Motivations driving manufacturing SMEs to internationalize through gateway strategies: A conceptual framework

International audienceThis study applies the internationalization theory to understand what motivates SMEs to implement gateway strategies – i.e. to invest in a country to re-export to third countries. While some academics emphasize the importance of free-trade agreements and costs differentials, others highlight the role played by the individual and reticular dimensions. We realized 66 in-depth interviews and five days of non-participant observations with five French manufacturing SMEs and ten promotion agencies. Our analysis revealed the existence firm-, network- and country-related motivations as well as common, partially shared and specific motivations. We end up proposing a conceptual framework