Internationalization: Case of an Emerging Home Decor Family Business

Abstract

Komal International, India is a family-run enterprise [also called small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India] catering to the home decor business. In its mission to become a ‘direct’ business partner (supplier) to several MNCs¹, Komal International noticed specific challenges to become a ‘compliance-ready’² export company. Consequently, the company embarked on identifying the relevant external and internal factors. The external factors were identified after assessing several MNCs that indirectly procured products manufactured by Komal International or were listed as their prospective buyers. This assessment and restructuring of its internal functioning allowed alignment with the needs of ‘compliance-ready’ export business. And in turn it provided the ability to survive in a competitive market.

Purpose: This case study aims to identify challenges faced by the prospective family businesses (a supplier) to become a ‘compliance-ready’ supplier for the offshore MNCs (buyer) in the home decor market. The challenges were identified by conducting a structured questionnaire followed by a personal interview with existing and prospective buyers; further, modifications in the internal company policies lead to making a ‘compliance-ready’ supplier, useful in finding new export markets.

Methodology: The approach was qualitative and included a series of in-person interviews³ with the management of the company over one year, assessing the concepts of family business internationalization as a theory, and from secondary published sources on home decor sector. As such, it was a case analysis to comprehend best practices in a family business to fulfil its vision.

Basis of the Case: Phenomenon based.

Type of the Case: Applied decisional.

Protagonist: Present.

Theory: The approach is to examine the relevance of ‘internationalization theory’ for a family business in India. Specifically, we shall, through a case study, investigate the business model adopted by an export ‘compliance-ready’ small family business to thrive in a competitive environment.

Research Question: Komal International is a decade-old family business with a vision to provide home decor items globally. The protagonist, having examined the existing business model by considering the internationalization theory and the regulatory environment, has identified two specific challenges. The first is to understand the ‘compliance-ready’ strategy that in turn necessitates the internal policies to be streamlined for its business growth as a ‘direct’ exporter to MNCs. And the second is to meet an ambitious export prospect. The research question is attempted by using the internationalization theory and analysing its role as a supplier to MNCs and becoming ‘compliance-ready’ by modifying its internal company policies.

Findings: The significant results suggested are the possible best practices that family businesses such as were embraced by Komal International that are aspirant to become a direct supplier to offshore MNCs may be considered for adopting. These include reworking many internal policies of the company considering (a) the internationalization theory, (b) opportunities from the revised regulatory environment established for Indian SMEs and (c) the opportunities in the global marketplace. By adopting changes within the company, the supplier side (for the buyers’ acceptance as a compliance-ready company) can be strengthened. The findings can be useful to entrepreneurs, specifically family businesses, keen on internationalization. It will be of value to researchers and other SMEs (this definition includes family-run business) in India and globally. The limitations of the study include defining quality parameters based on product specifications and small sample size in interviewing MNCs. The research experiment can be extended to include country-specific analysis, trade trends and cultural analysis.

Keywords

Internationalization family business (FB)‘compliance-ready’small and medium enterprises (SMEs)family SME buyer supplier export home furnishing India

Komal International: The Beginnings and Challenges

Komal Singh’s ancestors traded in cotton crop. In 1995, his father and uncle moved to Bhiwani, a leading cotton mandi⁴ in India. During the next few years, they learned the trade and started a family business (FB) with the two brothers as partners. They gradually set up small manufacturing units to produce a variety of products. They sold cloth to manufacturers of bed sheets, curtains and towels, oils to food and cosmetics industry, and seeds to cattle owners as cattle-feed. The FB, Singh Cotton Group expanded and Komal Singh, the young entrepreneur, managed the newly set up modern factory Komal International in the Haryana Industrial Zone, India. Since 2005, this entity has been manufacturing home textile products such as cotton fabrics, bedspreads and bed covers, chenille throws, curtains, kitchen linen, table covers and napkins, bathmats, bath rugs, jute durries and jute floor rugs for domestic use and ‘in-direct’ export.

