否

否

否

否

Competition in international markets was traditionally the realm of large companies, with smaller firms tending to remain local or regional. Internationalisation was an expansion option of interest to some enterprises, but seldom was it a competitive necessity. Many opted to avoid the uncertainties of competing in foreign markets, and simply kept their firms small and local. Traditional internationalisation theories, therefore, focused mainly on large multinational corporations, and were less pertinent to smaller firms. With the liberalisation of trade, however, domestic firms are threatened by international competitors that are penetrating formerly protected markets. Nowadays, internationalisation affects everyone, whether or not they wish to internationalise themselves. The threats and opportunities of internationalisation must be addressed.