Door openers, bridges and mercenaries : A thesis about Swedish International New Ventures internationalization process

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to see how home networks and relationships are involved in the internationalization process of INVs. Therefore we will investigate how INVs are affected and use their home networks/relationships and to reach this purpose we have formulated two research questions:  What roles do relationships and networks on the home market have for Swedish INVs internationalization?  How do Swedish INVs use domestic relationships and their home network when internationalizing? The theoretical framework thus includes INV theory in order to categorize the case companies, networks and relations theory to see if different types of INVs respond differently to their different types of networks and international entrepreneurship theory as a higher theoretical lens to analyse the entrepreneurial behaviour. The methodology is qualitative and has an abductive approach, combined with a multiple case study on six companies which fall under the INV category. We have divided the gathered empirical data and analysed the cases where empirical data will be interpreted with the theoretical framework. The study’s conclusion indicates that INVs use their home networks/relationships as door openers to foreign markets. We then present the theoretical gap we found within the field of research and the theoretical contribution we found as well as suggestions for further research and managerial implications for practicing managers.