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International audience; Founded in 1969, Mixel Agitators is a manufacturing SME specialized in the production and sales of industrial mixers. The arrival of Philippe Eyraud at the head of the company, in 1990, constitutes a critical event since it is accompanied by a radical change of strategy. Driven by its previous experience in Singapore and the increasing saturation of European markets, the CEO is choosing to move to emerging markets in Asia. His proactivity, his vision and the efforts made to develop international markets are paying off: Mixel Agitators put in place its first production and sales subsidiary in China (2005) followed by a representation office in Vietnam (2017) and established itself as a reference supplier in the country.

International audience; Access to information conditions the success of SMEs in international markets. This article focuses on the sharing of information in inter-organizational networks. The authors analyze how SME managers collect and share information for their internationalization process. The empirical study is based on 17 interviews conducted with SME managers and exportation support specialists. The results show that the type, sources and modalities of information sharing vary according to the experience of managers and the company's expansion in international markets.; L’accès aux informations conditionne la réussite des PME sur les marchés internationaux. Cet article porte sur le partage d’informations dans les réseaux inter-organisationnels. Les auteurs étudient comment les dirigeants de PME collectent et partagent des informations dans le cadre de leur démarche d’internationalisation. L’étude empirique est fondée sur 17 entretiens menés auprès de dirigeants de PME et de spécialistes de l’accompagnement à l’exportation. Les résultats montrent que le type, les sources et les modalités de partage des informations varient selon l’expérience des dirigeants et l’expansion de l’entreprise sur les marchés internationaux.

International audience; This research focuses on intercultural relationships developed by Mixel Agitators, a French industrial SME, in the Chinese market. The company follows an ambitious internationalization strategy and has established a production and sales subsidiary in China. The relationships established with the Chinese subsidiary appear to be difficult, which represents an important barrier to operations in China. This article attempts to contribute to a better understanding of intercultural relationships between the French headquarters and the Chinese subsidiary. The empirical study is based on 15 interviews conducted with managers of Mixel Agitators in both countries and institutional actors involved in Franco-Chinese business relationships. The results show that the difficulties faced are due to differences concerning the business context as well as national and organizational cultures.

International audience; This collective book offers a cross-country perspective on the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Scholars from prestigious institutions in Europe, North America, Australia and China provide new insights on how SMEs develop and perform their international activities. Their innovative approach is particularly useful to understand the major role played by SMEs in today’s global economy.The authors identify key factors that facilitate the international expansion of SMEs. They explain how SMEs can succeed their development in both mature and emerging economies. Their findings are based on quantitative surveys and in-depth case-studies. Recommendations are provided to help SME managers increase the performance of their international activities.The book is coordinated and written by renowned scholars from twelve countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States), who have gained a recognised expertise on the internationalisation of SMEs: Catherine Axinn, Alexandra Baba, Luisa Campos, Alfredo D’Angelo, Noémie Dominguez, Ulf Elg, Susan Freeman, Pervez N. Ghauri, Birgit Hagen, Katharina Maria Hofer, Olli Kuivalainen, Richard Lacoursiere, Jani Lindqvist, Antonio Majocchi, Ulrike Mayrhofer, Niina Nummela, José Pla-Barber, Christiane Prange, Mika Ruokonen, Sami Saarenketo, Stefan Schmid, Maria Cristina Sestu, Josée St-Pierre, Gabriele Suder, Lasse Torkkeli, Sophie Veilleux, Cristina Villar García, Youzhen Zhao and Antonella Zucchella.

International audience; This article focuses on the international development of SLAT, an independent SME which develops, produces and markets solutions of secured alimentations. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, the company has more than 70 employees. The SME has mainly developed in international markets through export activities: it realizes 26.1% of its total sales abroad and its products are marketed in 37 countries. In 2011, the company decided to implement a sales subsidiary in Germany to strengthen its presence in international markets. In this process, the company was accompanied by a promotion agency which helps companies from the Rhône-Alpes region to expand into foreign markets. The authors of this article explain the role played by the agency in the establishment of the foreign subsidiary and the influence of a successful accompaniment experience on the internationalization process.