Erik Stavnsager Rasmussen

Internationalization for SMEs is often seen as a question of organization. However, the organizing of international activities and interactive sensemaking (seen as making sense, giving sense, and deriving sense) can be seen as an interrelated process. This paper focuses on clarifying how inter-organizational interactions affect actors' knowledge and learning outcomes in the SME internationalization process. By leveraging multiple case data over time, the empirical and theoretical framework contributes to an overall understanding of interactive sensemaking. Seven SMEs were followed over one year while participating in an internationalization event facilitated by clusters and networks with a healthcare and welfare focus. The first conclusion drawn is that interactive sensemaking is affected through bonding activities in the SME managers' relations. Secondly, bonding and bridging are both preconditions to giving sense and taking action. Therefore, sensemaking and organizing the SMEs internationalization networks are two interrelated processes.

This chapter deals with the dilemma raised by George Tesar et al. about small firms’ network participation—that sourcing is equally a part of the operations of international new ventures (INVs). To develop a typology of born global firms or INVs that include international sourcing as a key activity of the entrepreneurial firm, it is necessary to draw upon the first research on INVs and look at the typologies used. Another core of Oviatt and McDougall’s early conceptualization of an INV is that it has a “proactive international strategy” which they contrast to the posture of organizations that “evolve gradually from domestic firms to MNEs” in a more reactive way. One of the influencing forces in the original model is the motivating force of competition. It could also be a necessity for a firm that competes in an internationalized industry sector. Rather, explaining that behavior relies on understanding how the entrepreneurial actor interprets or mediates the opportunity—the enabling and motivating forces.

This chapter studies the counterproductive impact of a place image on the entrepreneurial activities in a rural Danish municipality. Nationally, the municipality is rated ‘very good' in terms of traditional business environment measurements. However, this stands in stark contrast to the historically embedded image of the municipality. In this chapter the intended image of the municipality is compared to the image as it is perceived by newcomers. The study shows that historically embedded images of places are hard to manage and change when they involve elements with negative appeal towards a specific target audience e.g. entrepreneurs. The branding problem for the municipality is shown to be the conflict between the brands of history, entrepreneurial spirit, family friendly town, and tourism etc. To manage a place brand so diverse is almost impossible and it is clearly demonstrated that the solution has been to brand the place as everything for everybody.

Through a longitudinal case study this paper explores the repercussions from introducing a mobile commerce platform as just another instrument in the marketing toolbox in a traditional sales-oriented firm. Findings suggest that the implementation of the M-platform in addition to its intended purpose spawns a digital business model that allows the company to change its relations to distributors, retailers and customers enabling access to direct communication with end-users. However, the emerging new business model has the potential to change the organization entirely. This paper argues that although the emerging business model was indeed a success seen from a sales-, marketing-, innovative-, and relational perspective, it was perceived as a disaster from an organizational perspective. Consequently, top management abandoned the new platform. The paper highlights the importance of not underestimating resistance in an organization when implementing a new marketing instrument such as M-commerce platforms.

The Intended Image of a Place Brand: A Danish Case Study: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0576-1.ch004: This chapter studies the counterproductive impact of a place image on the entrepreneurial activities in a rural Danish municipality. Nationally, the

Literature on innovation emphasises the potential for organisations to collaborate and network instead of carrying out innovation individually. Integrating suppliers, customers and other organisations into the innovation process is perceived as a key to success in innovation management (Chesbrough, 2003). Furthermore, the management of the initial phase of the innovation process has proven vital to the overall innovation success (Kim and Wilemon, 2002a,b). Although the merits of network-based innovations are widely acknowledged, the managerial challenges of the initial integration of external organisations in an innovation network are somewhat neglected in the literature. The aim of this paper is hence to address the challenges that an organisation faces when integrating a plurality of suppliers, customers and other organisations into the Fuzzy Front End of the innovation process.