7 / 111
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. INTERNATIONALISATION AND EXPORTS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES: TOWARDS A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 1.1. What do we mean by Business Internationalisation?.................................................................2 1.2. Internationalisation and SMEs ...................................................................................................3 1.2.1. Why Do SMEs Need to Internationalise? ........................................................................5 1.2.2. The Importance of Exports for SMEs ..............................................................................5 1.2.3. International Entrepreneurship: Creating New Businesses through Internationalisation .5 1.3. SMEs Entrepreneurial Orientation and Exporting Capability ...................................................5 1.3.1. Innovativeness ..................................................................................................................6 1.3.2. Proactiveness ....................................................................................................................6 1.3.3. Risk-Taking ......................................................................................................................7 1.4. Internationalisation and Export Performance ............................................................................7 1.4.1. Measuring Export Performance – Firm Level..................................................................7 1.4.2. Implications for Policy and Measurement at the System or Country Level .....................8 1.5. Internationalisation Strategies for SMEs ...................................................................................8 1.5.1. Specific Operational Challenges of Internationalisation for SMEs..................................9 1.5.2. Barriers to Exporting ........................................................................................................9 Internal Barriers..........................................................................................................10 External Barriers.........................................................................................................11 1.5.3. Overcoming Barriers ......................................................................................................11 1.6. Networks and Networking .......................................................................................................11 1.7. Current and Emerging Trends..................................................................................................13 1.7.1. Global Networks of Innovative firms – SMEs with larger firms ...................................13 1.7.2. Local clusters and global production networks ..............................................................13 CHAPTER 2. SME EXPORT PROMOTION POLICIES: THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE 2.1. The rationale for policy support to SME export ......................................................................16 2.2. Policy delivery modes..............................................................................................................20 2.3. Global strategies and targeted policies.....................................................................................21 2.4. Policy measures to reduce external barriers.............................................................................22 2.4.1. Policies related to governmental and regulatory barriers ...............................................22 2.4.2. Policies related to business environment barriers...........................................................24 2.5. Policy measures to reduce internal barriers .............................................................................25 2.5.1. Collection and supply of information.............................................................................25 2.5.2. Policies to address human resource constraints..............................................................26 2.5.3. Policies to ease financial constraints ..............................................................................27 2.6. The role and effectiveness of Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) ...................................28 2.7. Lessons learnt...........................................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 3. SME EXPORTS IN OIC MEMBER STATES: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES 3.1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................36 3.2. Sub-Saharan Africa OICs ........................................................................................................37 3.2.1. General conditions..........................................................................................................37 3.2.2. Interdependencies ...........................................................................................................40 3.2.3. The role of SMEs for Development and Trade in sub-Saharan Africa ..........................41