Specifics of the Internationalization Process of Czech Engineering SMEs

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to define the specifics of the internationalization process of Czech engineering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on primary data collection among Czech engineering SMEs there were defined the main motives of the internationalization. There were also identified the factors subjectively considered by SMEs as the key success factors of the internationalization process. Attention was also paid to subjectively perceived risk factors of the internationalization process and to the issue of risk management in the internationalization process, while it was investigated whether the risk management affects the intensity of export of Czech engineering SMEs. Data were collected via electronic questionnaire surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012. In total 194 respondents (engineering SMEs) filled the questionnaires. The obtained data were processed on the basis of descriptive statistics. Moreover hypothesis testing was performed.

Keywords

• internationalization
• motives
• success
• risks
• SME's
• engineering