Komal International, a wide-ranging product-based company, has a dedicated 10,000 square feet manufacturing unit and employs 50 designers. Although it manufactures products as a sub-supplier for well-known companies, including IKEA (USA), Walmart (USA), Petrina (SA), Zing-Zang (Malaysia) and Thangam ImpEx Pvt. Ltd, (Israel), it lacks ‘direct’ export capabilities and international recognition.

Komal Singh has of late become aware of problems associated with the supply chain that has created revenue losses. So, he called a meeting with his business development manager, Sahil Kumar. They analysed the data of past 10 years. They found an imprecise assessment of the actual need of the buyers, numerous quality issues and a weak inbound supply chain as the significant challenges. This case describes how Komal Singh planned to deal with the issues and at the same time assures the mission and vision of Singh Cotton Group.

Mission: ‘We are committed to enhancing value by enhancing the financial performance of the company by creating rewarding, long-term relations. And earn a name for Indian manufacturers by vending quality products world over.’

Vision: ‘To become a globally prominent home furnishing product exporter and be ranked amongst the top furnishing product exporters in the world in terms of quality, service standards and ultimately customer satisfaction.’

Family Business in India

Recently, Komal Singh had attended a conference hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC, 2019) on ‘India Family Business Survey 2019’. This event refreshed his knowledge that India was listed as ‘one of the top 10 economies’ as measured by the Ease of Doing Business criteria (World Bank, 2019). Although wealth created by FB in India exhibits growth, the growing journey of an FB from US$ 0 to 1 billion was not the same as it progressed from, say, US$ 1 to 10 billion. At each stage, different factors come into play to achieve the next level of growth. The conference also recounted several challenges including ‘the need to innovate to keep ahead, accessing the right skills and capabilities, economic environment, regulation, digitalization, access to financing, international competition and international tax reform’ (PwC, 2019).

Komal reviewed the previously published FB survey reports (PwC, 20162018). The reports discussed how the ‘vision of the promoter and the product/service strategy defined the business’. As the FB evolves, a repositioning of the company and operating models is necessitated. The business model requires refinement in ‘the product/service strategy, pricing strategy, market strategy, channel strategy and promotion strategy’. The business needs ‘to establish policies and processes, set up systems and IT, establish structures for people and organization, ensure the right infrastructure is in place, make sure finances get used for transforming the business, and corporate governance procedures are set in motion’.

Further, as per the report ‘with expanding business families, diverse personal and business interests, ambitious growth plans, rapid technological changes and a significant increase in low-cost substitutes, family businesses must align the family vision and family dynamics with business objectives’. And this completes the circle of an FB—family, business, ownership and wealth. As businesses broaden their horizons into new markets, ‘these values must be communicated internally (particularly amongst expanding family members, business leaders and employees) and externally (to key stakeholders)’ (PwC, 2016–2018).

Komal reviewed another report from the Family Firm Institute (2014) which indicated that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ‘account for over two-thirds of all family businesses globally’. Further, because the majority of these businesses overlap, their businesses range US$ 0–50 million, and despite diverse personal and business interests, their growth plans fall under the same regulatory ‘directives’, as of SMEs (World Bank, 2010).

FBs, transformed as SMEs, play an essential part in the expansion of the Indian economy, especially in the food products, retail and textiles sectors. These sectors are critical for local and international supply and ‘value chains’ that support established markets by way of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors or service providers (World Bank, 2010). With their readiness and dynamism, these sectors have demonstrated creativity and flexibility to survive. This information was aligned with Komal Singh’s thoughts, and he realized both the opportunity and challenges. For his part, Sahil Kumar reiterated that Komal International could explore the benefits listed under the Government of India’s (GOI’s) MSMED Act, 2006⁵ that encouraged MNCs and national companies to manufacture their products in India.

