Journal of Enterprise Information Management ( IF 7.4 ) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 , DOI: 10.1108/jeim-12-2022-0473 Augusto Bargoni , Alberto Ferraris , Šárka Vilamová , Wan Mohd Hirwani Wan Hussain
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative picture of the state of the art of the literature on digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as an enabler for their internationalisation process and as a comprehensive view of the specific domains impacted by digital technologies as well as their repercussions on the international outreach.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review which leverages a descriptive analysis of extant literature and an axial coding technique has been conducted to shed light on the current knowledge and to identify primary research areas and future research lines.
Findings
The research indicates that digitalisation impacts the internationalisation of SMEs in three specific domains: (1) internationalisation through the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) technologies and e-commerce platforms; (2) international expansion through the digitalisation of value chain activities and (3) international outreach through knowledge acquisition on digital platforms.
Originality/value
The value of this study is threefold. First, the authors attempt to systematically review the literature on SMEs digitalisation and internationalisation and provide a holistic perspective on the intertwining of these two research streams. Second, the authors propose a novel conceptualisation on the dimensions of SMEs digitalisation as enablers to internationalisation. Third, the authors put forward promising future lines of research.
Highlights
Digitalisation represents a pivotal strategy that allows companies to build new strategic capabilities and is a propeller for SMEs internationalisation.
Through e-commerce, SMEs could compete at the same level of multinational companies but enduring lower costs of expansion.
Digital platforms allow SMEs to enhance the learning processes about international markets through an immediate access to relevant information.
Digital entrepreneurship has enabled SMEs to develop new configurations of value chain activities, evolving their business model or reaching new markets.
SMEs are changing the “business as usual” paradigm offering digital tools to build modular architectures that are scalable and agile in their evolution ability.
中文翻译:
中小企业的数字化和国际化:系统回顾和研究议程
目的
本文的目的是提供有关中小企业数字化的最新文献的综合图景,作为其国际化进程的推动者,并全面介绍中小企业数字化所影响的特定领域。数字技术及其对国际推广的影响。
设计/方法论/途径
利用对现有文献的描述性分析和轴向编码技术进行了系统综述,以阐明当前的知识并确定主要研究领域和未来的研究方向。
发现
研究表明,数字化在三个具体领域影响中小企业的国际化:(1)通过采用信息和通信技术(ICT)技术和电子商务平台实现国际化; (2) 通过价值链活动的数字化进行国际扩张,以及 (3) 通过数字平台上的知识获取进行国际推广。
原创性/价值
这项研究的价值有三重。首先,作者试图系统地回顾有关中小企业数字化和国际化的文献,并为这两个研究流的交织提供整体视角。其次,作者提出了关于中小企业数字化作为国际化推动者的新颖概念。第三,作者提出了有前景的未来研究方向。
亮点
数字化是企业建立新战略能力的关键战略,也是中小企业国际化的推进器。
通过电子商务,中小企业可以与跨国公司进行同等水平的竞争,但扩张成本更低。
数字平台使中小企业能够通过立即获取相关信息来加强对国际市场的学习过程。
数字创业使中小企业能够开发新的价值链活动配置,发展其商业模式或开拓新市场。
中小企业正在改变“一切照旧”的模式,提供数字工具来构建具有可扩展性和敏捷演进能力的模块化架构。