Building Social Capital for Internationalization

Social capital may be defined as social relationships that confer actual or potential benefits. It can therefore beunderstood as a particular type of resource. Recent research has drawn attention to how connections andrelationships (networking) both at home and abroad can be crucially important for...

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Main Authors: Suzana Braga Rodrigues, John Child
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD) 2012-01-01
Series:RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.anpad.org.br/periodicos/arq_pdf/a_1268.pdf
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author Suzana Braga Rodrigues
John Child
author_facet Suzana Braga Rodrigues
John Child
author_sort Suzana Braga Rodrigues
collection DOAJ
description Social capital may be defined as social relationships that confer actual or potential benefits. It can therefore beunderstood as a particular type of resource. Recent research has drawn attention to how connections andrelationships (networking) both at home and abroad can be crucially important for small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) seeking to export or invest abroad. However, relatively little is known about how SMEsinitiate, develop and maintain network relationships. This paper reports a study of 32 British SMEs exporting, orattempting to export, to Brazil and of domestic institutional agencies whose role was to facilitate businessconducted between British and Brazilian SMEs. The study explored both the functions of social capital for theSMEs and the process whereby it was developed. Its findings confirm the value of social capital in internationalentrepreneurship. It can provide information, interpretation, market opportunities, and some degree of protectionagainst the risks associated with foreignness, newness and smallness. The study also confirms the vitalimportance of personal trust in sustaining social capital between small firms.
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spelling doaj.art-2a294232f39c49ed8696aa33525c12622023-09-03T00:16:25ZengAssociação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD)RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea1415-65551982-78492012-01-011612338Building Social Capital for InternationalizationSuzana Braga RodriguesJohn ChildSocial capital may be defined as social relationships that confer actual or potential benefits. It can therefore beunderstood as a particular type of resource. Recent research has drawn attention to how connections andrelationships (networking) both at home and abroad can be crucially important for small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) seeking to export or invest abroad. However, relatively little is known about how SMEsinitiate, develop and maintain network relationships. This paper reports a study of 32 British SMEs exporting, orattempting to export, to Brazil and of domestic institutional agencies whose role was to facilitate businessconducted between British and Brazilian SMEs. The study explored both the functions of social capital for theSMEs and the process whereby it was developed. Its findings confirm the value of social capital in internationalentrepreneurship. It can provide information, interpretation, market opportunities, and some degree of protectionagainst the risks associated with foreignness, newness and smallness. The study also confirms the vitalimportance of personal trust in sustaining social capital between small firms.http://www.anpad.org.br/periodicos/arq_pdf/a_1268.pdfsocial capitaltrustinternationalizationSMEsoil and gas sector.
spellingShingle Suzana Braga Rodrigues
John Child
Building Social Capital for Internationalization
RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea
social capital
trust
internationalization
SMEs
oil and gas sector.
title Building Social Capital for Internationalization
title_full Building Social Capital for Internationalization
title_fullStr Building Social Capital for Internationalization
title_full_unstemmed Building Social Capital for Internationalization
title_short Building Social Capital for Internationalization
title_sort building social capital for internationalization
topic social capital
trust
internationalization
SMEs
oil and gas sector.
url http://www.anpad.org.br/periodicos/arq_pdf/a_1268.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT suzanabragarodrigues buildingsocialcapitalforinternationalization
AT johnchild buildingsocialcapitalforinternationalization