Summary

Title of the thesis: A comparison between an Australian and a Swedish company's internationalization process, within the food sector.

Seminar date: 2011-10-12

Course/subject: International marketing, master thesis 15hp

Authors: Sanna Ekborg, Paulina Haglund

Supervisor: Svante Andersson

Keywords: Internationalization process, Swedish and Australian company within the food sector, Gourmet Garden, Örneborgs Delikatesser, market choice,entry modes, reactive/proactive behaviour.

Purpose:The purpose of our study is to describean Australian and a Swedish company within the food sector, and analyze which factors affect the differences and similarities in the companies' internationalization processes.

Research method: The research is qualitative and the analysis is deductive.

Empirical study: Our empirical study is based on two companies, Australian Gourmet garden and swedish Örneborgs Delikatesser. Our empirical data consists of indepth interviews with the CEO, Chief Operating Officer and marketing manager.

Theoretical framework: Internationalization in the food industry, the Uppsala model approach, the network approach, international entrepreneurship and internationalization through innovation.

Results: Our research has showed that there are differences in the internationalization process between the two companies. Our Australian company has a more proactive approach to internationalization, while our Swedish company has a reactive approach. it may be due to their different export traditions.