Call for papers: "Internationalisation of SMEs: Learning and Managing Change Processes"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Learning and Change.

The internationalisation process of firms has been studied extensively. However, an area which has obtained fairly limited attention is the internationalisation process of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the 21st century.

These firms are affected by the globalisation of markets, forcing them to act and think more globally. With this backdrop, there is still a huge segment of companies engaged in trade that are yet to reap the benefits that their bigger cousins have harvested. While MNCs have established a form of hegemony over the world economy, SMEs are still facing similar international issues and are trying to grapple for stability.

Hence internationalisation among SMEs is a topic of considerable relevance, principally owing to the observed growth effects of cross-border venturing, and the demonstrated capacity of SMEs to drive economic development at national, regional and global levels.

While there are several documented studies about SMEs and internationalisation which have provided insights and empirical evidence, these need to be analysed and documented as guides for researchers, scholars, consultants, entrepreneurs, business people, managers, government agencies and policy makers.

The main aim of this special issue is to highlight the current state of internationalisation and SMEs as a result of new factors that characterise today’s international economic climate. The issue will deal with the diverse and complex characteristics of internationalisation in small organisations that lead to competitiveness in the face of the effects of globalisation.

We invite conceptual and empirical submissions drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives and diverse methodologies. We expect papers to advance our theoretical understanding of the various lessons and changes expected from the impact of internationalisation in SMEs.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Barriers and drivers for SME internationalisation
• R&D hegemony of MNCs in internationalisation of SMEs
• Education and internationalisation in SMEs
• Role of skill sectors in internationalisation of SMEs
• Role policy and regulatory authorities in internationalisation of SMEs
• Demographic diversity and internationalisation of SMEs
• Heterogeneity of boards of SMEs for internationalisation
• Sustainability practices for internationalisation of SMEs
• Women entrepreneurs and SMEs
• BRIC economy and internationalization of SMEs
• Knowledge and technology transfer models in international small enterprises
• Intellectual property and rights practices in internationalised SMEs
• Venture capitalist economics in internationalisation of SMEs
• Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of internationalisation in SMEs
• Internationalisation and its relation to human resources in small business
• Internationalisation in the small not-for-profit sector
• Implications of management in the international small public sector
• Comparison of internationalisation of SMEs in different countries
• Internationalisation training for emerging small organisations
• Internationalisation in microenterprises
• New tendencies and research in internationalisation and small business

Important Dates

Paper submission deadline: 30 June, 2014