scholarly journals What do we know about capabilities and early internationalization? A review and synthesis

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eldrede T. Kahiya ◽  
Caitlin Warwood

Purpose The purpose of this study is to organize and assess knowledge on the capabilities pertinent to the early internationalization of born globals (BGs) and international new ventures (INVs). Design/methodology/approach A systematic approach is used to search, code, organize and synthesize 155 peer-reviewed journal articles on capabilities and early internationalization. Findings The study delimits eight operational and five dynamic capabilities. The synthesis links capabilities to three antecedents (i.e. firm specific factors, managerial socio cognitive attributes and market factors) and three outcomes (i.e. precocity, survival and performance). While 7 of the 12 linkages identified are well-established, relationships involving market factors, survival and dynamic capabilities are sparsely researched. Research limitations/implications The authors know more about the effects of firm specific factors and managerial socio cognitive attributes on operational and dynamic capabilities than we do the influence of market factors on either group of capabilities. Likewise, the authors know more about the influence of operational and dynamic capabilities on performance than we do their impact on precocity or survival. Practical implications As the pandemic has shown, businesses with adaptable capabilities (e.g. shifting from a brick and mortar to an online/omnichannel approach or micro-breweries competent to switch from manufacturing beer to hand sanitizer) have increased their chance of survival while helping society cope. Originality/value This to the authors’ knowledge is the first study to provide a comprehensive review of literature on the nebulous concept of capabilities, in the context of the burgeoning research stream on early internationalization.

Author(s):  
Dominic Buccieri ◽  
Raj G Javalgi ◽  
Vivien E Jancenelle

This article examines the phenomenon of dynamic capabilities in international new ventures (INVs) from emerging markets. While this research stream is gaining traction, the literature is fragmented as to how INVs from emerging markets develop dynamic capabilities to overcome resource constraints and legitimacy issues. The authors highlight the importance of a comprehensive international entrepreneurial culture (IEC) to better understand how these INVs develop dynamic capabilities and foster international performance. This study draws on organisational learning and the knowledge-based view (KBV) to examine the role of IEC in shaping dynamic capabilities and international performance under various levels of market turbulence. To conduct our analyses, this study uses a sample of INVs from India – a key emerging market. The results indicate that IEC shapes dynamic capabilities and both support superior international performance. The findings also confirm the utility of IEC towards dynamic capabilities and international performance when operating in turbulent markets.


Author(s):  
Romeo V. Turcan ◽  
Anita Juho

Purpose The extant research on early internationalizing ventures focuses primarily on these ventures’ start-up phase or their initial internationalization. Scarce attention is paid to how these ventures grow, if at all, beyond their start-up phase or initial internationalization phase. This paper aims to explore how international new ventures transition from the internationalizing phase to the phase of being international, and whether they actually made it to that phase. Understanding whether and how these ventures reach their “made-it” point would contribute to our understanding of how early internationalization affects a venture’s survival and growth. In this, the authors draw on the dynamic capability theory of the firm. Design/methodology/approach Given the scarcity of theoretical understanding and empirical evidence in this substantive area of research, the authors adopted a multiple case study methodology for the purpose of theory building. Following an intensity sampling strategy, they purposefully selected information-rich, but not extreme two-case companies. The authors initially collected unobtrusive data in the form of running records and mass-media news reports from the inception of the case companies. They then conducted in-depth interviews with key decision makers of the case companies, namely, their co-founders and CEOs. Critical incident technique guidelines for data analysis were employed. Findings Grounded in data, the following constructs emerged related to value creation: strategic experimentation, gestalt tensions and legitimacy lies. Entrepreneurs experiment with and reconfigure their venture at several levels: goal (vision), decision (strategic) and behavioral (tactical) levels of the organizational gestalt to reach a threshold level of practiced activity. Entrepreneurs’ strategic experimentation efforts are fueled by tensions that exist at these three levels of the organizational gestalt. During this experimentation process, entrepreneurs may tell legitimacy lies to legitimate their ventures in the eyes of their stakeholders. Research limitations/implications Given the instrument the authors used to explore the issues and concerns identified above, the results are limited in scope. However, a number of questions and conjectures are put forward to guide future research in this currently under-researched area of international entrepreneurship. The authors have also suggested using the concept of turning point in future research to advance the understanding of the dynamic capability view of international new ventures. Practical implications Understanding whether and how international new ventures reach their made-it points would contribute to the understanding of how early internationalization affects international new ventures’ organizational survival and growth. Originality/value The authors have put forward the concept of the made-it point to aid international entrepreneurship researchers to investigate the continued growth, evolutionary patterns and the organizational survival of international new ventures.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitin Pangarkar ◽  
Lin Yuan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how geographic diversification affects the performance of international new ventures. Design/methodology/approach This study develops hypotheses about the individual and joint effects of geographic diversification and industry life cycle on the performance of international new ventures. This paper also introduces industry technology characteristics as a contingent factor for the above relationships and tests the hypotheses on a large panel data set. Findings Based on the analyses of the strategies and performance of 699 listed Chinese international new ventures between 1991 and 2014, this study finds that the impact of geographic diversification on performance is contingent on the stage of the industry life cycle and that the moderating effect differs across high-technology and low-technology industries. The results suggest that it is fruitful for international new ventures in high-technology industries to undertake geographic diversification in earlier stages of the industry life cycle, but international new ventures in low-technology industries are better off undertaking geographic diversification during the later stages of the industry life cycle. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on international entrepreneurship by identifying the industry life cycle conditions under which the learning advantages of international new ventures are effective and facilitate the achievement of better performance. This paper also shows that industry technology type matters for geographic diversification strategies of international new ventures.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Pehrsson ◽  
Navid Ghannad ◽  
Anders Pehrsson ◽  
Tobias Abt ◽  
Siyuan Chen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-652
Author(s):  
Pablo Ledesma-Chaves ◽  
Jorge Arenas-Gaitán ◽  
Rosario Garcia-Cruz