The Indian Textile Industry

Sahil Kumar narrated, ‘The textile sector to be a robust supporter of India’s exports – aggregated at 13 per cent export with ‘direct’ occupation to 45 million individuals, and an FDI of over US$ 3 billion in this decade’ (>OI’s Ministry of Textile Report, 2018).

The GOI under its subsidy ‘Plan for Capacity Building in the Textile Sector’ has planned to spend US$ 202.9 million between 2017 and 2020. Expansion plans by several business firms are underway. For example, Future Group,⁶ under its ‘Reasonable-Design-Organise’ programme, is to open 80 new stores in the next three years. Big Bazaar’s⁷ Fashion Chain is to develop 800 million units of clothing by 2021. Raymond Group,⁸ in partnership with KVIC,⁹ is to offer Khadi-based readymade clothing from their outlets in India. The Landmark Group¹⁰ proposes to expand business through 400 stores in 120 urban areas estimated at US$ 60 million in the coming four years.

Several initiatives of the Textile Ministry (GOI’s Ministry of Textile Report, 2018) include the introduction of fare advancement strategies for textiles under the concept of ‘Programmed Course’, restoring of power-linger weavers under the ‘Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries (SAATHI)’; associating 50 million ladies in next five years to Charkha (spinning wheel) and giving them monetary advances to open 60 additional Khadi outlets under the ‘Hastkala Sahyog Shivirs’.¹¹

Other initiatives by GOI to advance the textile industry include reconsidering of the ‘Merchandise Exports from India Scheme’ under the earlier ‘2-for-each-penny to 4-for-every-penny’¹² scheme and exclusive benefits for the power-linger weavers, such as social welfare plans, protection plan and upgrade of the out-of-date looms of weavers in the country.

The future for the Indian textile industry seems favourable. Increased consumerism and flexible cash flow suggest that the retail projects will have an agile development as compared to previous decades. More so, global players (e.g., Marks & Spencer, Guess, and Next Plc¹³) are likely to enter the Indian market. Also, domestic attire and the ‘way-of-life’ items are expected to achieve US$ 160 billion by 2025 (IBEF, 2019).

Global Home Decor Market

Sahil Kumar further quoted the home decor market, a slice of the textile industry, to grow to US$ 226 billion by 2023 in India (IBEF, 2019). He listed the following six significant factors influencing this growth (Home Decor Market Size & Trends, 2019):

Urban culture influences people’s living style. The expanding rate of urbanization and a considerable amount of country populace moving to urban regions are cultivating the request of home stylistic layout items.

The global real estate market has seen remarkable development in rising economies, subsequently, impelling enthusiasm towards home decor. Further, home stylistic layout items are finding a higher acceptance among mortgage holders who often desire to redesign their home furnishings, thus significantly promoting the request of home stylistic theme items.

Availability and prices of raw materials also had become an essential part of the home decor market. It includes a combination of many different types of necessary raw materials (wood, plastic, glass, bamboo and tiles) used in the assembly of home decor items-mainly due to the progression of innovation in making an ideal domain for the future home decor market.

Further, the home decor ‘value chain’ involves many different partners from the raw material owners and segment providers to makers or furniture integrators, and to dissemination channels. Each partner in the ‘value chain’ shares a particular purpose of their task to the overall focused value of the item (Berhardt, 2013). As such, every player in the value stream of the home stylistic theme items upgrades the related usability of the end deliverable.

Consumers can customize patterns and redo designs to feel special. Organizations have recognized the ‘personalization alternatives in design’ and are responding to it. Further, they associate with clients by recounting the story behind the ‘item’. Consumers (who while associating with the characters or ‘activity’ of the story), especially the millennial consumers, react to story-based marketing as opposed to ‘direct’ commercials. In turn, it impacts the narrating pattern with new stories from far-away societies, demonstrating their broad-mindedness. Accordingly, Asian and African styles mix and affect existing European styles, prompting new ethnic trends and symbolism restyled into contemporary looks.

