Management summary Research study „The influence of brokers on networking behaviour during internationalization: a study of Czech SMEs“

The study analyzes the role of brokers in the access of Czech firms to foreign markets. In this context, a broker is understood as a person who is able to close the gaps in networks of contacts and to interconnect the individual network members. The study considers five different types of brokers. The survey among 109 Czech small and medium-sized firms suggests that to develop and strengthen contact networks, brokers play a crucial role. While managers often possess valuable contacts that facilitate access to information, brokers allow for connecting these contacts and facilitate knowledge exchange, which becomes important especially in the B2B context. However, caution is needed when selecting a broker, because a wrong choice main lead to conflicts, e.g. with government officials.

Target groups of stakeholders: Representatives of SMEs entering foreign markets.

Citation: Srivastava, M. (2020). The influence of brokers on networking behaviour during internationalization: a study of Czech SMEs. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing. 2020, 18 s.