This paper performs a systematic literature review of the undeniably diverse – and somewhat fragmented – current state of research on the collaborations and internationalization of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). We analyze key works and synthesize them into a framework that conceptually maps key antecedents, mediators, and moderators that influence the internationalization of SMEs. In addition, we highlight limitations of the literature, most notably in terms of theoretical fragmentation; extant theories are deployed and illustrated but rarely extended in a manner that significantly informs subsequent work. At an applied (but related) level, we argue the need for supplementary work that explores the distinct stages of internationalization – and the scope and scale of this process – rather than assuming closure around particular events. With this, we highlight the need for more rigorous and empirically informed explorations of contextual effects that take account of the consequences of developments in the global economic ecosystem.

Over the last decade, social capital concept has received considerable amount of research being regarded as an important value creation mechanism. However, we still have limited understanding about the nature of interaction between the dimensions of this capital, and how it can be useful in mitigating the impediments evolving during government-sponsored (i.e., engineered) university–industry collaboration (UIC). In this paper, we address the previous gap by analyzing the dynamics of social capital dimensions during the preformation and postformation stages of UIC. The paper relies on a unique context that comprises five embedded case studies of UIC for technology transfer: the Faraday Partnership Initiative, a UK government-backed novel scheme for enhancing innovation. The analysis shows that the impact and interaction of the dimensions were not static but rather varying over time. Further, we present a new value creation framework for social capital through mapping its power in reducing the intensity of difficulties emerged during the collaboration lifetime. We also identify two facilitating factors as critical in creating and maintaining social capital in engineered UIC. The present study thus contributes to a deeper understanding of the value of inter-organizational social capital

Collaboration between nonprofit and business sectors is widely regarded as a value creation process that benefits society, business, and nonprofit organizations (NPOs). This process, however, has rarely been considered from a nonprofit perspective. In this paper, we discuss a new framework to assist NPOs in developing strategic collaborations with businesses. We argue that, by being strategically proactive rather than reactive to what businesses might offer, NPOs can increase the scale of their cross-sector collaborations and thus enhance their sustainability. Implications for research and practice are discussed.