SMEs’ Barriers Towards Internationalisation and Assistance Requirements in the UK: Differences Between Exporters and Firms Employing Multiple Modes of Market Entry

Existing studies have identified a number of barriers, both perceived and actual, that affect firms’ internationalisation. Arguably, these factors have primarily been identified via an exporting perspective that has tended to feature heavily in previous studies in comparison to firms engaged in multiple modes of market entry (joint ventures, licensing, etc.). This paper reports on findings from a survey of UK SMEs, investigating managers’ perceptions of barriers towards internationalising and support required to overcome those same barriers. Analysis of survey data and subsequent findings from interviews indicate that differences exist between two groups of firms, that is, those that employ an export strategy compared with those that employ multiple modes of market entry in respect of both perceived barriers and assistance requirements. Implications for policy makers are also discussed that contribute to work at the public/private sector interface.