Networks na internacionalização das firmas brasileras de ti: o relacionamento certo, no momento certo

Abstract

This research examined how business relationships, social and institutional, located in the domestic and foreign market, influence the process of internationalization of Brazilian Information Technology (IT) firms, in its different phases. For this purpose, it was adopted an exploratory research with qualitative approach, and at the end examined the firms sampled through six case studies. The main findings ascertained that firms need relationships - mainly institutional at the domestic market, in its initial phase while social relationships and business often take place in the secondary phases, both domestically and externally when the firm already first experienced the movement of internationalization. The results detail that there is a need of firms - mainly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – to use relationships for internationalization and its continued application in order to create new business opportunities.