Engaging in international business (IB) is a particular challenge to small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), representing a condition to ensure growth and longevity. Due to their limitations of tangible resources, these companies make use of their levels of knowledge and capabilities to reach new markets. This study seeks to ascertain the role, the typologies of the knowledge and capabilities required for access to IB, and how benefits may arise for SMEs from their international experience. To achieve these objectives, the authors ground the insights on a qualitative study that gathered data from ten semi-structured interviews with leading entrepreneurs engaged in IB. The data were analysed resorting to the QSR Nvivo software. The results demonstrate how (1) knowledge and the development of dynamic capabilities all represent determinant facets to engaging in IB and that (2) the knowledge and learning capabilities acquired and developed in IB context also result in positive returns in domestic markets. Despite the rising of IB studies, the interaction between knowledge and capabilities from the perspective of accessing international markets has not received attention enough from scholars. The authors argue that both constructs must act together to reach and maximize the IB of SMEs and provide evidence that engagement abroad brings several other advantages beyond economic returns

This article is devoted to analyse and discuss the level of control and autonomy that multinational enterprises (MNEs) should grant to their subsidiaries. It analyse the impact of subsidiaries’ capacity to innovate and develop new products and services to the Brazilian telecommunications market, based on the case-study of Telefónica business, a subsidiary of Telefónica, a Spanish multinational communication company. The Lasserre’s global integration/local responsiveness framework was applied to the data obtained from face-to-face in-depth structured interviews with key actors in Telefónica business (TNB) to investigate the relationship between global integration strategy and local adaptation in the Brazilian telecommunications market. The results show that Telefónica uses a glocal approach since its subsidiary has the autonomy to create and adapt its products when the headquarters recognise that global decisions might not meet local demands. By showing that Telefónica has successfully used a glocal approach on the Brazilian market, as its subsidiary had the autonomy to create and adapt products when global company products might not meet local demands, this study is useful for other multinational companies when going to new markets.

In today's globalised educational landscape, the relationship between EnglishMedium Instruction (EMI) and intercultural competence (IC) in higher education is paramount. As institutions increasingly adopt EMI, understanding its interconnectedness with IC becomes essential. This systematic literature review explores how EMI influences IC development in higher education. Through thematic analysis, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness and sheds light on mutual influence. Three key themes emerge: (1) EMI as an opportunity or objective for developing intercultural competence, (2) EMI highlighting the need for IC development, and (3) Challenges related to both IC and EMI. These findings offer insights into the dynamics between EMI and IC in higher education contexts and underscore the importance of comprehensive teacher training programmes and policy interventions to address challenges and embed IC within EMI practices. Advocating for a holistic approach to EMI, this review calls for continued research on their relationship, emphasising ongoing efforts to promote intercultural competence in higher education

The present study examines the relationship between family ownership and control and the internationalisation strategies of Portuguese manufacturing firms. The analysis includes a sample of 25,533 firms observed from 2018 to 2021. Econometric models address the role of ownership in alternative internationalisation endeavours, demonstrating that these firms differ from their non-family counterparts. By comparing the export propensity, intensity, and reach of family businesses to non-family businesses, the research sheds light on the challenges faced by family-owned firms and the significance of structural characteristics such as technological regimes and regional competitive advantages. The findings emphasise the negative impact of family presence on internationalisation while highlighting the importance of innovation and ecosystem support. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing evidence that different forms of international market presence are asymmetrically influenced by family control and by underscoring the importance of innovative strategies. Additionally, it contributes to the empirical refinement of firm classification by proposing a more reliable segmentation method. It also presents alternative econometric methods to appraise internationalisation strategies better. Future research directions are suggested, particularly regarding the use of additional information related to innovation and human capital, offering insights for enhancing the global engagement of family businesses in global markets. This research provides valuable empirical evidence and practical implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to support the required actions to promote growth and internationalisation of family businesses in the context of the Portuguese manufacturing industry.

