Rapid Internationalization Research Articles

Nature-Based Tourism Motivations and Visit Profiles of Domestic and International Segments to a Japanese National Park

Abstract The rapid post-millennial internationalisation of Japan's tourism sector and the influx of international visitors have quickly increased visitor motivations’ heterogeneity, thereby posing challenges for management. Given the lack of prior research, we aimed to identify nature-based tourism (NBT) push-factor motivation domains of visitors in a Japanese national park and segment domestic and international visitors based on their motivations, demographics and trip profiles. Primary data collection of 137 responses took place in November 2019 through an on-site self-administered questionnaire. From 11 push-factor statements, the principal component analysis yielded a four-factor solution: ‘enjoying nature with family or friends’, ‘improving physical health’, ‘discovering and learning’ and ‘escaping’. In addition, t-tests revealed significant differences between domestic and international visitors in three out of the four motivation dimensions. Underlying visitor profiles could explain some such differences. Despite the differences, both international and domestic visitors share similar motivations regarding ‘improving physical health’. These findings hint at the complexity of monitoring heterogeneous visitor segments within Japanese NBT. Despite increasing international visitors, there has been a lack of the necessary infrastructure and facilities to accommodate them. Thus, this study's implications might help diversify NBT management strategies to deal with current shortcomings in Japan's tourism sector.

Moving Research on International new Ventures Forward: A Systematic Reviews on Case Studies

Objective: We delve into the rapid internationalization literature to provide a literature review on the most recent empirical research on international new ventures (INVs). We focus on reporting how the literature on INVs has evolved through the lenses of case studies, and we highlight issues on the use of INVs concepts.Method: We conducted a systematic review of 99 case studies articles related to international new ventures published in leading journals in all areas of knowledge within management. We performed a two-cycle coding and a thematic analysis.Main Results: We have found researchers are applying INV and BG concepts interchangeably, thus incorrectly. Scholars have not considered nor discussed the theoretical implications of dropping and adding criteria when selecting cases. We also found the research in INV has thematically evolved as scholars have increasingly studied the post-internationalization moment of these companies.Relevance/originality: We contribute to the INV's literature by demonstrating the theory is now evolving to understand the post-internationalization moment of these companies. We also discuss the implication of selecting cases disregarding the criteria that qualify them as INVs.Theoretical/methodological contributions: Our research contributes with a discussion on the implications of loosely applying the INVs concepts and offers insights on how the literature has evolved.

Speed and synchronization in foreign market network entry: A note on the revisited Uppsala model

A well-established interpretation of the Uppsala model is that it predicts a slow internationalization. Research has shown that it is not inevitable. It shows that rapid internationalization can happen in some cases, suggesting that the model needs to be reassessed. In an attempt to respond to this challenge, we return to the model as it was proposed in 2009, and look to improve its temporal aspects by reexamining the process of gaining an insidership position and the impact that has on both the network and the ways firms cope with dynamics. The study advances two temporal concepts—synchronization and network entry speed—and incorporates them into the model. Because business networks are unstable, entering a foreign market’s network is not a question of establishing a position in a stable environment but rather of synchronizing a firm’s organization to the dynamics of a changing network. Combining resources across firm boundaries and developing relationships in the business network is a process that is shaped by both time and context. Thus, we use a network setting to define synchronization and speed, and make a distinction between sequential and simultaneous synchronization and integrated and separated synchronization. With these ideas in mind, we present eight new propositions for the internationalization.

Exploring the Role of Diversity Management During Early Internationalizing Firms’ Internationalization Process

Despite their rapid internationalization, early internationalizing firms (EIFs) struggle to sustain their growth over time. Among the factors influencing their internationalization process, the diversity of human resources, and particularly its management, has yet to be studied. Building on different perspectives of diversity management, through the lens of the resource-based view, this study explores the role of diversity management during EIFs’ internationalization process. The results of a multiple-case, qualitative study of French EIFs show that prevailing perspectives on diversity management within EIFs change with the nature of diversity as a resource (strategic, ordinary, or negative), with different influences on the firms’ progress along the phases of the internationalization process. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a learning perspective on managing diversity, including specific management practices, during the transition between the entry and post-entry phases of EIFs’ internationalization process. This study thus suggests several propositions and theoretical contributions, along with managerial recommendations.

RAPID INTERNATIONALISATION: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS ON CAPABILITIES AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

Grounded from resource-based view, network approach perspective, strategic behaviour theory, innovation theory and capabilities theory, this study proposed a model for rapid internationalisation of SMEs in Malaysia. In-depth interviews were conducted with selected firms in Malaysia to explore and identify the factors contributing to the firms' capabilities, business strategy and rapid internationalisation. This model provides further insight into the factors that leads them to rapid internationalisation. This paper found that technology, firm orientation, networking and founder's background and entrepreneurial characteristics as internal factors together with industry trends and environment are critical determinants of capabilities that lead to business strategy and rapid internationalisation. Apart from that, it was found that innovation plays a crucial role in IT based born global firms; it may not apply to all the firms. One of the firms interviewed has chosen creativity as their key role factor instead of innovation. Lastly, firms that do not require large capital are better off by avoiding external fund to reduce unnecessary financial risk.
 
