The internationalisation of small- and medium-sized management consultancies: an exploratory study of key facilitating factors

This paper presents preliminary case-study evidence on key factors associated with the internationalisation of management consultancy small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including how these factors differ from previous aggregate evidence based mainly on manufacturing firms. It contributes by adding to the limited empirical literature on the internationalisation of service firms. The analysis results suggest the salience of four explored factors, including owner/founder's international orientation, networks and relationships, niche focus, and technology leveraging. Among the implications discussed is the need for managers of service-sector SMEs to ensure an abundance of internationalisation-friendly mindsets at the apex of their businesses. Future researchers on the internationalisation of management consultancy SMEs are urged to build on this exploratory effort using a quantitative research design approach.