Internationalization Process Research Articles

Oryx Desert Salt: grand ambitions for global growth

Learning outcomes At the end of the case discussion, students should be able to trace the journey of launching a start-up by evaluating how opportunities and hurdles can be navigated throughout the international entrepreneurial process; assess the increasing trend towards internationalisation for start-ups and identify a range of factors contributing to the growth in global entrepreneurship; formulate an argument highlighting the role of the networking and partnerships when adopting a global strategy; propose how a firm could develop a unique mix of resources to obtain a sustained competitive advantage globally against other firms; and make an informed decision regarding various issues that entrepreneurs need to consider when going global and analyse how they can effectively deal with a crisis they may face. Case overview/synopsis Oryx Desert Salt is sourced from ancient, unpolluted, sustainable underground salt lakes in the pristine and remote uninhabitable Kalahari semi-desert of South Africa. Samantha Skyring is the founding CEO of Oryx Desert Salt. Her inspiration for the name was her 120-km, one-week walk through the Namib Desert in 2000, when she had several close encounters with the Oryx Gazelle, becoming the symbol of that Kalahari experience. Oryx products currently feature on the tables of between 1,500 and 2,500 local restaurants country-wide, and in the retail sector, Oryx salt is on the shelves of about 1,000 stores of retailers, plus in several health shops and deli’s countrywide. Regarding the business’s global footprint, Oryx Desert Salt currently exports to 23 countries and is also available on Amazon.com. Notwithstanding that Samantha Skyring has succeeded in making Oryx Desert Salt the well-known local household brand she had intended; she is contemplating greater international expansion and reach. She has envisioned Oryx salt to become a respected global household brand, in the same way Himalayan pink salt gained popularity worldwide as a gourmet salt. Given Samantha’s challenge of finding suitable speciality distributors in the different countries to help get her product in restaurants and retail, what would be the best approach to achieve her vision of becoming a global brand? To what extent could she capitalise and leverage various resources to further globalise Oryx’s business operations? How could she ensure that the extent and diversity of global reach provides Oryx Desert Salt with a sustained competitive advantage? Complexity academic level Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Management, Executive Education Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The role of intuition and rationality in the causation-effectuation decision-making puzzle

PurposeWe aim to explore the role of the interplay between intuition and rationality in the causation-effectuation decision-making processes of small creative businesses during their international expansion.Design/methodology/approachWe developed process research to investigate the causation-effectuation decision-making processes during the internationalization of a creativity-intensive small business located in Brazil. In just three years, its cartoon reached screens in 80 countries.FindingsWe discovered an orthogonal relationship between causation and effectuation moderated by the balance between intuition and rationality, enabling small creative businesses to successfully navigate internationalization by adapting to contractual demands and exploring creative opportunities. To explain these relationships, we offer five process-based propositions for further studies.Research limitations/implicationsWe reconstructed the internationalization process based on retrospective interviews, so eliminating all biases from rationalization may have been impossible. We elucidate the interrelationship between causation-effectuation decision-making logic and demystify that decision-making effectuation logic is predominantly intuitive. We provide evidence that rational thinking permeates the entire decision-making process as a process of building the future.Practical implicationsUnderstanding causation-effectuation decision-making processes in creativity-intensive small businesses can be helpful for other businesses because they nurture production on a large scale.Social implicationsThe study emphasizes the importance of creativity-intensive small businesses to countries’ economies. Creativity-intensive businesses grow in other industries and generate many jobs in mature industries.Originality/valueWe demystify the decision-making assumption that effectuation logic is predominantly intuitive while causation logic is rational. Instead, we show that these logics coexist and interact orthogonally and dynamically.

