Internationalization of Small and Medium Rural Enterprises: A Meta-Synthesis Approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Department of Technological Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Technological Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

4 Associate Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in economic development. One of the necessities for developing countries is to move SMEs towards internationalization. Small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly leading to economic development because competitive pressure is increasing and direct financial aid and government support are declining. Therefore, moving from the national markets to the international markets is considered to be a very important decision for SMEs, which have a small financial base, a domestic focus, and a limited geographic scope. The present research is applied and fundamental, and in terms of data collection method, it is a meta-synthesis study. The present study is a qualitative research and meta-synthesis was used as the research method. Meta-synthesis offers an appropriate balance between an objective framework, a rigorously scientific approach to data analysis, and the necessary contribution of the researcher’s subjectivity in the construction of the final work. Unfortunately, there has been no comprehensive approach to the existing models of internationalization of rural businesses. This paper aims to start filling this gap by exploring the factors influencing the internationalization of rural businesses in the form of an integrated model.

Keywords

References

Akbari, M. (2018). Validation and Quality Assessment in Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Research, Journal of Humanities Methodology (Persian), 94 (24), pp. 23-45.
Akbari, M., Danesh, M., Dolatshah, P., & Khosravani, A. (2019). Moderating Global Environment Hostility between International Corporate Entrepreneurship and Halal Food Industry (Persian). J. Agr. Sci. Tech, 21(3), 1–16.
Amini, A. & Fattahi, H. (2018). Designing an Internationalization Model for SMEs in Nano-Based Knowledge Company (Persian). Journal of Business Management, 10 (3), 602-583
Alayo, M., Maseda, A., Iturralde, T., & Arzubiaga, U. (2019). Internationalization and entrepreneurial orientation of family SMEs : The in fluence of the family character. International Business Review, 28, 48–59.
Assadinia, S., Kadile, V. & Boso, N. (2019). The effects of learning orientation and marketing programme planning on export performance: Paradoxical moderating role of psychic distance, International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 37(2), 95–189. doi: 10.1177/0266242619831914.
Azar, A., Sadeghi, A. & Kordanaij, A. (2011). Prioritizing Factors Affecting Small and Medium Business Success in the Field of Top Technologies - A Fuzzy Analytic Network Process Approach (Persian).  Entrepreneurship Development, 5 (2), pp. 165-184
Bagheri, M., Mitchelmore, S., Bamiatzi, V., & Nikolopoulos, K. (2019). Internationalization Orientation in SMEs: The Mediating Role of Technological Innovation (Persian).  Journal of International Management, 25(1), 121–139.
Barraket, J., Eversole, R., Luke, B., & Barth, S. (2018). Resourcefulness of locally-oriented social enterprises: Implications for rural community development. Journal of Rural Studies, 63, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.12.031
 Blanchard, K., & Gray, D. (2019). Can shared value and entrepreneurship contribute to SME development within rural locations ?, Wiley Online Library, 28(2), 147–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2256
Boswortha, G. & Turner, R. (2018). Interrogating the meaning of a rural business through a rural capitals framework, Journal of Rural Studies, 60, 1–10. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.02.002.
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2006). ‘Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology Journal, 2, pp. 123–140.
Crowley, C. McAdam, M. Cunningham, J. A. Hilliard, R. (2018). Community of Practice: A flexible construct for understanding SME networking roles in the Irish artisan cheese sector, Journal of Rural Studies. Elsevier, 64 (August), 50–62. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.08.014.
