Title: Cooperating for competing - a small Italian wineries' internationalisation strategy case study

Authors: Giuseppe Festa; Maria V. Ciasullo; Demetris Vrontis; Alkis Thrassou

Addresses: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II – 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy ' Department of Business Sciences – Management and Innovation Systems, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II – 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, P.O. Box 24005, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus ' School of Business, University of Nicosia, P.O. Box 24005, 46 Makedonitissas Ave., 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus

Abstract: The Italian wine sector is dominated by small businesses which are increasingly driven to venture into international markets as a matter of growth, or even survival. This research aims to investigate whether it is possible to successfully develop and implement collective strategies of internationalisation for small wineries; and to identify and define the main potential factors of cohesion of such collaborations. The research demonstrates that collective strategies of internationalisation for small wineries are not only possible, but also far-sighted. In addition, the work identifies the promotion of the region as one of the most important factors of cohesion; with relevant implications, both scientific and managerial. The research is case-study based and exploratory, and bears significant value through the provision of both descriptive and prescriptive direction of both scholarly and managerial worth; pertaining to organisational management/strategy/marketing, but also to a more comprehensive collaborative context involving regional and other stakeholders.

Keywords: wine business; wine marketing; wine internationalisation; small business; small wineries; terroir; region; collective strategies; networks; coopetition.

DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2017.086607

Global Business and Economics Review, 2017 Vol.19 No.5, pp.648 - 670

Received: 08 Dec 2015
Accepted: 16 May 2016
Published online: 13 Sep 2017 *

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