Title: The internet and SME internationalisation: promises and illusions

Authors: Elie Chrysostome, Philip Rosson

Addresses: School of Business and Economics, State University of New York, Campus of Plattsburgh, 101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, New York 12901, USA. ' School of Business Administration, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax B3H 3J5, Canada

Abstract: The internet is an important business tool and the increasing trade levels reflect that fact. It has been argued that the internet is particularly appealing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to internationalise their activities. The objective of this paper is (1) to identify the advantages the internet offers to these SMEs, and (2) to point out some of the drawbacks that SMEs face when carrying out international transactions through the Internet. Eight propositions are developed and ideas for future research discussed.

Keywords: internet; SMEs; internationalisation; small and medium-sized enterprises; international transactions; web transaction; e-commerce; electronic commerce.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2009.022532

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2009 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.107 - 118

Published online: 14 Jan 2009 *

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