Degree of Acceptance of the BIS Model in the Mechatronics Course

Objective: To identify the areas of opportunity of the Bilingual International and Sustainable (BIS) model, starting from the subjects in formation: the students. Theoretical Framework: It is based on the process of internationalization in vogue at the beginning of the new millennium due to the imperative need of the global economy to demand bilingual professionals. This became important during the six-year term of office of President Peña Nieto, and the UTs had to make the transition from the traditional model to the BIS model, involving curricular transformation, changes in the field of teaching, lack of infrastructure and continuity in the teaching of the lingua franca. Method: This is a quantitative approach with an exploratory, non-experimental scope. The technique used was a Likert scale survey with three points, and the measuring instrument was an Excel database for analyzing the data, whose reliability was obtained by means of Cronbach's Alpha. Results and Discussion: They emphasize that the students decided to study under the BIS modality without considering its implications, such as the lack of clarity of the mobility process and the need for more counselling for the assimilation of the lingua franca; on the other hand, they point out that the didactic teaching aids need to be updated. On the other hand, they were not 100% satisfied with this modality. Despite this, They are trained in a way that makes them competitive and eligible for priority consideration by employers, as they can interact in various national and international contexts. Research Implications: It helps generate strategies for improving students' adaptation to the BIS modality in a practical way; theoretically, it provides the research community with certain bases for future studies. Originality/Value: The work derives from a phenomenon detected in the UT subsystem in Mexico, particularly in the Technological University of Altamira, Tamaulipas. Because the implementation of such an educational model is still recent and the literature developed in this respect is scarce, the document presented here is a contribution to the scientific community, subject to its assessment.

Optimization of international talent training program in biological and biomechanical field of Shaanxi universities by integrating Transformer-GRU model under the “Belt and Road” initiative

In the field of biology of Shaanxi universities, there are problems such as insufficient internationalization of course content, limited internationalization level of teachers, and difficulty in meeting the personalized needs of students’ foreign language ability. To this end, under the Belt and Road Initiative, this paper proposes an intelligent solution based on Transformer and GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit) models, aiming to improve the quality of international education in the field of biology of universities by optimizing course content and teaching methods. This study first uses the Transformer model to integrate and analyze a large number of international education resources, identify global cutting-edge knowledge and cross-cultural education elements in biology courses, including biomechanical principles that underpin biological functions and interactions. This provides scientific support for the optimization of course content. At the same time, the GRU model is used to dynamically analyze the progress of teachers’ international teaching and students’ learning feedback. Just as organisms can adjust their metabolic rate according to the changes in the environment, the model automatically adjusts the pace and difficulty of the subsequent teaching content according to the students’ speed of mastery and difficulties in understanding biomechanics knowledge, ensuring that each student can keep up with the pace of teaching. Additionally, the integration of biomechanical concepts into the curriculum helps students understand the mechanical properties and behaviors of biological systems, fostering interdisciplinary thinking and enhancing their global vision. Experimental results show that the students in Class A who adopt this research program are significantly better than the control Class B in terms of knowledge mastery, interdisciplinary thinking, and global vision (P < 0.05); after the experiment, the average foreign language ability score of the students in Class A is 7.04 points higher than that of Class B; the overall satisfaction of the students in Class A with the new teaching program is as high as 82.5%. This paper, based on the combination of Transformer and GRU models, can effectively promote the international talent training process of biology majors in Shaanxi universities, particularly by incorporating biomechanical insights, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of this major in global academic and scientific research cooperation.

Biodiversity Policy Integration at the sub-national level: Insights from the German Länder in the context of sub-national biodiversity strategies and action plans

ABSTRACT The uptake of biodiversity along different political levels and into sector policies remains a major global challenge. Sub-national governments hold crucial institutional competencies for enabling this Biodiversity Policy Integration (BPI). However, these political levels are largely overlooked in international agreements and the BPI literature. Using the example of the German states (Länder), this study aims to widen the debate through a sub-national perspective. Therefore, 16 interviews with representatives of all German state environmental ministries have been conducted about the implementation of sub-national biodiversity strategies and action plans. The study identifies key barriers and levers to BPI from the perspective of these actors and relates them to underlying causes. State biodiversity policies appear to be trapped in institutional lock-ins, manifested in weak coordination and evaluation mechanisms. Policy change is inevitably linked to the integrative leadership of individual policy-makers or the external interference of public or European initiatives. To avoid merely symbolic policy-making, national and international processes should emphasize joint, cross-level coordination, as incoherencies at higher political levels can only be resolved to a limited extent at lower administrative levels.

Internationalisation patterns of academic spin-offs

Abstract The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to analyse the international behaviour of academic spin-offs to explore the internationalisation patterns followed by these companies, considering precocity, scale, and scope as the key dimensions of the internationalisation process. The second objective is to discern whether academic spin-offs that follow different patterns present distinctive characteristics. To test the hypotheses, a cluster analysis, a series of ANOVA analyses of variance and post hoc tests were performed on a sample of 161 Spanish academic spin-offs. Results show that 49% of these firms do not internationalise and that three patterns of internationalisation exist in academic spin-offs: true born global, sporadic born global, and born again global. On the other hand, the results also reveal distinctive antecedent factors among the different internationalisation patterns. Thus, international industrial networks and management team functional heterogeneity are more relevant in academic spin-offs that follow the true born global and the born again global patterns, while global technological competence is significant for all three internationalisation patterns, and international academic networks present minor importance for the internationalisation process developed by academic spin-offs.