PurposeTaking into account the resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities theory, the main aim of this research is to analyse how the intensification of the internationalisation process entails a solution for the problems generated by an economic crisis in the national market. To do so, we establish two specific goals. The first is to find out the mediator value of the dynamic marketing capability in the relation between the strategy of increasing markets and performance. The second is to determine if there exist differences in this relation between firms of incremental internationalisation and firms of early internationalisation, called international new ventures (INV).Design/methodology/approachThe study provides information on these problems via testing hypotheses of a conceptual model, which uses a sample of 145 Spanish export firms. The data analysis employs a structural equation modelling (SEM) through partial least squares (PLS) as a statistical instrument.FindingsThe results lead to two main conclusions: (1) in times of economic crisis, the dynamic marketing capability plays a mediator role between the increase of the number of international markets served and the international and national results; (2) the dynamic marketing capabilities bring about learning effects in the internationalisation process, which affect incremental firms and INV differently.Originality/valueThis work explores, in times of crisis, how internationalisation becomes a way out for firms to increase the levels of demand and improve their general performance. Furthermore, it also analyses the mediator role of the dynamic marketing capability in the relation between the increase of the level of internationalisation and the firm performance. In this relation, it establishes that there are significant differences in the results obtained between incremental internationalisation firms and INV, determining the notable strategic differences between the two management models when facing periods of economic recession.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgita Sekliuckiene

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore factors leading to the early internationalization of international new ventures (INVs) in Lithuania – a transition economy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The determinants of early internationalization were grouped into three categories: entrepreneurial, firm-related and contextual determinants, and their impact on high-tech INVs that operate in emerging economies was investigated. Design/methodology/approach The research design is a case study approach. Case studies are presented of six Lithuanian entrepreneurial firms that demonstrated successful internationalization and rapidly expanded into foreign markets during the preceding year. Findings Region-specific theoretical propositions are provided for new ventures in CEE emerging economies. The results reveal that essential factors leading to the early internationalization of INVs operating in Lithuania, a transition economy, are entrepreneurial factors. Internationalization of INVs from CEE emerging economies is driven by push factors related to domestic market specifics; however, institutional factors do not seem to have a significant impact on INVs’ internationalization. Research limitations/implications The results of the analysis of the case studies are not generalizable to the entire population of INVs in Lithuania. However, the results are substantial considering the success of high-tech Lithuanian firms that started their international activities shortly after their inception. Future research can contribute to the literature by seeking to apply international new venture theory in the context of emerging economies with larger samples and a focus on distinct patterns of internationalization. Originality/value The findings contribute to the literature on international entrepreneurship by exploring early internationalization of INVs in the context of transition economies in CEE. This study’s contribution is based on theory building, especially in understanding the driving factors related to the early internationalization of new ventures founded by Lithuanian entrepreneurs. International entrepreneurship studies in the CEE, as well as Baltic countries, are limited, and this research contributes to filling this gap.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro Dias ◽  
Pereira Renato

