Managing SMEs’ internationalisation process. A Delphi approach for identifying antecedent factors

Entering in the international market to increase sales presents challenges, problems, and various factors that must be considered to make an effective decision. Nevertheless, the nature of companies' scale is also an essential parameter, which is inherently limited in small and medium-sized enterprises compared to large corporations. The study's primary objective is to use the Delphi method to determine the factors that influence small and medium-sized enterprises' decision to enter the international market. A non-randomised, purposeful judgmental approach was employed in sampling to choose experts in the Delphi procedure, and 39 experts eventually participated in this investigation. Finally, 18 factors and 72 sub-factors were verified after three stages.