Market knowledge in SMEs: Intentions and actions in traditional companies and Born Globals

Abstract: This bachelor thesis is investigating the internationalization process in Small and Medium sized Enterprises and to which extent they internalize market knowledge when reaching out to foreign markets. A total of 18 companies in different industry sectors are interviewed and categorized as being traditional companies or Born Globals. The way these companies acquire knowledge of foreign markets is analyzed. The investigation shows that there is a difference between the different groups of companies in the reasons behind internationalization and in the different roles expected from international staff, but surprising similarities in the internationalization patterns and how market knowledge integration is performed in action. The underlying reasoning and intentions however seem to differ drastically.