Developing a guide for international course alignment: lessons learned from an integrated curriculum design

ABSTRACT This paper examines the process of curriculum internationalisation implemented in two public health courses – a first-year graduate course taught at a university in Kazakhstan and a third-year undergraduate course taught at a university in Ontario, Canada. Qualitative data derived from 180 short reflection assignments and nine semi-structured interviews were analysed thematically to explore students’ experiences with the international course alignment. Students often initially showed excitement about the opportunity to collaborate with international public health students, and some expressed positive learning experiences. However, students also described barriers for successful global collaboration related to logistical issues, such as discordant timing of the courses, challenges with communication, and a lack of clarity about the nature of the cooperation. Building on students’ feedback and our experiences as their course instructors, we offer a guide to help educators align courses provided internationally.

Transactional peacemaking: Warmakers as peacemakers in the political marketplace of peace processes

ABSTRACT World politics are changing with important implications for international peace processes. We argue that recent changes in world order have led to transactionalism becoming more pronounced in peace processes. This is because increased geopolitical competition often leads to a conflation of warmakers and peacemakers: States that provide military support to belligerents also engage in peacemaking. This renders peace processes political marketplaces with transactionalism as main modus operandi. Transactional peacemaking has three features: It prioritizes bilateral over multilateral approaches; is interest-based and exclusive rather than value-based and inclusive; and focuses on short-term deals instead of long-term outcomes. Drawing on over 70 interviews, we empirically demonstrate our argument with the peace processes in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. We conclude by discussing the consequences of transactionalism for the global peacemaking landscape. By providing a new conceptualization of an emerging phenomenon in contemporary peace processes, we contribute to the literature on changing peacemaking approaches.

Navigating the intersection of international politics and international education

International education and the process of internationalization have evolved through distinct historical phases, each characterized by shifting global political outlooks and increasing complexity. International politics and the global power hierarchy have always played a significant role in shaping the development of international education and directions of academic mobility. Since the era of ancient Greece, various periods have witnessed diverse patterns of student mobility concentrated in specific geographic regions, paralleling prevailing power structures. Currently, international education is undergoing a distinct phase in which its significance in public diplomacy and foreign policy is widely recognized. However, its use for further national interests has also been criticized for potential manipulation. This article provides a historical background and conceptual framework for understanding the intersection of international politics and international education.

Top executives’ military experience and the firm internationalisation process: the moderating role of managerial discretion

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of top executives’ military experience on the internationalisation process of firms, as well as the boundary conditions of this impact. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested using 8,759 imbalanced panel samples in 1,718 China’s A-share listed firms. Findings The findings show that the military experience of top executives has a positive impact on the internationalisation process (scope, speed and rhythm) of firms. The managerial discretion strengthens the influence of top executives’ military experience on the internationalisation scope and speed but weakens its influence on the internationalisation rhythm. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by testing the relationships that among military experience of top executives, firm internationalisation process and managerial discretion. The authors also help practitioners to become aware of the importance that the military experience of top executives have on firm internationalisation process, and managerial discretion can exert contingent influence on this relationship.

Network effects of partial reshoring in the internationalization process

Network effects of partial reshoring in the internationalization process

Research on the Internationalization Process of Chinese Hotel Management Groups<br>—Taking Jinjiang Hotel Group as an Example

Research on the Internationalization Process of Chinese Hotel Management Groups<br>—Taking Jinjiang Hotel Group as an Example

The Cultivation of Humanities in the Global Society

Once he returned to Madrid from his long exile, between 1948 and 1950 José Ortega y Gasset founded the Instituto de Humanidades (Institute of Humanities). This non-formal educational institution was conceived as a counterpoint to the cultural hegemony of the Francoist regime. This article aims to shed light on this usually neglected project developed by Ortega y Gasset during the last years of his intellectual career. A project that can be said to represent one of the most significant realizations of his pedagogical meditations on the role of humanistic education and philosophy in society, a recurrent topic of his writings at least since his Misión de la Universidad (Mission of the University). This case study is particularly relevant since the Institute constituted both a significant attempt to define the role of Western cultural tradition in the second post-war period and to defend the need for freedom of expression even under a censorious dictatorship. Moreover, this experiment was strictly entangled with the process of internationalization in education, which was promoting the construction of a global peace after the end of the Second World War. A project that still inspires the agenda of several international agencies, such as UNESCO.