Deakins, D., Mochrie, R. & Galloway, L. (2004). Rural business use of information and communications technologies (ICTs): a study of the relative impact of collective activity in rural Scotland, 150, 139–150. doi: 10.1002/jsc.683.
Eftekhari, R. Taherkhani, M. & Sajasi Gheidari, H. (2009). An analysis of the factors affecting agricultural entrepreneurship development in rural areas: A case study of rural Khodabandeh (Persian). Village and Development, 12(2), 43-72
Esmaeilpour, R., Soleimani, R., Akbari, M. and Ebrahimpour, M. (2020). Designing a Strategic Model for Internationalization of Iranian Knowledge Based Enterprises (Persian). International Business Management, 3 (1), pp. 83-108
Emami Namivandi, S., Morad Nejadi, H. & Mohammadi, S. (2019). Evaluation of Dairy Supply Chain Performance in Rural Areas of Kermanshah. Journal of Rural Research. (3). 424-437
Eschker, E., Gold, G., Lane, M. D., Eschker, E., Gold, G., & Lane, M. D. (2017). Rural entrepreneurs : what are the best indicators of their success? Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 24(2), 278–296. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-07-2016-0112
Etemad, H. (1999). Globalization and the small and medium-sized enterprises: search for potent strategies, Global Outlook (formerly Business and Contemporary World), 11(3), 85–104.
Faghihi, A., Tajeddin, M & M. (2010). Internationalization of small and medium-sized businesses in the food industry. Iranian Journal of Management Sciences, 17, 1-22
Greenberg, Z., Farja, Y. & Gimmon, E. (2018). Embeddedness and growth of small businesses in rural regions, Journal of Rural Studies. Elsevier, 62(August), 174–182. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.07.016.
Habersetzer, A., Grèzes-bürcher, S., Boschma, R., & Mayer, H. (2019). Enterprise-related social capital as a driver of fi rm growth in the periphery? Journal of Rural Studies, 65(April 2017), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.10.009
Hemmati, F., Hamidizadeh, M., Hajipour, B., & Ghazizi, Sh. (2018). Designing and Explaining the Model of International Management Research Capacity of Agricultural Exporting Companies to Enter Global Market s(Persian). Journal of General Research, 11 (41), 29-56
Isenberg, D. J. (2010). How to start an entrepreneurial revolution, Harvard business review, 88(6), 40–50.
Jarvis, D. & Dunham, P. (2003) ‘CONCEPTUALISING THE “ COMPETITIVE ” STRATEGIES OF RURAL MANUFACTURING SMEs’, Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografi, 94(2), pp. 246–257.
Korsgard, S., Muller, S., & Tenvig, H. (2015). Rural entrepreneurship or entreneurship in the rural – betwwn place and space, Journal of Entrepreneurial behavior research, 21(1), 5–26.
Gheidari, S., Mahmoudi, H. & Jafari, F. (2017). Analysis of Women Entrepreneurship Skills in Rural Areas (Case Study: Villages in the Central Part of Fariman County), Journal of Rural Research, 8 (2), 242-268
Khoshmaram, M., Zarafshani, K., Mirkuzadeh, A. & Ali Beigi, A. (2017). Modeling Agricultural Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition in Kermanshah Province: Application of NVivo Software (Persian). Journal of Rural Research, 8 (3). 388-403
Lekhanya, L. M. (2014). The Significance of Emerging Technologies in Promoting Internationalization of Rural SMEs in South Africa, Mediterranean Journal of Social Scince, 5(20), 2717–2725. doi: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p2717.
Li, P. (2018). ‘Top management team characteristics and fi rm internationalization : The moderating role of the size of middle managers’, International Business Review, 27(June 2017), pp. 125–138. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.05.011.
Mollashahi, Gh., Zarifian, Sh., & Sarani, V. (2015). Factors Affecting the Success of Small and Medium Agricultural and Horticultural Businesses in Zabol (Persian), Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research, 2-6 (4), 739-748
Nasehifar, V., Saadat, M. R., & Abbasi, Z. (2000). Identifying the Regional Capabilities of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Case Study of Selected Provinces) (Persian). Journal of Business Studies (Persian),  6 (14), 60-72
