Blackburne, Giles David (2014) Business incubation as a method of foreign market entry. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.
Abstract
Despite international business incubators becoming more widespread in recent years, knowledge about the role they can play in helping a firm to enter a foreign market is limited. Drawing upon interviews with 47 managers from 24 firms and organisations that have used an international business incubator operated in China by UK export promotion organisation the China-Britain Business Council, this research finds that the low risk, high control environment offered by business incubation can reduce the overall cost of commitment for entering a foreign market and thereby trigger a firm’s decision to enter it when such a move would otherwise be considered too risky or costly. Furthermore, during the business incubation process, the firm is able to benefit from an infusion of foreign market knowledge, network expansion and business development support, which provides it with the confidence to exit the business incubator and make a full market commitment of its own. In doing so, business incubation can the reduce the liabilities of foreignness experienced by the firm, and give rise to an accelerated, low risk and controlled foreign market entry process. These findings extend theory from the international business studies literature into the domain of business incubation. They also extend and apply theory from the business incubation literature (until now concerned with company growth and development in home markets) to the internationalization of the firm. The findings are particularly relevant for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) seeking ways to overcome the fears and challenges of entering into promising but ‘difficult’ emerging markets, such as China. The findings also have implications for policy makers seeking effective methods to support the international business and trade activities of firms and organisations.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Buckley, Peter and Cross, Adam |
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Awarding institution: | University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Leeds University Business School |
Identification Number/EthosID: | uk.bl.ethos.640640 |
Depositing User: | Leeds CMS |
Date Deposited: | 25 Mar 2015 13:22 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jul 2018 09:50 |
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