Evolving World Order, Impact on Peace and Stability in South Asia

Changes in global power distribution and rising threats and challenges globally along with the changes in global partnering systems have important implications for the South Asian region in terms of maintaining regional peace and stability. This study focuses on examining how changes on the international system level, including the leadership shift of China, the renewed vigour of India as one of the rising powers in South Asia, the shift of the U.S foreign policy and the role of multilateralism, are affecting security dynamics in South Asia. This paper discusses factors like enhanced strategic rivalry between the US and China, nuclearization of some existing and emerging conflicts, and the character of warfare in Afghanistan and Kashmir, which have a potential impact on the stability of this region(Smith & Jones, 1997). In this study, the political, economic and security angles describe how the changes in the world order have impacted the balance of power between the SAARC countries and examine the implications of the new world order for the stability of South Asia. According to the provided findings, the nature of a new kind of cooperation and diplomacy is present; however, the interactions of contemporary international and regional processes present some problems for the creation of stability in the long period. Finally, this paper provides recommendations on how the nations of South Asia and other world actors can prioritize and cultivate peace in an area that will be more influenced by shifts in global power, and competition between countries (Bukhari, Khan, & Haq, 2024).

New Roles of a Librarian: The Experience of Grinchenko University

Objective. The article considers the transformation of the roles of librarians in the modern information society: from information providers to educators, which is a sign of the successful process of internationalization of higher education. The object of the research is the new forms of work of librarians on the example of the experience of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University and the First Summer School for Beginners and Experienced Scientists “Scientific Career at the International Level: Tools for Researchers and the English Language” held in June 2024. Methods. The methods of marketing and monitoring research are described to determine the most popular topics and emotionally attractive names among the target audience. Results. The results and their discussion focus on the fact that the experience of the Grinchenko University Summer School showed the possibility of high-quality training and advanced training of scientists of different levels and fields of knowledge on the basis of the library of the higher education institution. Conclusions. The change in the role of librarians from information providers to educators in the context of internationalization of higher education is inevitable. Moreover, librarians are forced to be one step ahead of the rest of the university's scientists.

Developing a Theoretical Framework of Export-Oriented Small Enterprises: A Multiple Case Study in an Emerging Country

Small enterprises are essential in supporting economic growth, particularly in emerging countries. Due to their constrained resources and capacities, many small businesses in developing nations encounter intricate obstacles when trying to enter the global market rapidly. The study is intended to develop a theoretical framework that can reveal the essential and integrated resources, and capabilities in the internationalization process. Instead of literature investigations, multiple case studies were adopted to explore the process of achieving the international success of Indonesia’s export-oriented small enterprises. In-depth interviews with twelve small enterprises across the culinary, fashion, and craft sectors were conducted to collect qualitative data. A content analysis followed the input–process–output–outcome structure as the basis for developing the robust framework. Based on the Resource-Based View (RBV), this study reveals the synergistic role of production, networks, marketing, learning, and legal capabilities in creating competitive advantages that support business continuity and sustainability. Research findings reveal that successful internationalization is not achieved by a single capability but through an integrated bundle of capabilities that can serve market needs. This study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive framework that maps the input–process–output–outcome structure of the internationalization process and offers practical insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance SME competitiveness. The results underscore the importance of capability development and government support in facilitating SME global expansion. Ultimately, this study provides a basis for further investigation into the dynamic capabilities that SMEs need to thrive in international markets.

Empowering Global Reach: The Tripod Strategy for SME Internationalization in the Natural Products Sector

This study analyzes the implementation of the tripod strategy—encompassing resource-based view (RBV), institution-based view (IBV), and industry-based view (IBD)—to support the internationalization process of SMEs, with a case study on Agronesian Indonesia, an SME operating in the natural agricultural products sector. A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing a case study design where data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis to gain a holistic understanding of how these three perspectives are applied. The findings indicate that integrating RBV, IBV, and IBD enables Agronesian to overcome resource constraints, leverage institutional support, and adapt products to international market demands, especially regarding sustainability. Theoretical implications of this study strengthen the literature on SME internationalization by highlighting the value of a combined approach, while practical implications provide a framework for other SMEs to design adaptive and structured internationalization strategies. The limitations of this research include a focus on a single case and reliance on qualitative methods, which restrict broader generalization. Future studies are recommended to involve a wider range of SMEs from various industries and to explore the influence of global shifts, such as trade policies and sustainability trends, on the effectiveness of the tripod strategy for SME internationalization.