Consumers, particularly millennial consumers, support sustainability and prefer to purchase items made locally and from producers who treat waste products efficiently. Such consumers expect the home items to be eco-accommodating and are willing to pay additional for items from organisations focused on positive social and ecological effect. These customers can be profiled as green consumers. They prefer to procure items from the market that demonstrates their consciousness to People and Planet¹⁴ (Caldera et al., 2019).

He summarized that several futuristic influences could allow Komal International to partake a bigger slice from the projected home decor business in the coming years. Their team of dedicated designers could respond to a request of the home stylistic layout items at short notice. It could be achieved by blending different types of raw materials, looking at the usability of the end deliverable, customization of the millennial consumers for styles, ethnic trends, restyled contemporary looks, Fairtrade products¹⁵ and products that matter to People and Planet, at short notice. Also, for the prospects of a tie-up in the real estate business, Komal Internationals could be redesigning the future homes internally.

FB Internationalization: The Concept

FBs (or SMEs) differ from large organizations because of ‘(a) differences in the resources available, (b) strategies and key drivers adopted, (c) significance to managerial values, (d) level of involvement and (e) stakeholder prioritisation’ (Coppa & Sriramesh, 2013). SME internationalization appears to be still moving in stages of development (Lampadarios et al., 2017). In the course of the transformation process, firms explore external markets (Matanda, 2012; Radici & Djalilov, 2019). Bartlett and Ghoshal (1987) say, ‘Due to internationalisation, firms must adopt business strategies that balance both domestic and international requirements through the transfer of innovation and learning.’

Some family SMEs emphasize local markets (Kontinen & Ojala, 2011), while others try for international opportunities (Eddleston et al., 2012). While internationalization increases the survival of SMEs, it also escapes domestic competition with prominent players (Azar & Ciabuschi, 2017). Traders involved in export or import were more productive as regards non-traders (Radici & Djalilov, 2019; Tavassoli, 2018). Internationalization benefits can be the creation of new occupations, cross-country trade, technological progression, procurement practices (Aleman & Guerrero, 2016) and improvement to both the economy and the way of life, in the host nation.

Internationalization and the processes contained within it include a range of measurements, perspectives and levels. The process is continuous; so, there is not a singular definition of internationalization (Lampadarios et al., 2017; Wach, 2014).

Development by ‘international expansion’ is perceived by SMEs as ‘a “getting-bigger” strategy in international markets’ (Tavassoli, 2018). The firm-level internationalization entails the ‘expansion of business operations in new geographic areas’ (Matanda, 2012).

Internationalization can be characterized (entrepreneurship approach) as an aggregate process where the international supplier firm’s goal exists (Simona et al., 2019), and relationships with the buyer firms settled: kept, developed, broken or disintegrated (Ruzzier et al., 2006; Wach & Whermann, 2014). Researchers including Lee et al. (2012) enumerate factors such as closeness to outside markets, inadequate developmental prospects natively, financial expectations and underutilized production capacity, with the possibility of entry into newer markets as some of the critical incentives for the FBs to go international. Also, the recent empirical study by Mantok et al. (2019) reveals ‘the competitor orientation to be the precursor of entrepreneurial orientation that leads to an SME’s business performance. Here, organisational learning and business performance are a consequence of entrepreneurial orientation’.

In the first phase of internationalization, most firms have inadequate learning about their markets and the players in them (Westhead, 2008). The presence of exports is a simple form of exchange. Later, with sufficiently procured information, firms are likely to involve in any intricate kind of internationalization (Radici & Djalilov, 2019; Tavassoli, 2018).

Internationalization rests both on internal and external components. It takes the form of ‘(a) back site-handled, immediate and cooperative export, (b) contractual modes like contract producing, joint operations or authorising, and (c) assumption modes, like a remote branch, joint wander auxiliary and completely claimed backup’ (Wach, 2014). Accordingly, the unwinding of the governmental policies, progress in the worldwide economy and continuous advancement in innovation facilitate the internationalization of SMEs. Even the advantages of internationalization are constrained. These could be an internal organizational shortcoming, vital business imperfections, home nation problems and target market problems (Sodhi & Tang, 2014).