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer an operationalization of an aggregate construct and a decisive contribution to building a dynamic capabilities theory with marketing implications. The authors investigate the influence of dynamic capabilities, specifically routine creation through embedding learning and knowledge, on marketing capabilities and performance in Portugal. The authors examine the direct relationship between dynamic capabilities and marketing capabilities, which is indirectly linked to performance depending on the effectiveness of the resulting new resource configuration. Design/methodology/approach The authors used four construct dimensions: knowledge creation routines, knowledge transfer processes, marketing capabilities, and firm performance. The study was based on an inter-industry random sample of firms selected from a commercial list. During a nine-month period the authors gathered data from a questionnaire delivered in hand to participating firms and collected through in-depth personal interviews. It was filled out by directors of Portuguese firms who agreed to participate in this study. Findings First, dynamic capabilities play an important role in the evolution of marketing capabilities and the maintenance of competitive advantage. Specifically, the authors identified a link between knowledge creation routines and knowledge transfer processes with marketing capabilities. Second, the effect of dynamic capabilities on performance can be considered to be substantially indirect. However, the results also show a direct link between knowledge transfer and performance. Originality/value First, the development of a model establishing the contribution to the evolution of marketing capabilities in order to compete in a changing environment, considering the critical effect of knowledge creation and transfer in a non-static market configuration. Second, the analysis of marketing capabilities from different layers, from strategic to more operational aspects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 890-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pushyarag N. Puthusserry ◽  
Zaheer Khan ◽  
Peter Rodgers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role that different collaborative entry modes play in how international new ventures (INVs) expand into international markets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper’s arguments are based on the INVs and social network literatures. In order to investigate the entry modes adopted by British and Indian small and medium information and communication technology (ICT) firms into each other’s markets, the paper outlines the results of qualitative semi-structured interviews with the key decision makers of ten British and ten Indian ICT firms.FindingsThe findings contribute to the relatively under-researched area of how INVs enter foreign markets through collaborative entry mode. The findings suggest that INVs utilize both equity and non-equity modes of collaboration to expand their international operations. The findings also indicate that financial and non-financial resources always limit the market expansion and internationalization of such companies. Against this background, the INVs rely on building collaboration as one of the safest methods for foreign market expansion and successful internationalization. The collaborative entry mode is enhanced by entrepreneurs’ prior experience, social ties and knowledge of the foreign market.Research limitations/implicationsSet against the backdrop of an ever-increasing trend of internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the paper offers important implications for understanding the conditions and factors behind the choice of collaborative and non-collaborative entry modes by INVs in particular and SMEs more broadly.Originality/valueThe paper is one of the few studies that have examined the role of collaborative entry modes choice adopted by INVs from two of the largest economies – the UK and India.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina de Almeida Cruz ◽  
Victor Silva Corrêa ◽  
Daniela Martins Diniz ◽  
Felipe Mendes Borini

PurposeThe dynamic capabilities (DC) literature focuses primarily on top managers. Although recent studies have drawn attention to middle management's (MM) relevance, these professionals have not been the focus of much attention in the DC literature. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how MM influences DC dimensions.Design/methodology/approachThrough a qualitative strategy and case-study method, 13 MM professionals from four Brazilian companies embedded in competitive and dynamic contexts were investigated. The “micro-practices” approach was used to operationalize the DC construct.FindingsThe evidence shows that MM influences DC dimensions. This influence appears to emanate from 19 identified and named micro-practices.Practical implicationsBy examining how micro-practices (micro-level) influence macro-level DC dimensions, this article raises the significance of including the micro-practices identified herein in management-training programs.Originality/valueThe first relates to the identification of micro-practices within the MM scope. The second relates to the association of micro-practices with management functions. The third relates to the association of micro-practices with DC dimensions. Thereby, this article highlights how DC work in organizations' daily activities. The fourth is the construction of a framework that demonstrates how to integrate the DC micro (micro-practices), meso (managerial functions) and macro (DC dimensions) scopes. Fifth, this paper affirms the emerging research stream that stresses MM's relevance for DC generation.


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