On 4 June 2015 a public defense of the doctoral thesis of Plamena Klyusik on Corporate Strategies for Entering new Foreign Markets supervised by Prof. Antoaneta Vassileva, Ph.D took place at the University of National and World Economy. The dissertation work is concentrated on the strategies of high technology IT companies in the process of their entry and establishment of foreign markets in terms of internationalization and globalization. Based on extensive background analysis of contemporary theoretical views on the development of international business in the context of globalization processes less known and more commonly used strategies entering the international market are outlined. Emphasis is placed on those that explain new phenomena related to IT companies – the concept of knowledge management, network approach, outsourcing resource theory, theory of the born global companies, global supply chains, the concept of international entrepreneurship. Additionally the thesis includes studies of Bulgarian authors, including research projects at the International Economic Relations and Business Department at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) which have strong drive to upgrade the achieved level of knowledge.

The thesis contains empirical study with a special attention to cases as Dell, HP, Lireks.kom, Musala Soft, ALLTERCO, ITCE, ScaleFocus and Telerik, acquired by the American company Progress Software. The author reflects personal observations from her professional work in various international IT companies and during her studies in Global Business Program at FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria. The cases can be used in the curricula for students in International Marketing and International Business.

The authoritative scientific jury chaired by Prof. Dr. Sc. (Econ.) Bistra Boeva awarded Plamena Klyusik with educational and scientific degree PhD in Economics.