Italian small and medium enterprises abroad: current situation and future perspectives

This paper explores the internationalization process of the Italian SMEs (small and medium enterprises), and aims to investigate their behaviour in the international contexts to ultimately outline general models able to optimize their peculiarities. The empirical study firstly examines 546 SMEs along their internationalization. The internationalization process is examined through its phases: decisions, marketing strategy, achievements and future perspectives. A second aim is to define sustainable paths for SMEs willing to expand successfully over the Country borders. It also proposes issues and managerial implications to be considered in the international development of Italian SMEs.