Wednesday 17 April 2013 – 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the QUT Gardens Point Campus
Presented by Mitja Ruzzier
Chair of the Entrepreneurship Department and appointed Vice Dean for Research and Scientific Work at the Faculty of Management, University of Primorska, Slovenia
INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP – evolution of the theory and concept
In 2006 the presenter published a paper in the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, based on his PhD research, which has had quite an impact on SME internationalization research, with 230 citations to date*. The article reviews the development and theories underpinning SME internationalization research and discusses the various definitions of SME internationalization. The study attempts to conceptually integrate the previous theories and proposes a new refined integrative conceptual model of international entrepreneurship. The central point of the model is represented by the main dimensions of internationalization (mode, market, product), with special focus on time, , its strategic dimension. In this way, the authors integrated the main theories of stage models of internationalization with an emerging concept of born global firms. Given increasing global integration of the economic environment and the slow down of many developed markets in the face of the financial crisis, the importance of (SME) internationalization is growing. This compels entrepreneurs and their companies to adopt a global mindset that extends beyond outward internationalization (sales) to include other functions and activities. Examples such as Outfit7, Profitero and many others confirm that we can begin identifying some companies as ’globally operated’ SMEs or ’born global’ companies. An examination of these firms requires further theory development in international entrepreneurship towards an understanding of global entrepreneurship. The seminar will be focused on the discussion of the concepts of international entrepreneurship, “born global” companies and SME internationalization research.
*RUZZIER, Mitja, HISRICH, Robert D., ANTONČIČ, Boštjan. 2006. SME internationalization research: past, present, and future. Journal of small business and enterprise development, 13:4, 476-497.
Mitja Ruzzier is associate professor of entrepreneurship. He is chair of the entrepreneurship department and is appointed Vice Dean for Research and Scientific Work at the Faculty of Management, University of Primorska. Currently he teaches different courses about Entrepreneurship, Innovation and International Business. His teaching, research, operational and consulting activities cover the areas of Internationalization, International marketing, Branding, Innovation, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship. He was visiting professor at different institutions such as BI in Oslo (Norway), Upper Austria University of applied Sciences in Austria. His papers have appeared in academic journals including as the Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Transformations in Business and Economics, Managing Global Transition, Canadian Journal of Administrative Science, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development and others. He has also published also books on Entrepreneurship. Recently he is preparing a book entitled Marketing for entrepreneurs and SMEs: a global perspective co-authored with Prof. Robert Hisrich, and Prof. Maja Konecnik Ruzzier that will be published by the end of 2013 by Edward Elgar P. More information about the author is available on: www.mitjaruzzier.com
To book your place at this event and to find out more about the location of this seminar please contact Karen Taylor k3.taylor@qut.edu.au