ASSOCIATIONISM AS A STRATEGY OF BUSINESS INTERNATIONALIZATION: A CASE STUDY FROM AN ASSOCIATION OF SANTA CATARINA

This case study presents the situation of the foreign trade department of a business association from Santa Catarina and its importance to the companies that participate in it. The creation of departments in associations stimulates the discussion between companies from the same sector about issues in common and the planning of strategies to be adopted by the group. The foreign trade department studied here has 15 participants who meet twice a month. The meetings enable debate and the sharing of experiences. Some main items from the department's strategic planning are cited to verify the importance of the association networks in internationalization. The bibliographic review focused on two main theories: internationalization and its different modalities; and the association as a strategic choice to aggregate value in business. The empirical research was done through interviews with the foreign trade department representatives, survey with the companies of the department and by comparing studies and the practices carried out by the association. As a main result, considering the sample studied, it became evident that association is relevant in the processes of internationalization of the companies