Description
The Portuguese business structure is composed of around 99.9% of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). These companies have shown an enormous vitality in the internal and external market, putting the "made in Portugal" as a synonym of quality, know-how and talent. One of the main exporting sectors is the metalworking (MM) industry. This dissertation aims to analyze the process of internationalization of Portuguese SMEs in this industry, in particular, the motivations for entry, the entry modes, seeking to empirically verify the theories of business internationalization - Uppsala Model vs. Global Born Theory - in the respective internationalization processes and the role played by economic diplomacy, in particular that of AICEP Portugal Global. The research method used is the multiple case study and this has an exploratory and descriptive nature. The results show that the main motivation for the internationalization of the two SMEs in the MM sector under analysis was related to the need for economic growth, an opportunity found in external markets. As far as entry modes are concerned, both opted for exports, which are the most common and economic option for national SMEs. Regarding the two theories of business internationalization, the Uppsala Model and the Global Born Theory, neither of the two is fully consistent with what was the process of internationalization of the SMEs analyzed. Regarding economic diplomacy, AICEP Portugal Global played a relevant role with both in entering specific markets.| Period | 8 Jul 2020 |
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| Degree of Recognition | Master |