Internationalization of small firms: An examination of export competitive patterns, firm size, and export performance

Analysis of data of taken from 15(-) smell firms actively exporting to markets outside the US. revealed that small firms differ among themselves with respect to the competitive pattern used in their export activities. Larger (small) firms exhibited competitive patterns consistent with their size-related resource base. However smaller (small) firms aid not exhibit competitive patterns that could be viewed as consistent with their size related resource base. In addition, no significant difference in export intensity across three size categories was found. The implications of these findings with respect to the explanatory power of the stage theory of international development and the resource-based theory of the firm are discussed.