The results of “globalization”, understood here in its contemporary form, inseparable from the changes created in the last decades of the XX century, are far from being unanimously seen as merely positive. It is acknowledged, for example, that inequality and the centralization of wealth in the world tend to intensify, and it is in this perspective that we affirm that peripheral countries tend to lose out to central countries (Oliveira & Sangreman, 2015). Although improvements in living conditions are verifiable in many developing countries, as Angola, for example, they remain as development aid receivers and donors of resources to more developed countries (Oliveira & Sangreman 2015). Among these resources, we highlight human capital, namely master and PhD candidates that are pushed to migrate not only to obtain higher education training in more consolidated systems and higher education institutions, but also to pursue better living conditions in the recipient countries. More specifically, the study focuses on Angolan master and PhD candidates that left Angola to continue and conclude higher education training in Portuguese higher education institutions. Through a systematic review of the literature, this study addresses two main objectives: i) to understand how the literature looks at the topic of international mobility. More specifically, it is intended to identify the study perspectives of research already developed, whether they address public policies or whether they simply relate the issue of international mobility and / or brain drain without referring to any type of public policy. Simultaneously, it is intended to understand how this phenomenon – migration/mobility periods abroad affect master's and doctoral students (and already Doctorates) and to identify what is being done to tackle this issue. Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used to search our corpus of literature. A preliminary analysis of the studied literature allows us to conclude that, up to present, studies carried out on the theme of international mobility and / or brain drain targeting Angola is still insignificant. However, it is relevant to mention that in the West, and in other parts of the world, this theme has captured a lot of interest in the academic field, particularly in higher education studies. The existing literature has been concerned with addressing the topic from the perspective of the motivations and possible gains / losses of the countries of origin and host of these mobilities and migrations. Still, the topic of international mobility and brain drain dismiss developing countries as object of study. We believe that public policies (or their absence) play a fundamental role in motivating qualified people to migrate and return to their home countries, and therefore more research is needed to analyze existing policies and best practices in this domain. This reflection aims thus to shed light on the need for governments, especially from developing countries, such as Angola, to invest more in higher education policies framed into the national context and needs.

The trajectories of internationalisation followed by family firms can be viewed from several theoretical approaches: phases and models of the internationalisation process; international entrepreneurship, the sociological perspective and family business theory. A historical perspective of internationalised family firms, allowing for the integration of the abovementioned approaches, is useful to obtain a deep understanding of the internationalisation process of different sectors and of different countries. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the facilitating and restricting factors during the internationalisation path of family firms, whilst considering the influence in their competitive advantages, of ownership structure, management attitudes and other intangible assets, as well as external factors to the firms, like location. The research involved a long run analysis (of more than one century) of two firms which operate in the cork business in Spain and Portugal: Mundet & C.ª, Lda and Corticeira Amorim. One of these companies - Mundet - was closed down in the 1980s and the other – Corticeira Amorim – became, and still is, the leading firm worldwide in the cork industry. A detailed comparison of these two histories - one of failure, and the other of success - permits an accurate identification of the determinants of successful internationalisation. In fact, this comparison is useful for understanding several characteristics of both firms, some of which are similar and others which are different, allowing to test several hypotheses within the context of the theoretical approach of the internationalisation of family firms. This methodological option can be justify by several aspects. Firstly, both are family firms operating in the same business and both were concentrated on the foreign market since their conception. Secondly, both their histories encompass most of the 20th Century and both faced similar national and international constraints, which were overcome, as they both ended up becoming the leading firms in the cork business, although at different periods of time. Thirdly, their choices of location were different and, although in both cases they benefitted from agglomeration forces during certain phases of the business, location was an important determinant of the opposing destinies of these two emblematic cork family firms from Iberia.

