It is obvious that they are not afraid of what this might do : A Qualitative Minor Field Study of International Female Entrepreneurs in Thailand

Abstract: For as long as internationalization has been a research topic, the risks surrounding it has been discussed. Several theories have emerged concerning how to go about international business, which entry modes and strategies to use as well as which markets to enter and at which pace - everything in order to reduce the risks of business failure. The lack of institutional and economic stability in emerging markets has evolved into warning signs for foreign firms as they are hesitant to enter these markets due to higher risks and furthermore, there are assumptions regarding low entrepreneurial skills in these markets, much due to the stability-barrier. In this regard, Thailand presents an interesting case, especially when aiming to look into females as entrepreneurs. The country presents a large number of females involved in business activities that show no sign of being hindered by the stability factor.  These interesting aspects paved the way for this thesis’ purpose “to examine and understand how Thailand's female entrepreneurs engage in international business activities.” Through examining the internationalization process from an aspect of both personal traits and network connections, findings have been presented regarding how the Thai female entrepreneur uses these components to initiate international business activities for her small- and medium-sized enterprise. These findings have enriched the understanding of how females approach and experience an internationalization process. To ensure a broader comprehension of the subject, this research has followed a qualitative research method combined with an abductive approach which this thesis has benefitted from as there is a lack of research on the subject. The theoretical framework starts with presenting the phenomena entrepreneurship, and then more in-depth explains concepts of female- and international entrepreneurship, introducing concepts like internationalization and psychic distance. Finally, the theoretical framework is concluded with a conceptual framework model explaining how all concepts are connected. Before presenting the empirical findings of the research, the methodology chapter explains how the researchers went about this study, how all the data was collected and under which circumstances. In order to tie the empirical findings with the theoretical framework, an analysis was made which presents this thesis’ findings in a theoretical manner before everything is tied together in a conclusion. The findings conclude that there is a significant bond between personal traits, networks, and firm internationalization and furthermore, this thesis suggests that Thai female entrepreneurs are fearless and therefore, encounter few of the barriers that other female entrepreneurs do. Finally, this thesis is concluded with theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future research within the area.  “It is obvious that they are notafraid of what this might do.”