization of domestic firms. In addition to large multinational corporations, small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) also recognize the vast opportunities international markets offer for business growth and development. Furthermore, SMEs that venture into global markets can strengthen their competitiveness and global presence by integrating valuable global experiences and incorporating their benefits into their domestic operations. Despite the potential, SMEs' involvement in the global market has remained disappointingly low, with little improvement since 2011. In light of this challenge, our study endeavors to unravel the multifaceted factors contributing to SMEs' internationalization dilemmas. Analyzing a total of 409 valid datasets, the findings highlighted the main factor behind SMEs' hesitancy to engage in internationalization: a lack of resources. Consequently, it becomes crucial for SMEs, particularly those in the Oil and Gas Equipment and Service segments, to focus on strengthening their resources to facilitate the internationalization process. Complementing this resource-centric approach, adjustments in managers' attitudes are equally crucial, as they have the potential to ignite SMEs' active engagement in international markets, ultimately contributing to national economic growth.
Keywords
- Internationalization Barriers Search this journal for Internationalization Barriers (opens in a new tab)
- Company Capability Search this journal for Company Capability (opens in a new tab)
- Attitude Search this journal for Attitude (opens in a new tab)
- Resources Search this journal for Resources (opens in a new tab)
- SMEs Search this journal for SMEs (opens in a new tab)
References
- Ahimbisibwe, G., Ngoma, M., Nabatanzi-Muyimba, A. & Kabagambe, L. (2023). Entrepreneurial mindset and SME internationalization in Uganda: The mediating role of international networking. Review of International Business and Strategy, 33(4), 669-690. https://doi.org/10.1108/ribs-11-2021-0149
- Akbar, Y., Balboni, B., Bortoluzzi, G., Dikova, D. & Tracogna, A. (2018). Disentangling resource and mode escalation in the context of emerging markets. Evidence from a sample of manufacturing SMEs. Journal of International Management, 24(3), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2018.01.003
- Ambos, B., Leicht-Deobald, U. & Leinemann, A. (2019). Understanding the formation of psychic distance perceptions: Are country-level or individual-level factors more important? International Business Review, (January), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2019.01.003
- Bembom, M. & Schwens, C. (2018). The role of networks in early internationalizing firms: A systematic review and future research agenda. European Management Journal, 36(6), 679–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2018.03.003
- Buch, C. M., Kesternich, I., Lipponer, A. & Schnitzer, M. (2014). Financial constraints and foreign direct investment: firm-level evidence. Review of World Economics, 150(2), 393–420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10290-013-0184-z
- Catanzaro, A. & Teyssier, C. (2020). Export promotion programs, export capabilities, and risk management practices of internationalized SMEs. Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-020-00358-4
- Cerrato, D., Crosato, L. & Depperu, D. (2016). Archetypes of SME internationalization: A configurational approach. International Business Review, 25(1), 286–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.05.010
- Ciravegna, L., Kuivalainen, O., Kundu, S. K. & Lopez, L. E. (2018). The antecedents of early internationalization: A configurational perspective, 27(December 2016), 1200–1212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2018.05.002
- Denicolai, S., Zucchella, A. & Magnani, G. (2021). Internationalization, digitalization, and sustainability: Are SMEs ready? A survey on synergies and substituting effects among growth paths. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 166, 120650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120650
- Falahah, M., Ramayah, T., Soto-Acosta, P. & Lee, Y. Y. (2020). SMEs internationalization: The role of product innovation, market intelligence, pricing and marketing communication capabilities as drivers of SMEs’ international performance. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Elsevier, 152, 119908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119908
- Fariza, H. (2015). SMEs’ impediments and developments in the internationalization process. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 11(2), 100–119. https://doi.org/10.1108/wjemsd-11-2013-0055
- Foghani, S., Mahadi, B. & Mohammadi, P. (2023). Determination of SME’s internationalization in the Malaysian context. Business Management and Strategy, 14(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.5296/bms.v14i1.20783
- Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M. & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). 3rd Ed., Sage: Thousand Oaks.
- Hasim, M. A., Ishak, M. F. & Shamsudin, M. F. (2018). Exploring the barriers to internationalization for Malaysian SMEs. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 103-105.
- Hutchinson, K., Fleck, E. & Lloyd-Reason, L. (2009). An Investigation into the Initial Barriers to Internationalization: Evidence from Small UK Retailers, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 16(4), 544-568.
- Ismail, M. R. & Zakaria, Z. (2018). The effects of entrepreneurship orientation, government support and internationalization on Malaysian SMEs performance. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 453–468.