Amongst SMEs, ‘export’ is the dominant type of internationalization (Westhead, 2008). Further, dependent on the utilization of their learning capacity to develop products, proficient firms will survive and grow. In contrast, the less effective will debilitate and perhaps vanish (Wright & Stigliani, 2012).

The Challenges Identified

Komal Singh and Sahil Kumar could gauge that the home decor requirements of millennial consumers and the incentives accorded by GOI for family-run SMEs encourage business opportunities. However, several challenges, as mentioned below, existed:

The firms should understand the actual need of the buyers.

There is the high importance of recognition of firms on an international level.

The firms should be ‘compliance-ready’ for smooth association with MNCs.

Need for creating an effective system for quality control.

There is a need to identify problems associated with the network of suppliers for domestic sourcing.

Komal International: The Path to Internationalization

Approach Adopted

Komal Singh thus foresaw the challenges ranging from assessing the actual need of buyers, creating an effective system for quality control, creating an active and productive network of suppliers for domestic sourcing, and the need for the recognition of the firm on an international level. The anticipated SWOT analysis for him looked similar to what has been shown in Table 1.

Table 1.

Anticipated SWOT Analysis

Strength	Weaknesses
• Full fledge manufacturing unit · Strong product base · Understands industry fluctuations · Expert designers	· Less international recognition · Weak inbound supply chain · Less focus on direct export · Inadequate quality control system
Opportunity	Threats
· Expanding business overseas · Finding new potential markets	· Lack of being ‘compliance-ready’ for smooth association with MNCs · Poor understanding of the actual need of buyers · Problems associated with the supply chain · Need for creating an effective system for quality control · Not having an active network of suppliers for domestic sourcing

Source: Authors.

He agreed to Sahil Kumar’s suggestion to pool specific information from primary data and secondary sources and analyse the data.

The primary data were gathered through a structured questionnaire followed by a personal interview with officials of 10 international vendors (MNCs)—either those who were known through an earlier business association or who were prospective buyers. The personal interviews facilitated understanding the requirements for a future association with MNCs. While interviewing, time was spent on finding drawbacks in existing product suppliers or any extra service required by the MNCs. Each official was requested to answer the following seven questions:

Name of the authorized official, company name and branch office.

List of products sold by the MNC in the Home Furnishing sector.

The terms and conditions for an association with the MNC as a supplier.

Any additional customer services expected by the MNC.

Unique characteristics that the MNC sought from its supplier.

Problems faced by the MNC while procuring goods from the Indian market.

Challenges faced by the MNC concerning logistics and supply chain.

The primary data, being qualitative, assisted in comprehensively understanding the MNC requirements. The secondary data collected from the MNCs’ websites—product specifications and company reports—helped validate some of the questions directly answered by the select respondents. Each MNC company website was checked for the product range, the specification, the do’s and don’ts for the supplier, the terms and conditions for doing business.

The critical review aided in the identification of factors that can make Komal International a ‘compliance-ready’ company to find new export markets and, at the same time, utilize government incentives for an extra margin. It also described the needs of the firm to adapt to the requirements of the buyers and to identify best practices for finding new potential overseas markets. Finally, it helped in understanding the existing company policies at the individual MNC level and identifying the specific strategies that required reconsideration by Komal International.

By shaping the internal functioning of the organization and at the same time becoming compliant for export business, the firm could see it surviving in a highly competitive market and an increase in the demand for the variety of its products.

Modifications to Internal Policies

In the quest to decrease losses, the review of the primary and secondary data supported adjustment to specific internal strategies and existing policies at Komal International.

