The main aim and message of this research article is to explore the rapidly emerging question of how the smaller and younger firm with international growth aspirations (iSMEs) should re-examine their legacy strategies and augment them by leveraging (The harnessing of the firms’ potential strengths or reducing the adverse impact of weaknesses are further discussed through the concepts of augmentation by leveraging of selected advancing capabilities. For more elaborations, for example see: (i) Bate (Res Technol Manag 68(2):69-71, 2025), Gaining traction with Gen AI in 2025. Research-Technology Management, 68(2), 69–71. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2025.2446136">https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2025.2446136</a>.; (ii) Etemad, (J Int Entrep 22(2):141–163, 2024), The transformative potentials of generative artificial intelligence: Should international entrepreneurial enterprises adopt GEN. AI? Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 22(2), 141–163. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-024-00363-8">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-024-00363-8</a>; (iii) Bornet, Wirtz, Davenport, De Cremer, Evergreen, Fersht, & Mullakara, (2025). Agentic Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing AI Agents to Reinvent Business, Work and Life. Irreplaceable Publishing; and (iv) Giuggioli & Pellegrini (Int J Entrep Behav Res 29(4):816–837, 2023). Artificial intelligence as an enabler for entrepreneurs: A systematic literature review and an agenda for future research. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 29(4), 816–837. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-05-2021-0426">https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-05-2021-0426</a>) the rapidly advancing information-, innovation-, and technology-based developments, while responding to the increasing more popular and socio-political demands for firms’ strategic re-orientation to preserve their respective environments regardless of their size, industry and locations? The supporting research indicates that the time has arrived, if not far past already, and the iSMEs’ need for examining and upgrading their strategic capabilities has become nearly urgent. The related follow-up question is how and when to start the upgrading process? This article’s research suggests that firms in general, and iSMEs in particular, urgently need to improve upon the potency of their strategic processes through augmenting their capabilities by capitalizing on the power of leveraging their choice of rapidly advancing technological capabilities for gaining competitiveness, and also for achieving higher concordance and conference with their evolving eco-systems to avoid falling behind (Kulkarni, Valeri, & William, (IGI Global, 2025)), regardless of their size, offerings, and market(s). Although the leveraging of advancing capabilities would be desirable, the decisions of if, how, what and when fall on the shoulders of the smaller and younger firm’s executive, who need to adopt a more effective and systematic leveraging framework. This paper introduces an effective heuristic framework entitled as the Intellectual, Cognitive, Analytical and Interactive structure for firms leveraging their choice(s) of rapidly advancing capability, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI, AAI, or Gen AI (Etemad, (Implications and lessons for international entrepreneurship Volume 22(No. 4), 2025b) and Etemad, (J Int Entrepr Volume 22(No. 3), 2025a), amongst others, for continually improving upon their strategies and enhancing their processes through their ongoing intellectually analytic and cognitively interactive leveraging efforts. In favor of clarity and space, this paper focusses on AI or AAI as an example of the rapidly advancing capabilities, but not to the exclusion of others, in empowering iSMEs to achieve higher global competitiveness and increase their international growth rates worldwide.

SME’s higher global competitiveness and increased international growth: The augmenting power of leveraging rapidly advancing technological capabilities, including AI and AAI, through an analytic, cognitive, interactive, and reliable heuristic framework

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2026年5月22日

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Hamid Etemad

摘要

The main aim and message of this research article is to explore the rapidly emerging question of how the smaller and younger firm with international growth aspirations (iSMEs) should re-examine their legacy strategies and augment them by leveraging (The harnessing of the firms’ potential strengths or reducing the adverse impact of weaknesses are further discussed through the concepts of augmentation by leveraging of selected advancing capabilities. For more elaborations, for example see: (i) Bate (Res Technol Manag 68(2):69-71, 2025), Gaining traction with Gen AI in 2025. Research-Technology Management, 68(2), 69–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2025.2446136.; (ii) Etemad, (J Int Entrep 22(2):141–163, 2024), The transformative potentials of generative artificial intelligence: Should international entrepreneurial enterprises adopt GEN. AI? Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 22(2), 141–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-024-00363-8; (iii) Bornet, Wirtz, Davenport, De Cremer, Evergreen, Fersht, & Mullakara, (2025). Agentic Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing AI Agents to Reinvent Business, Work and Life. Irreplaceable Publishing; and (iv) Giuggioli & Pellegrini (Int J Entrep Behav Res 29(4):816–837, 2023). Artificial intelligence as an enabler for entrepreneurs: A systematic literature review and an agenda for future research. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 29(4), 816–837. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-05-2021-0426) the rapidly advancing information-, innovation-, and technology-based developments, while responding to the increasing more popular and socio-political demands for firms’ strategic re-orientation to preserve their respective environments regardless of their size, industry and locations? The supporting research indicates that the time has arrived, if not far past already, and the iSMEs’ need for examining and upgrading their strategic capabilities has become nearly urgent. The related follow-up question is how and when to start the upgrading process? This article’s research suggests that firms in general, and iSMEs in particular, urgently need to improve upon the potency of their strategic processes through augmenting their capabilities by capitalizing on the power of leveraging their choice of rapidly advancing technological capabilities for gaining competitiveness, and also for achieving higher concordance and conference with their evolving eco-systems to avoid falling behind (Kulkarni, Valeri, & William, (IGI Global, 2025)), regardless of their size, offerings, and market(s). Although the leveraging of advancing capabilities would be desirable, the decisions of if, how, what and when fall on the shoulders of the smaller and younger firm’s executive, who need to adopt a more effective and systematic leveraging framework. This paper introduces an effective heuristic framework entitled as the Intellectual, Cognitive, Analytical and Interactive structure for firms leveraging their choice(s) of rapidly advancing capability, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI, AAI, or Gen AI (Etemad, (Implications and lessons for international entrepreneurship Volume 22(No. 4), 2025b) and Etemad, (J Int Entrepr Volume 22(No. 3), 2025a), amongst others, for continually improving upon their strategies and enhancing their processes through their ongoing intellectually analytic and cognitively interactive leveraging efforts. In favor of clarity and space, this paper focusses on AI or AAI as an example of the rapidly advancing capabilities, but not to the exclusion of others, in empowering iSMEs to achieve higher global competitiveness and increase their international growth rates worldwide.