The Role of Networks in the Internationalization Process of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Wine-producing Sector

Abstract

This study aims to understand the role networks can play in the internationalization process of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the wine-producing sector. It adopted the qualitative method and focused on a wine-producing network in the Portuguese region of Ribatejo. For data collection, several interviews with key informants, direct observation and documentary analysis were used. Content analysis of the interviews showed that all the actors/partners involved in this study demonstrated their knowledge about the wine tradition and the specificities of the product, and that the wine-producing sector has improved considerably in Ribatejo, mainly at the hands of a new generation of entrepreneurs who have focused on internationalization using the network strategy. Empirical evidences showed that wine-producing SMEs in inter-organizational networks achieve internationalization more easily. The structure of the SMEs studied here is based on an inter-organizational, entrepreneur network, and as such, it is entrepreneurs who define the firm’s positioning based mainly on their intuition, managing to carry out their actions successfully. This study can help the owner-managers of wine-producing SMEs to implement future processes for their internationalization.