Studying the Degree of Readiness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises for Entry into International Markets (Case: Food Companies)

In the present-day world, the concept of internationalization plays a significant role in organizational achievements. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the factors affecting the readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises to enter international markets. Based on the conceptual model, environmental factors have been divided into external (macro and micro environment) and internal factors (managerial and organizational). This research is descriptive-correlational survey in terms of data collection and analysis. The statistical samples in this study include managers, professional and expert supervisors from 33 small and medium-sized food enterprises in the City of Tehran. Participants were members of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture engaged in international activities. The data were collected by using questionnaires which were validated by a panel of experts and the reliability was obtained through a pilot study with Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient of 0.879 and 0.816 for environmental factors and international market's readiness respectively. The findings indicat that there are positive and significant relationships between independent variables (environmental, external, micro environmental, macro environmental, internal, organizational and managerial factors) and dependent variables (international markets’ readiness). In general, the results of this study present a new classification of factors affecting the readiness of enterprises for entry into international markets which could be used as a guideline for firms’ managers and decision- makers.