Ranking and prioritisation of barriers to SMEs internationalisation in emerging economies

Abstract

Internationalisation is considered an important strategy for growth in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, research about internationalisation challenges that SMEs face in emerging economies is limited. Further, for policymakers and SME managers/owners an important question is about the prioritisation of the barriers, so that targeted measures can be deployed to overcome these barriers. The work presented in this paper utilises analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach to rank external barriers to SMEs internationalisation. Five major external barriers and their sub-categories influencing SMEs internationalisation were identified and ranked in the context of Indonesia and Qatar, two emerging economies in Asia. The results of the study will enrich the discussion on SME internationalisation and would help to extend the knowledge in overcoming barriers to SME internationalisation in emerging economies.