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

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.

Structuration and Learning in a Software Firm

This case study presents the evolution of a software firm from startup into early internationalization. Building on a structuration theory, the case is framed within a conceptual model that illustrates the way skills and routines co-evolve both at the level of the founding entrepreneur (agency) and of the firm (structure). As such, this article contributes to an emergent structurational view of technology-based entrepreneurship. Such views places emphasis on learning both at the individual and collective level, in terms of software engineering, commercial, managerial and strategic capabilities. In addition, it supports a dynamic perspective of entrepreneurship in the software industry by covering not only the startup phase but also early growth and consolidation of the firm.

A Triad of Uppsala Internationalization of Emerging Markets Firms and Challenges: A Systematic Review

The economic advancement of emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and India has been regarded as one of the benefits of a globalized world. This paper revisits and evaluates the Uppsala model to teases out the process, speed, determinants, and challenges of early internationalization approaches of firms in transition and emerging markets (TEMs). Applying Systematic Literature Review (SLR), this article collects, disintegrates, and categorizes previous studies, synthesizing the theoretical models to shed light on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) characteristics, behaviour, and motives to internationalise, as well as the approaches to internationalisation. This method identified 183 articles published between 2008–2018 from 84 international journals. A triad (a set of three related things) highlights the three main features of the Integrated Uppsala Model including the basic assumptions, influential factors, and competitive strategies of firms. The findings suggest that the institutional–legal environment constitutes key barriers that firms in TEMs must overcome to develop an early internationalization strategy. It appears that internationalization literature focusing on emerging markets is biased towards China. The review identifies a need for future studies to (i) focus on emerging markets firms in Africa and South America; and (ii), provide a cross-country analysis and evaluation of internationalization strategies of TEMs.

Fluchtpunkt Techno?

The term “conexión chilena” is regularly used in print media and internet articles to describe a group of DJs, some of them very successful, who fled as children with their families to Europe during the Chilean military dictatorship (1973–1990) and have become part of the growing EDM scene there since the 1990s. Names that are often mentioned in this context include Matías Aguayo, Andrés and Pier Bucci, Luciano (Lucien Nicolet), Martin Schopf/DJ Dandy Jack, Paula Schopf/DJ Chica Paula, Ricardo Villalobos and Cristian Vogel. Based on interviews and the analytical study of selected tracks by three of these artists, this article explores the question of the role that the “conexión” actually played. On the one hand, this question is applied to the work and career of the artists themselves, especially in light of developments in Chilean memory culture. On the other hand, it is applied to the early internationalization and transatlantic exchange in the field of techno and EDM. (Vorlage)

The use and knowledge of export promotion programs in the early internationalization of Brazilian SMEs

PurposeThis paper aimed to evaluate the differences in the use and knowledge of export promotion programs (EPPs) between Brazilian SMEs that internationalized early and SMEs that internationalized in a gradual, traditional fashion. Additionally, it tested hypotheses that distinguish these two types of SME internationalization processes in an emerging market context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors tested four hypotheses in a sample of 540 SME Brazilian exporters. The sample was divided into two groups according to the born global (BG) criteria: 379 SMEs with gradual or traditional internationalization (TI) and 161 SMEs with early internationalization (EI).FindingsThe results indicate that Brazilian EI SMEs operate in more countries and continents than TI SMEs. In emerging countries such as Brazil, the domestic market continues to play an important role both for SMEs that internationalize early and those whose process is slower. Even though logistic regression could not classify the sample of TI and EI SMEs according to their knowledge about EPPs, the results led to the idea that EI SMEs currently use more specific EPPs than do TI SMEs.Practical implicationsManagers of successful SMEs from emerging markets need to incorporate EPPs into their internationalization strategy. In emerging markets with large domestic markets, SME managers can meet their growth needs by exploiting opportunities in both domestic and international markets.Originality/valueResearch on the early internationalization of SMEs has long focused on SMEs from developed markets and on internal factors. Moreover, the effects of EPPs on the firm' performance of large and SME firms has also been the subject of study. The value of this paper relies on the intersection of EPPs and the early internationalization of SMEs, even for firms in developed markets.