A internacionalização das Instituições de Ensino Superior, não sendo um facto recente, intensificou-se nas décadas de oitenta e noventa. Não é ainda um tópico sistematicamente compreendido, não existindo perspectivas dominantes nas abordagens metodológicas e conceptuais na investigação do fenómeno. A investigação efectuada responde às seguintes questões: 1) Como é entendida a internacionalização no Ensino Superior Politécnico Português? 2) Como é planificada a internacionalização no Ensino Superior Politécnico Português? No estudo utilizaram-se duas estratégias fundamentais: uma abordagem teórica e conceptual através da revisão da investigação existente nesta área e uma abordagem mais pragmática desenvolvida em duas fases. Numa primeira fase procedeu-se ao envio de um inquérito envolvendo uma série de questões sobre o conceito de internacionalização, onde se solicitava o envio do documento de planificação estratégica da internacionalização para análise; esta constituiu a segunda fase da nossa investigação e envolveu o estudo das políticas estratégicas de internacionalização. Esta investigação constitui um estudo exploratório sobre o tema da internacionalização aplicado a todo o ensino superior politécnico português público, assim como a primeira análise de instrumentos de planificação utilizados. Contribuiu para o estudo da internacionalização neste sector, permitindo concluir sobre a fase de internacionalização e ainda sobre os instrumentos de planificação estratégica utilizados.

This study assesses whether Boardwise, a board management software company, can successfully and tactically enter the South Korean market. This study, based on large secondary research along with calculated analysis, examines market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, cultural considerations, in addition to competitive environments to ascertain the viability of such an expansion. Digital transformation and corporate governance reforms are driving large growth in South Korea’s SaaS market, a market projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 19.44%, thus creating many opportunities for specialised governance solutions such as Boardwise’s. The market, however, also introduces multiple issues. These include meaningful competition from many created domestic and global providers, large regulatory complexities and large cultural barriers. This analysis uses several frameworks, including PEST, SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and comparative analyses, to evaluate Boardwise’s competitive position and its response to market demands. It is revealed by the findings that, whilst Boardwise's integration with Microsoft Office and its user-centric design provide meaningful competitive advantages, a large degree of adaptation in language, pricing and platform compatibility will be necessary for the successful penetration of South Korea's technologically advanced but domestically focused market. Early financial assessments show large initial expenses for compliance, localisation and marketing; however, forecasts suggest large medium- and long-term potential returns, especially with a tiered pricing strategy targeting a variety of customer groups. Projections of return on investment indicate a large and consistent growth trajectory, as recurring revenue streams compensate for the meaningful initial capital expenditure. The maintenance of a large market share is dependent upon a continuous and proactive response to evolving regulatory and cultural contexts. This study finds that South Korea presents a meaningful market opportunity for Boardwise, if the company implements a specific strategy that combines its large global experience with EVALUATING THE MARKET POTENTIAL FOR BOARDWISE IN SOUTH KOREA: AN OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS Maxine Schäch II Masters in Management (MIM) localised solutions to meet the requirements of the South Korean corporate governance system.

This study investigates the Impact of the World Bank Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Project on the Internationalisation of Portuguese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Employing a quantitative methodology involving the administration of a questionnaire to SMEs, the research aims to understand the role of the EDB in facilitating internationalisation efforts. The primary findings of this study confirm all research hypotheses, revealing that SMEs with extensive internationalisation experience, those establishing international subsidiaries, and those dedicating more time to market analysis are more likely to actively utilise the EDB as an assessment tool. These results provide valuable insights for future research, suggesting the need to delve deeper into the underlying mechanisms of these relationships and explore how SMEs effectively incorporate the EDB into their global expansion strategies. This study also demonstrates that companies that use the World Bank Ease of Doing Business project as an assessment tool are more likely to achieve a higher level of success in their internationalisation activities. These results suggest that the EDB remains a valuable resource for companies seeking to enhance their internationalisation success. In conclusion, this research contributes to the understanding of the EDB's significance in the internationalisation of Portuguese SMEs, shedding light on the factors influencing its adoption as an assessment tool.