Three Case Studies from Finland

Abstract

Internationalization among both small and largefirms has been steadily increasing in recent years.In order to competewith larger firms, small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have hastened theprocess of gaining the resources and skills to operate internationally. This research examines the changes made by SMEs in order to compete on aninternational level, andexamines previous research regardingmodifications in SME internationalization.The researchers conductedsemi-structured, face-to-face interviews with representatives of three Finnishmanufacturing firms.Following a description of each company'sproducts, networking, international business activity, organizationalstructure, and firm changes, the similarities and differences between firms arerecognized and discussed.All three companies are experienced ininternational business and at operating in a variety of worldmarkets.However, the companies differ in terms of the internal andexternal changes they have experienced and the catalysts for thesechanges. The overall findings of the case studies indicate that SMEsenter the international market through a variety of paths. (AKP)