European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, Vol. 2, No.11 , pp 70-87, February 2014. P.P. 70 - 87 URL: http:/ / www.ejbss.com/ r ecent.aspx ISSN: 2235 -767X EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 70 EXPANSION PROCESSES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DI MENSI ONS RELATED TO SIZE Mauricio Emboaba Moreira, PhD Civil Engineer, Master in Public Administration, Doctor in Business Administration Senior Consultant for Associ ação Brasileira das Empresas Aéreas (ABEAR, www.abear.com.br); Senior Advi sor for GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil (www.voegol.com.br); Member of the Environment Committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA); international lecturer for Boeing, Embraer, University of Cranfield, Routes, among other inst itutions, and consul tant in busi ness strategy. Former professor i n Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketi ng, Brazil (www.espm.br) meemboaba@t erra.com.br; com (55 11) 2128-4148, cell (55 11) 99295-4857, fax (55 11) 5098-7888 ABSTRACT his paper discusses the objectives and nature of entrepreneurial expansion, with the aim of providing an understanding why firms are frequently engaged in expansi on processes. The core issue discussed is: Is si ze an important dimension for the success of a firm? This issue is not new. However, a definitive answer to this question has not been given by the academy yet. By reviewing the importance given by the theorists to firms’ size under a historical perspective, the article indicates the guidelines to be considered in order to give a proper response to this critical issue. The paper concludes that the once over valued dimensions related to size gradually have lost their relative importance along the time, as quantitative approaches has been substituted by qual itative perspecti ves. Key words: strategy, expansion, size, market share, gains of scale. T