- Jafari-Sadeghi, V., Amoozad Mahdiraji, H., Alam, G. M. & Mazzoleni, A. (2023). Entrepreneurs as strategic transformation managers: Exploring micro-foundations of digital transformation in small and medium internationalizes. Journal of Business Research, 154, 113287.
- Lakshman, D., Kumarasinghe, J. & Weerasinghe, R. (2023). Internationalization of SMEs: Relevance of the theories and antecedents. Asian Journal of Economics Business and Accounting, 23(11), 62-85. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajeba/2023/v23i11978
- Lee, J. Y., Jimenez, A., Yang, Y. S. & Irisboev, I. (2022) The evolution of emerging market firms and time until subsidiary exit: Competitive dynamics of domestic market followers and contingency factors, Journal of Business Research, 145, 694-704, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.029
- Li, F., Chen, Y., Liu, L. & Zhuang, M. (2023). Do cross-national distances still affect the international penetration speed of digital innovation? The role of the global network effect, Heliyon, 9(3), e13911, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13911
- Monteiro, A. P., Soares, A. M. & Rua, O. L. (2017). Linking intangible resources and export performance: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities. Baltic Journal of Management, 12(3), 329–347. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-05-2016-0097
- Monteiro, A. P., Soares, A. M. & Rua, O. L. (2019). Linking intangible resources and entrepreneurial orientation to export performance: The mediating effect of dynamic capabilities, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 4(3), 179-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2019.04.001
- Ngoma, M., Ernest, A., Nangoli, S., Christopher, K., Ngoma, M., Ernest, A. & Nangoli, S. (2017). Internationalization of SMEs: does entrepreneurial orientation matter? https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-08-2016-0039
- Nik Abdullah, N. A. H. & Mohd Zain, S. N. (2011). The Internationalization Theory and Malaysian Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 2(4), 318–322.
- Nurfarida, I. (2022). The internationalization of SMEs: Motives and barriers. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 05(05). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/v5-i5-43
- Paterno, A. (2021). Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) IV: A marketing assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises and its financial impact: Inputs to marketing plan. International Journal of Research Studies in Management, 9(2), 29-59. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsm.2021.m058
- Raza Bilal, A., Naveed, M. & Anwar, F. (2017). Linking distinctive management competencies to SMEs’ growth decisions. Studies in Economics and Finance, 34(3), 302–330. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEF-10-2015-0236
- Ribeiro, F., Lahiri, S. & Mendes, F. (2015). Managerial perceptions of barriers to internationalization: An examination of Brazil’s new technology-based firms. Journal Business Research, 69(6), 1973–1979.
- Sani, A. (2018). Factors Affecting Small Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) Decision to go Factors Affecting Small Medium Enterprise’ ( SMEs ) Decision to go International. (January).
- Senik, Z. C., Mat Isa, R., Md Sham, R. & Ayob, A. H. (2014). A model for understanding SMEs internationalization in emerging economies. Jurnal Pengurusan, 41, 25–42. https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2014-41-03
- Sinkovics, R., Penz, E. & Ghauri, P. N. (2008). Enhancing the trustworthiness of qualitative research in international business. Management International Review, 48(6), 689-714.
- Tajeddin, M., Farashahi, M., Moghaddam, K., Simba, A. & Edwards, G. (2023). Internationalization of emerging economy SMEs: A tripod approach, Journal of International Management, 29(1), 100991, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2022.100991
- Tolstoy, D., Nordman, E. R., Hanell, S. M. & Ozbek, N. (2021). The development of international e-commerce in retail SMEs: An effectuation perspective. Journal of World Business, 56(3), 101165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101165
- Yang, S. (2023). Factors influencing SME growth performance in China: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Digitainability Realism & Mastery, 2(03), 50-59. https://doi.org/10.56982/dream.v2i03.93
Downloads
No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.
How to Cite
Share this article
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Janiffa Saidon, Amir Afiq Mohd Yusof, Nurul Ainun Ahmad Atory, Faizah Mashahadi, Mohd Zulkifli Abdullah, Hairulnizam Hashim, Siti Nor Bayaah Ahmad (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.
Keywords
- Internationalization Barriers Search this journal for Internationalization Barriers (opens in a new tab)
- Company Capability Search this journal for Company Capability (opens in a new tab)
- Attitude Search this journal for Attitude (opens in a new tab)
- Resources Search this journal for Resources (opens in a new tab)
- SMEs Search this journal for SMEs (opens in a new tab)
Section
Published in
Vol. 15 No. 3(I) (2023)
Consumer Behaviour, Financial Literacy & Student Wellbeing
View issue contents
Published
Submissions
Have research to publish? Information Management and Business Review welcomes submissions.
Make a Submission