Challenges Faced by Finnish SME´s in international growth the benefits from sector organization: Finnish Water Forum

Abstract

Finnish small and medium sized enterprises seeking international growth face multiple challenges whilst undertaking this process. This research material seeks to identify these challenges and explores a possible solution to remedy them. The literary works serving as a foundation for this research include the Uppsala internationalization process model, the network theory, the international entre-preneurship theory and the five capabilities model. These works enable us to un-derstand internationalization and how to go about it. Whilst enabling the identi-fication of challenges that may be incurred throughout the process. Results from the study identify the main challenges of the small medium sized enterprises to be lack of enough resources; financial, human, physical and knowledge. These challenges where however mitigated when the SMEs’ joined a sector organization as they sought to educate, assist members in their endeavors and represent their view to various stakeholders.