Articles

Social Media Utilizations in SMEs Context: Review Paper

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Numerous comprehensive investigations have been carried out regarding social media usage, yet the factors driving its adoption within organizations, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), remain unclear. Specifically, internal, and external social media usage. Previous studies have predominantly concentrated on individuals or the use of social media by large corporations. As a response, the present review seeks to provide an encompassing perspective on the utilization of social media and its advantages for SMEs. It systematically combs through pertinent research articles on the integration of social media within SMEs, drawing from reputable databases like Web of Science and Scopus. This search employs specific keywords such as (“social media” OR “Facebook” OR “Twitter” OR “Instagram” OR “social networking sites” OR “External social media” OR ” Internal social media”) AND (entrepreneur* OR “SME” OR “small business” OR “small and medium”). The ensuing articles scrutinized in this review delve into the subsequent aspects: (1) the objectives driving social media employment in SMEs, (2) the publication year, (3) authors’ nationalities, (4) publishing journals, and (5) how the present research enriches the existing literature by furnishing an exhaustive assessment of viable options and pinpointing gaps in research. Consequently, this exploration offers researchers and innovators enticing prospects to cultivate new strategic implementations by extensively examining the significance of social media and its multifaceted advantages across various dimensions of SMEs.

The Internationalization of SMEs: Motives and Barriers

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This study answers questions about the motives and barriers to the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A literature review was conducted to identify relevant research findings on the motives and barriers to the internationalization of SMEs. The finding of the study is consistent with the Resource-Sector Model of SME Internationalization, that the internationalization motives of SMEs are classified into internal motives, namely increasing profits, availability of resources, creating market power, and business growth. While external motives are limited domestic market, competition, and proximity to customers and suppliers. In addition, the study shows that resource strength and owner-manager competence are the driving factors for the internationalization of SMEs. SMEs entering the international market will face internal barriers: human resources, product quality, and financial resources, and external barriers: business environment, government barriers, and socio-cultural barriers. This study contributes to providing new insights into consideration of opportunities and threats for the internationalization of SMEs.