The Internationalisation of Portuguese Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): An Exploratory Study

This chapter aims to: (i) investigate the underlying motivations that have led Portuguese NGOs to engage in the process of international expansion; (ii) examine the role of networking; (iii) highlight the constraints of performing the activities in a foreign country. The results obtained show that the main reasons that motivate social organizations to start the internationalization process are related mainly with personal factors, specifically the recognition of local needs in the host country and the awareness of the situation when visiting the country. To perform the activities in the host country is critical the network of contacts nurtured along the process by the promoters of the social initiative. The research also points out the difficulties of helping populations in the specific context of the developing countries, such as bureaucracy, corruption and weak basic infrastructures.