Exploring the Internationalization Process : The Evolvement of the Internationalization Process in a Swedish Family Business

A decision regarding internationalization is seldom a small decision in a company, especially if the company is a small-medium sized family businesses. This factor taken together with the need for a deeper understanding of family businesses leads this thesis into the research of the internationalization process of a family business. To provide a deeper understanding of how the internationalization process in a small family business evolve, the thesis will use a single case study as its research method. The aim is to showcase which factors that interact when a family business internationalizes. Questions like what motivates internationalization, what strategies are chosen and which factors influence the internationalization process are to be answered. Based on a single case study of small family business in Sweden, the findings suggest that customer pressure is an initiating factor to internationalize while the basic principles and values of the family business act as a framework which controls the approach and decisions taken. Their internationalization strategy indicates a strong will to have high control, strong commitment and low levels of risk.