Network Capital: How UK SMEs Recognise its Value in their International Strategy?

Briggs, Philip T R (2025) Network Capital: How UK SMEs Recognise its Value in their International Strategy? Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

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Abstract

This study addresses a gap in knowledge about Network Capital (“NC”), and the extent to which it is understood by Small and Medium Enterprises (“SME”), and its perceived value to them in strategy creation and internationalisation. The research is focussed on the United Kingdom (“UK”) as representative of a developed economy operating within a democratic and secular society.

Since Huggins and Johnstone introduced the concept of NC in 2010, its potential to unlock extrinsic value has been recognised by academics including Alinaghian and Razmdoost (2018). This offers the opportunity for organisational Firm Specific Advantage (“FSA”) as described by Almodóvar and Rugman (2015) and which builds on the Resource Based View (“RBV”) of Barney (1991) and the Dynamic Capabilities (DC) of Teece et al. (1997).

Previous UK studies have focussed on either a single aspect of NC or a narrow geographical area. While the economic and societal importance of SMEs is recognised, there is no understanding of how they exploit their NC in their strategy and internationalisation. This study addresses that omission on a UK wide basis. The study also aims to inform policy makers and establish the practical use of NC by SMEs.

A research methodology was developed to combine quantitative, qualitative, and case study approaches. Questionnaires and interviews were adopted as the primary source of empirical data. The research found that while NC was adopted intuitively by many SMES, a few leverage off it as a resource with the deliberation identified by Huggins and Thompson (2015).

The findings have implications for business management teaching, and government as the potential to convert FSA to Country Specific Advantage (Almodóvar and Rugman, 2015) is not being realised. The research proposes a model to address this lacuna.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:	Date Event 21 November 2025 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	SME, UK, Networks, Strategy, Internationalisation, Dynamic Capabilities
Subjects:	CAH15 - social sciences > CAH15-03 - politics > CAH15-03-01 - politics CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-01 - business and management (non-specific) CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-02 - business studies CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-04 - management studies
Divisions:	Business School > Management, Business and Marketing Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection
Depositing User:	Louise Muldowney
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2026 08:57
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2026 08:57
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16787

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