Chapter 17: From a Small Traditional Company to an International Group: Structuring the Growth of the Aganova Group

This research shows how the socio-economic model developed by ISEOR has contributed to overcome the internal barriers that made it difficult for a Spanish business group to take advantage of national and international markets. The findings reveal how organizational deficiencies are accentuated when penetrating international markets, due to the added difficulties of physical, psychological and cultural distance. And this occurs even in companies that have important competitive advantages, such as international patents. These results enrich the literature on firm growth and have important practical managerial implications.