Internationalization of established small manufacturers in a developing economy: A case study of Kenyan SMEs

This article discusses the findings of a study of the internationalisation of established small manufacturing firms in Kenya. The findings suggest established SMEs pursued an incremental approach to internationalization, as most established operations in the domestic market before moving to foreign markets. The interviews revealed the internationalization process was mostly driven by firm based-factors such as managerial orientation, maintaining business reputing, enhancing market share and revenue, technological advancement, and flexibility of operations. Environmental-based factors such as similarity in foreign and domestic markets, instability, and saturation of domestic markets played a lesser role. The article concludes with a discussion of research and managerial implications.