Waste Analysis of the International Delivery Service Process Using Lean Six Sigma in Logistics Service Provider Companies

International shipping poses challenges such as customs clearance delays, slow delivery speeds, and process bottlenecks, leading to time wasstage, increased costs, and potential profit losses. These issues impact specific processes and customer satisfaction. Lean Six Sigma offers a robust framework for identifying and eliminating waste in international shipping processes. Applying the lean service approach, we identified four key waste types in international shipping: delay, duplication, unnecessary movement, and error. However, a Pareto diagram highlighted delay and error as critical culprits, with sigma values of 1.85 for delay and 2.92, 3.46, 3.77 for the three error types, respectively. These low sigma values indicate significant room for improvement After conducting an impact analysis and failure mode analysis (FMEA), four improvement recommendations were proposed: the implementation of an online shipping form filling system, providing customs training to all counter employees, and creating SOPs for inspection processes at the warehouse. These recommendations form a roadmap for international shipping companies to embrace Lean Six Sigma, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction.

Centrifugal Processes and Divisions as a Megatrend of Crisis Geopolitics

The world has entered an acute phase of a protracted macrocrisis, one of the most striking manifestations of which is the processes of disengagement in global politics. The logic of confrontation inevitably aggravates old conflicts and reproduces new ones. The centrifugal dynamics received an explosive impetus because of directly interconnected process of internationalisation of the Ukrainian crisis and “Ukrainisation” of the Western-centric agenda. Conflict motives of local, regional, geopolitical divides, and gaps are acquiring increasing practical and political significance. The logic of asymmetrical, multidirectional interactions in global politics is rapidly gaining momentum. The previously inertial confrontation between the United States and Russia, the United States and China has moved into the acute phase of a dangerous confrontation. The potential for resolving the most important geopolitical and military-strategic problems in their relations has been reduced by US efforts to a critical minimum. A focused reflection of geopolitical divisions has become the sophisticated construction of a new Iron Curtain around Russia by the united West. The world is actually divided into the World Majority, whose countries take a neutral or favorable position towards Russia, and a non-structurally formalised coalition of countries led by the United States, guided by American foreign policy goals and priorities. Lines of demarcation and fragmentation run across a variety of spheres and formats, regional and geopolitical areas, erecting new boundaries and barriers in interstate cooperation and creating a dangerous tilt and distortions in strategic security. In the context of the chaotisation of world politics and the rapid development of centrifugal processes of geopolitical and geo-economic demarcations and confrontations, the asymmetry of approaches to the prospects for reformatting the world order is becoming increasingly visible.

Роль технологических факторов обеспечения прозрачности искусственного интеллекта в развитии мирохозяйственных связей РФ в условиях глобализации

This article is devoted to the analysis of a number of issues related to the study of the role of technological factors in ensuring the artificial intelligence transparency in the world economic relations development of the Russian Federation in the context of globalization. In the article, ensuring the artificial intelligence transparency is due to the contradiction of the legislative system and the international integration of the Russian Federation with other countries. The object of the study is multilateral and diverse cooperation between Russia and international organizations in the field of solving problems of the artificial intelligence technologies’ development and implementation. The subject of the study is the relationships, developing in Russia in connection with the international trade development, using modern artificial intelligence technologies. The purpose of the study is to develop the Russian economy in the world economic system, based on the use of technological factors to ensure the artificial intelligence transparency. The purpose of the study is to determine the AI transparency as a characteristic of the international economic system development, as well as to study various properties of ensuring this transparency. The methodology of theoretical literature review and observation is considered. Regulatory documents, statistical materials, and targeted programs for the artificial intelligence development in the Russian Federation are analyzed. The research results are as follows: the role of technological factors in ensuring the artificial intelligence transparency in the world economic relations development of the Russian Federation in the context of globalization has been identified. In particular, AI transparency as a property of the international economic system and AI transparency as a property of the understandability of the international integration economic processes algorithm are considered. Thus, tools for the world economic processes development in the Russian Federation based on the creation of a transparent artificial intelligence system promote cooperation in the transfer of knowledge and technology, integration cooperation, improvement of the international economic, organizations activities, and growth in labor productivity.