A internacionalização das empresas incubadas no Brasil

Abstract

This research covers the internationalization of incubated companies in Brazil, with the overall objective for evaluating stimulatory and inhibitory factors that are related to internationalization. For this, a perspective of the behavioral approach is used, from which attitudes and behaviors of decision makers of the company are studied. Whereas companies are in the incubation environment, the choice was made to get information from incubator managers and entrepreneurs of incubated companies, in addition to the documentary sources of incubators and incubated companies. This study assumed a mixed method approach, using the embedded design, which employs methodological procedures both quantitative and qualitative, from the preparation of a questionnaire as data collection tool. In the quantitative stage, a cross-sectional survey strategy was used, and in the qualitative stage, open questions were prepared. The questionnaires, in self-administered format, were answered by 108 incubator managers and 131 entrepreneurs of incubated companies. Parametric statistics and categorical content analysis were adopted, regarding the data analysis of quantitative and qualitative approaches, respectively. Among the confirmed hypotheses with positive relationship to the internationalization of companies, those relating to the internationalization strategy and knowledge of foreign markets excel. Among the motivations to internationalize, the highlight goes to search for new markets when the Brazilian one becomes saturated or small for that kind of business. Among the main inhibiting factors of internationalization, incubator managers pointed out the lack of resources and public policies to incubated companies. Lastly, a classification level of incubated companies internationalization was proposed, which has been tested with the companies in this study.