State ownership and early internationalization of Chinese firms: the moderating roles of firm size and the proportion of SOEs

PurposeApplying the institution-based view and the resource-based view, this study explores how state ownership influences early internationalization of emerging market firms, how it interacts with firm size to have an impact and how the proportion of SOEs moderates this interaction effect.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 717 Chinese listed firms, this study uses Poisson regression, ordinary least square regression and Heckman two-stage estimation to analyze the data.FindingsThis study finds state ownership does not influence early internationalization, state ownership and firm size jointly can have a significant impact, and the proportion of SOEs in an industry sector can moderate this interaction effect.Originality/valueThis study enriches our understanding of the impact of home government involvement on internationalization strategies of emerging market firms, contributes to early internationalization research by building the theoretical mechanisms about these direct and interaction effects and by providing empirical results and provides important advices to firm decision-makers and government policymakers. By examining these interaction effects, it also provides a solution to the theoretical conflict created by the two opposing effects of state ownership.

Founders’ Prior Shared International Experience, Time to First Foreign Market Entry, and New Venture Performance

We examine the influence of founders’ prior shared international experience on the timing of their new ventures’ first entry into foreign markets. We propose that this experience, which is gained by founders working concurrently for the same international firm prior to the founding of the current company, provides them with shared knowledge and routines that they can use to enter foreign markets for the first time earlier in the venture’s life. Further, we propose that founders’ diversity strengthens this relationship, because diverse groups of founders have a broader range of knowledge, skills, and perspectives, which facilitates the adaptation of their prior shared international experience to their new venture setting. This is likely to further reduce the time it takes them to enter foreign markets for the first time. We also argue that industry dynamism weakens the relationship between founders’ prior shared international experience and the time to first foreign market entry, because this type of experience is likely to become obsolete in a rapidly changing environment. Finally, we hypothesize that early internationalizers enjoy higher performance than late internationalizers. We test these predictions using a sample of Swedish new ventures. Our results contribute to the literatures on founders’ shared experience and early internationalization.

Borders of Network Effects and Early Internationalization as a Latecomer Strategy

Scholars have examined the persistent heterogeneity of firm performance from the entry-order effect perspective. In the international business literature, this perspective has been highlighted in research on early internationalization (i.e., the born global strategy). While prior work has focused on the heterogeneity of firm characteristics and capabilities, we present a demand-side view of early internationalization by focusing on network effects. Prior theoretical work on network effects has predicted that when network effects are prominent, survival is challenging for latecomers because of the installed bases of first movers in the global market. However, we see many cases, such as the mobile instant messenger (MIM) market, where no single winner dominates the global market and where many latecomers have survived by implementing early internationalization. We build upon Brian Arthur’s model of demand-side dynamics. The findings suggest that latecomers may overcome their disadvantages by pursuing early internationalization, especially when the direct network effects (i.e., social network effects) are stronger than the indirect network effects (i.e., installed base effects). The underlying rationale is that country borders often demarcate the reach of the direct network effect, limiting the power of installed bases.

Development and expansion of born global firms in Serbia

Early internationalization has been widely recognized as an important research topic since 1990s when the term "born global firms" was for the first time introduced. Although there is significant research interest for early internationalization in developed and developing countries, in Serbia and Western Balkan this topic has not received considerable attention from the scientific community. At the same time, early internationalization of small and medium-sized firms is present and can not be neglected in the region and Serbia. This paper aims to identify the main prerequisites for the development of born global firms, and to identify and analyze small and medium-sized firms from Serbia with international business orientation from their founding. The analysis will be conducted based on literature review and available secondary data on small and medium-sized firms and their export. In this way, the early-internationalized small and medium-sized firms from Serbia will be mapped. As there are no available databases, this research will provide first insight into the extent of early internationalization and emergence of born global firms, and their characteristics, regarding industry, location, number of employees, business experience, and export expansion. The results would be discussed in regard to the studies conducted in developed countries. Some policy implications in the area of export promotion will be recognized.