Parvari, P., Ebrahimi, M., Karimi, M., & Raisi, A. (2020). Transition from Product to Solutions: Understanding Aspects and Providing a Conceptual Framework for Customer Solutions in Multinational Companies; Meta–Synthesis Approach (Persian).  International Business Management (Persian) , 3 (1), pp. 109-137
Phillipson, J., Tiwasing, P., Gorton, M., Maioli, S., Newbery, R., & Turner, R. (2018). Shining a spotlight on small rural businesses : How does their performance compare with urban ? Journal of Rural Studies, 68, 230–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.09.017
Rahimnia, F., Khorakian, A., & Ghaderi, F. (2018). Investigating the effect of innovation strategies on the performance of export businesses with the role of moderating the intensity of competition. Journal of  International Business Management, First Year, No. 3, pp. 1-22
Riviere, M., & Suder, G. (2016). Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal, International Business Review. Elsevier Ltd, 25(4), 847–858. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004.
Rezvani, H., & Gol Alizadeh, F. (2011). Evaluation and Analysis of Food Product Entry Strategies in Foreign Markets (Persian).  Journal of Modern Marketing Research,1 (3), pp. 193-218
Ruzzier, M., Hisrich, R. D., & Konecnik, M. (2007). ‘Human Capital and SME Internationalization : A Structural Equation Modeling Study’, CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES-REVUE CANADIENNE DES SCIENCES DE L ADMINISTRATION, 24, pp. 15–29. doi: 10.1002/CJAS.3.
Sandelowski, M., & Barroso, J. (2007). Handbook for Synthesizing Qualitative Research. New York: Springer.
Salami, R. & Sadeghi, M. (1999). Designing a Process to Interationalize the Islamic Republic of Iran's Sipping Industry in order toTransfer Technology (Persian).  Jounal of New Economy and  Commerce, 4(15-16), pp. 172-194
Seyed Javadin, R., Hassan Gholipoor, T., & Mohammadi, H. (2000). Pathology of small business activities in Tehran based on customer needs (Persian).  Journal of Labor and Society,  Vol. 129, pp. 20-35
Shakerian, M., Jahangiri, M., Alimohammadlou, M., & Nami, M. (2019). Individual cognitive factors affecting unsafe acts among Iranian industrial workers: An integrative meta-synthesis interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach (Persian). Safety Science, 120(April), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.041
Sanobar, N., Hosseini, S. P., & Behzad Nia, P. (2019). The Impact of Export Incentive Programs on Export Performance: The Role o  Foreign Market Attractions and Export Capabilities (Persian).  International Business Management, 2 (3), pp. 63-8
Skudiene, V., Auruskeviciene, V. & Sukeviciute, L. (2015). Internationalization model revisited: e-marketing approach, Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. Elsevier B.V., 213, 918–924. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.505.
Tasavori, M., Zaefarian, R. & Eng, T. (2018). Article Internal social capital and international firm performance in emerging market family firms: The mediating role of participative governance (Persian).  International Small Business Journal, 36(8), 887–910. doi: 10.1177/0266242618773145.
Virkkala, S. (2007). Innovation and Networking in Peripheral Areas — a Case Study of Emergence and Change in Rural Manufacturing, European Planning Studies, 15(4), 511-529, . doi: 10.1080/09654310601133948.
Westhead, P., Ucbasaran, D. & Binks, M. (2006). Internationalization strategies selected by established rural and urban SMEs, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11(1), 8–22. doi: 10.1108/14626000410519065.
Yousefi, M., & Ghazizadeh, M. (2019). The Impact of Commercial and Social Networks on the Internationalization of SMEs (Persian).  International Business Management, 2 (1), 149-176
Zarei, Gh., & Tarighat, H. (2020). Identifying and Prioritizing the Factors Affecting the Error! Not a valid embedded object. Development of Cooperative Companies Using Mixed Methods in Sarab County (Persian).  Journal of Rural Research, 11 (1), 158-169
Journal of Rural Research
Volume 11, Issue 4
March 2021
Pages 612-629

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 28 June 2020
  • Revise Date: 11 September 2020
  • Accept Date: 14 October 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics