The internationalization of SMEs: An incremental process?

International audienceSMEs increasingly attempt to accelerate and diversify their international expansion strategies. The purpose of this article is to contribute to a better understanding of the internationalization process followed by SMEs to seize global market opportunities. Using the Uppsala model and born global approach, the authors analyze the internationalization paths of French SMEs operating in traditional manufacturing industries. The empirical study takes the form of five case-studies and is based on 66 interviews. The results indicate that the internationalization process of SMEs continues to follow different stages, but that it is not linear and incremental. The different stages, which are initiated by critical incidents, reflect characteristics of both the Uppsala model and the born global approach