The first task involved in getting the firm today a ‘ready company for export’ was to become ‘compliance-ready’. To become ‘compliance-ready’, there was a necessity to change several of the company’s internal and external policies for which there were too many challenges. All the company’s information needed to be realigned, and problems identified as a priority, were dealt with and implemented.

Next, there was a need for Komal International’s recognition on an international level. For this, the Internet provided an excellent medium for its identification in the global market. While Internet connectivity has globally opened entryways for individuals, partnerships, companies and countries, it has also made it workable for little firms and smaller organizations. Organizations classified as ‘nearby wholesalers’, with their presence on the Internet, are now called ‘global combinations’, and the effective two-way communication would be possible with the firms’ website and Internet connectivity.

Finally, the company had to improve product quality standards such that the items either meet or surpass clients’ desires. With product quality being the market differentiator for all the items and administrations of a company, the end goal of a company is to improve the quality of their product offerings.

All the above factors help in the successful implementation of the undertaking and getting good outcomes. The implementation required adherence to a strict roadmap and assumed priority for the realignment and avoidance of any discrepancy.

Analysis and Interpretation

While Komal International had a robust base in manufacturing and sourcing, it lacked a ‘direct’ connection to the export market. The firm needed to invest heavily in improving its internal policies to make it ‘compliance-ready’ to expand its business overseas and find new markets. Any implementations could be helpful in a fruitful association with MNCs.

Analysis of data collected from primary sources reveals the following facts:

Suppliers’ manufactured products to be precise as mentioned by MNCs.

Suppliers to comply with every rule as listed by MNCs in the contract (and as specified on their websites).

Suppliers to adhere to the tight supply schedule for timely deliveries.

Suppliers to introduce new products frequently and specialize according to specific country/region taste and preferences.

Suppliers to provide timely updates on order status.

Similarly, the following information was highlighted after analysing secondary sources:

Availability of a set of rules for supplier’s compliance on MNC websites.

For suppliers to match their product offerings, the availability of the range of product categories and product specifications on MNC websites.

All quality parameters as specified by MNCs available with their product descriptions.

The description on the list of certifications required by the suppliers.

Product price offerings.

Analysing the strategic business potential of Komal International, this FB was positioned into a high market growth region but with a low market share. And to increase its market share, the company needs to invest heavily.

Further, the takeaways for internationalization include the following:

Need for proper planning before implementing any project by the suppliers.

Need for actual demand recognition.

Proper balance between customer needs and product designing.

To efficiently manage the internal policies (being vital in the overall operations).

Proper utilization of all resources.

Availability of real-time data to get accurate results.

Conclusion

This study has reviewed the role and opportunities for an FB in the expansion of the Indian economy, especially in the wake policy changes, including the ‘Make in India’¹⁶ programme.

In India, the growth of home decor is anticipated at US$ 226 billion by 2023 (IBEF, 2018). It supports the progress of established markets by way of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors or service providers for the local and international supply and value chains.

The idea of FB internationalization is a transformational process wherein firms explore external markets (Radica & Djalilov, 2019). The internationalization process can lessen the unpredictability of the participating firm while considering worldwide expansion. Small businesses must balance both domestic and international requirements in their business strategies.

In this study, Komal International, an FB associated with the export of home furnishings, adopts the process for getting compliance-ready for internationalization. The firm, through the structured questionnaire followed by a personal interview, was able to identify the requirements of the buyer and to identify best practices for finding new potential overseas markets. By shaping the internal functioning and at the same time becoming compliant for export business, the firm is capable of surviving in a highly competitive market. It increases the demand for the firm’s products. By making itself ‘compliance-ready’, Komal International can enter the overseas business and find a new market for their products. This case study can be used to develop a policy for new entrants in the specific market.

The limitations of the study are defining quality parameters based on product specifications and interviewing fewer MNCs. A similar procedure can be extended in future to (a) country-specific analysis, (b) inter-port trade trends and (c) people and cultural analysis.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received grant for this case study (JGU Research Grant No: JGU/RGP/2016/001).

Notes

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