OF E-COMMERCE ENTERPRISES – PREREQUISITES, BARRIERS AND BASIC MODES

Literature provides many studies on internationalization processes of pro-duction and service enterprises, while the internationalization of commerce firms is not a special subject of interest. The goal of the article is an attempt to diminish knowledge gaps by literature studies and an exploratory empirical research. The literature study aims firstly at the recognition of the specific prerequisites and barriers to internationalization of e-commerce enterprises. The second aim of the literature study conducted in the paper is a review of theoretical models describing the internationalization of firms process which should enable to indicate the adequate theoretical framework for fur-ther empirical research on internationalization of e-commerce enterprises. Critical analysis of literature enables the distinction of prerequisites in the nature of technological and economic (including market and cost prerequisites) and technological, non-technological, macro- and microeconomic barriers. The exploratory research conducted by the method of the qualitative analysis based on a case study determined diversified paths of internationalization of three Polish e-commerce enterprises. Further research is aimed at the separation of basic types of such modes and factors which influence their formation. Such research should make possible to identify e-commerce enterprises conducting business on an international market and determine the motives and restrictions existing in their foreign expansion