Internationalization processes in networks: cooperating to reach the external market

Resumen

The internationalization of firms can be seen as an increasing involvement in international transactions. This involvement has become strong in several sectors, such as the wine industry, with a concomitant process of increased competition both in the external and internal market. In this environment, new organizational arrangements arise, such as interorganizational networks, in which cooperative actions become a strategic choice in the internationalization process. To better understand this relationship, the article analyzes the internationalization process of companies on the basis of an interorganizational network with international operations. For this purpose, it uses a qualitative approach through a case study on the Wines from Brazil Integrated Sector Project. The data were collected through interviews with 14 affiliated companies and two project managers and were treated through content analysis. Wines from Brazil emerged from the need to develop the image of Brazilian wine abroad, which is the main challenge for the industry’s internationalization. It can be seen that the association in a network is an environment favorable to internationalization, especially for smaller companies, since the network is a tool that helps to overcome internationalization barriers.

Key words: internationalization, interorganizational networks, Wines from Brazil PSI.