Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify various challenges influencing internationalization and performance of Asian companies in Europe. Initially, ten interviews were conducted for the purpose of an initial exploration of the study’s context and the identification of challenges influencing market entry in Europe. These challenges were found under three categories; Top management support, strategic and operational consideration. These challenges were then converted into a survey, tested in a sample of 40 managers from 8 different Asian countries and analyzed using the Grounded Theory technique. The study suggests that the most important challenges identified for eventual internationalization performance were: Expectation Setting, Market Entry Strategy, Human Resources, Cost Factors, Marketing Strategy and Local Management. Furthermore, it appeared that these variables are all directly influencable by managers. Overall, the identified challenges proved critical to be taken into account when internationalizing to Europe, since failing to do so might result in deteriorating performance.

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