Diversity Management During the Internationalization Process for Early Internationalizing Firms

Abstract

An important body of literature has focused on the antecedents of the internationalization process for early internationalizing firms (EIFs) and few studies unraveled the potential role of human resource diversity. Drawing on diversity management literature and developing its argument with insights of the resource-based view, this study explores the role of human resource diversity management during the EIFs internationalization process. This exploratory qualitative study analyzed the internationalization process of eight French EIFs at different phases of the internationalization process and adopting different diversity management perspectives. Findings show that human resource diversity can become a strategic, ordinary or negative resource depending on the way it is managed. Three perspectives of diversity management and their contrasting effects are therefore discussed. Finally, this study highlights the importance of a transition phase between the entry to the post-entry phase during internationalization process for EIFs, especially when considering human resource diversity.