The authors undertook in-depth case studies of 14 informal smaller firms in two major enterprise clusters in Ghana. The findings show that half transacted business in five to seven foreign markets, and more than half sold abroad within three years of inception. The study illustrates the different network ties that influence passive and active internationalisation strategies with evidence that these IAFs developed buyer networks through customer referrals and foreign customer walk-ins to the firm. Overall, the authors provide a comprehensive understanding of the triggers that initiate international business activities by IAFs so contribute to current theorising noting implications for management practices and policymaking on this important but hitherto, under-explored issue.
This manuscript is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled ‘Understanding Internationalisation of Informal African SMEs through a Network Perspective’ presented at EIBA-IBR Paper Development Workshop, 10th Atlas AFMI Annual Conference, University of Poitiers, France, 18 May 2020. The authors wish to thank Professors Utz Dornberger and Ulf Engel for their support of this work.
