Foreign market entry mode choice of small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic review and future research agenda

• We conduct a systematic review on SME foreign market entry mode choice research.
• We analyze 33 journal articles in terms of both theoretical framework and contextual dimensions.
• We identify gaps in the literature by examining the extent to which studies have considered the characteristics of SMEs.
• We develop an agenda to guide future scholarship in the domain of SME foreign market entry mode choice research.

Despite significant differences between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large multinational enterprises (MNEs), the majority of extant foreign market entry mode choice literature has focused on MNEs. The current state of knowledge regarding SME foreign market entry mode choice is equivocal. The present paper reviews the current state of SME foreign market entry mode choice literature and maps future research directions. To this end, we systematically analyze 33 relevant journal articles for their theoretical frameworks and contextual dimensions. Based on this review, we identify gaps in the literature and develop an agenda to guide future scholarship in this important domain of research in taking SME-specific characteristics into consideration.