Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine pathways towards, and the rationale behind internationalisation from the perspectives of micro firms' operators involved in the globally competitive wine industry. Moreover, drawing from entrepreneurial action theory, the study developed a theoretical framework to help understanding micro approaches and rationale for internationalisation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through interviews with 19 micro winery owners and managers operating in the Prosecco Superiore (Italy) and cava industry (Spain).

Findings

Aligned with entrepreneurial action theory, uncertainty in participants' environment, coupled with the associated need to diversify through exports, were predominant drivers of internationalisation. However, internationalisation also emerged through non-deliberate channels, including through growth of wine tourism and increasing foreign wine enthusiasts. Thus, while entrepreneurial action through deliberate means triggered a stronger focus on internationalisation, other passive interventions beyond the control or influence of micro firms, but rather emerge serendipitously, can similarly spur direct action.

Originality/value

The study demonstrated its originality and value in various ways, fundamentally, addressing three knowledge gaps, thereby contributing to practical and theoretical discourses with corresponding value, including managerially. First, it extended literature focussing on micro firms, which as compared to small and medium enterprise research is much more limited. Second, it provided a comparative component, which is much rarer in contemporary research discussing internationalisation amongst micro firms. Third, the study proposed a theoretical framework stemming from the chosen inductive approach, thus, addressing concerns regarding the lack of theoretical rigour or depth in internationalisation activities amongst micro firms.

中文翻译：

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对于生产卡瓦酒和Prosecco Superiore的微型企业来说，国际化真的是一个可行的选择吗？跨国企业行动视角

目的

这项研究的目的是从参与全球竞争性葡萄酒行业的微型企业运营者的角度研究走向国际化的途径和背后的原理。此外，该研究借鉴了企业家行为理论，建立了一个理论框架，以帮助理解国际化的微观方法和基本原理。

设计/方法/方法

数据是通过采访Prosecco Superiore（意大利）和卡瓦酒行业（西班牙）的19家微型酿酒厂所有者和经理收集的。

发现

与企业家行为理论相一致，参与者环境的不确定性以及通过出口实现多样化的相关需求是国际化的主要驱动力。但是，国际化也通过非故意的渠道出现，包括通过葡萄酒旅游业的发展和外国葡萄酒爱好者的增加。因此，尽管通过有意的手段采取的企业家行动引发了对国际化的更多关注，但微型企业无法控制或影响但偶然出现的其他被动干预也可以刺激直接行动。

创意/价值

该研究通过各种方式证明了其独创性和价值，从根本上解决了三个知识鸿沟，从而为具有实用价值的实践和理论话语做出了贡献，包括在管理上。首先，它扩展了针对微型企业的文献，与中小型企业相比，微型企业的研究更为有限。其次，它提供了一个比较性的组成部分，这在当代研究微型企业之间的国际化的研究中很少见。第三，该研究提出了一种基于所选择的归纳方法的理论框架，从而解决了微型企业间国际化活动缺乏理论上的严格性或深度的担忧。