Abstract
Digital technologies have led to born-digital companies, defined by their highly digitalized value chains, designed at their inception. Born-digital (BD) companies leverage digitalization across their value chains in the internationalization path. However, despite this emergence, very few empirical studies in international business literature have explained the impact of bricolage in conducting value chain activities and exploiting the internationalization strategy of BD companies. The present study responds to these omissions of how the digitalization of the value chain activities and the internationalization strategy enhance companies by allowing them to reach customers (users) and partners with available resources and less time. The results indicate that the digitalization of value chain activities facilitates the re-use and mixing of the resources at hand to overcome challenges, innovate solutions, or create new opportunities for international growth, in line with the bricolage theory. Overall, this study contributes to international business literature regarding, specifically, the behaviors of born-digital companies as they strategically approach internationalization efforts.
Highlights
The corresponding main research question the present study focuses on is this: What is the impact of bricolage on the relationship between value chain activities and the internationalization strategy of BD companies? Following the nascent research archetype suggested by Edmondson and McManus [24] and Fisher and Aguinis [25] to design this research, a descriptive and exploratory analysis was employed to investigate BD companies based on a qualitative approach using multiple case studies to explore in an inductive manner how BD companies develop and implement their internationalization strategies in a highly uncertain, resource-constrained context
Bricolage is about making do with what is available at hand, and effectuation is about selecting between a given set of means and their possible effects [57,88,89]
BD companies can reach customers and partners with digital resources at hand, whereas low-digital companies use available resources to foresee the possible outcomes of their decisions
Summary
Of companies [1,2]. To assume internationalization for digital companies would be easy is a misconception (see, e.g., empirical work on the “virtuality paradox” by Sinkovics, Sinkovics, and Ruey-Jer 2013); specific skills and capabilities are needed. Entrepreneurs who understand the implications of and how to leverage analytics and big data, artificial intelligence and automation, and cloud computing enable their companies to connect and collaborate with customers and stakeholders with efficiency and precision, thereby creating new opportunities and staying ahead of competition [3]. One of the common challenges for digital companies is technological uncertainty (due to the need for rapid change and innovation in R&D technology), which is occasionally fueled by a lack of resources [4,5].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
