The role of innovation in the effective international expansion of an emerging-country firm: The case of Arçelik

Abstract

Successful international expansion by emerging-country firms is often predicated on technological capability and organizational restructuring that facilitates innovativeness. In the case of Turkey's leading home appliance manufacturer Arçelik, international expansion appears to have been to a large extent impingent on the development of technological and innovation capabilities. This paper aims to show how this emerging-country firm has utilized technology and innovation management to catapult itself to the ranks of regional players in the global home appliance industry and delineates the specific ways in which it has accomplished this. The paper contributes to international marketing literature by examining the role of organizational and product innovation in the internationalization of an emerging-country firm.