 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0795/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Innovation Efforts in the Face of Institutional Obstacles in Latin America

Among scholars, politicians and practitioners, innovation has become a priority. However, a consensus and convergence have yet to be reached in the literature regarding the factors that determine innovation efforts at the firm level regarding developing countries. Thus, the general aim was to gauge to what extent rapid internationalization and relational triggers enable a potential for innovation efforts in companies from Latin American countries faced with the perception of the gravity of institutional obstacles. In methodological terms, a database of the World Bank (Environment Surveys) was used, with 14,064 companies from 20 Latin American countries, with responses to question related to their innovation efforts. Unprecedented contributions were collected, as this was the first time that the perception of the gravity of institutional obstacles was jointly and empirically evaluated, together with evidence of rapid internationalization and the use of relational triggers, to explain innovation efforts, considering many firms from Latin American companies. This work also provides some clues about the potentializing effect of rapid internationalization in the relationship between institutional obstacles and innovation efforts. The main results allow a better understanding about inter- and intra-group analyses, demonstrating in which groups of Latin American company’s innovation efforts are more significant and distinctive, and therefore require pro-market and pro-internationalization public policies.

"신속한 국제화 전략이 기업의 성과에 어떤 영향을 미치는가? - 한국의 BGF를 중심으로"

기술 기반 신생기업들은 창업 초기부터 세계화를 추구함으로써 경쟁력을 확보하려는 BGF전략을 추구하는 현상은 기존 국제화 이론으로는 설명하기 어려운 현상으로 태생적 글로벌 기업(BGF 또는 BGV)에 대한 새로운 접근법이 적용되고 있다. 그러나 BGF에 대한 대부분의 연구는 세계화 전략의 선행 요소)에 초점을 맞추고 있어 기업 재무성과에 어떤 영향을 미치는가에 대한 연구는 적으며 기존의 연구 결과의 일관성도 없는 상황이다. 이러한 차이는 BGF에 대한 정의의 문제와 연구 방법과 연구 대상에 의한 결과이며 특히 기업의 재무적 성과에 대한 측정의 타당성 부족에 기인한 것이다. 본 연구는 기존 연구의 한계를 극복하고 신속한 세계화 전략이 BGF의 성과(매출량, 투자수익률, 직원당 순이익, 매출증가율, 종업원당 순이익 증가율)에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 이해하기 위해 KIS-Value의 2차 자료를 활용하여 연구를 시도 하였다. 특히, BGF에 대한 정의를 기업이 설립 후 5년 내에 수출 집중도가 25%, 50%, 75%에 따른 수준별 구분에 따라 분석을 시도하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 첫째, 신속한 국제화 전략은 장·단기적으로 매출 효과는 있는 것으로 검증되었고 특히, 단기적인 효과가 장기적인 효과에 비하여 크게 나타났다. 그러나 BGF의 투자 수익률(ROI)에 대한 영향은 BGF수준이 엄격할수록 ROI에 대한 단기적인 영향은 있지만 장기적인 영향은 사라지는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 매출 성장률 성과는 BGF수준에 따라 단기적 효과가 있으나 ROI와 같이 장기적인 효과는 나타나지 않는다. 반면에 순이익 증가율은 BGF전략이 장기적으로는 부정적인(-) 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 특히, 기업의 BGF 수준이 높을수록 순이익 증가율에 미치는 부정적인 영향은 더 크게 나타났다.

중국내 외국인 투자기업의 국제중재 약정에 관한 실증적 연구: 중국 법원의 국제성 요소 인정기준을 중심으로

Prior to 2 010, C hinese c ourts allowed parties to u se i nternational a rb itration t hrough a rb itration agreements o nly if t here w ere internationality f actors o n the sub ject, ob ject a nd l egal f acts o f the contract. However, due to the rapid economic growth and internationalization, various types of contracts and transactions have emerged, so it is no longer possible to judge the internationality of related contracts based on existing criterion. Accordingly, the Supreme People’s Court of China enacted judicial interpretations such as ‘Interpretation of the Law on the Application of the International Civil Relations’ in 2012, ‘Interpretation on the Application of the Civil Procedure Act’ in 2015, and ‘Opinion on the Guarantee of Free Trade Zones’ in 2016, and the acceptance scope of internationality factors is expanded. As a result, the extent to which Chinese parties can resolve disputes through international arbitration has been expanded, and if the subject, object, and legal facts of the contract are consistently related to foreign countries, it is recognized that there is a factor of internationality and disputes can be settled through international arbitration. Therefore, when Korean investment companies in China attempts to s ettle disputes b y arb itration u sing an arb itration i nstitute o ther than China, the c ompanies s hould make arbitration agreements considering that a factor of a Korean investment company is not recognized as an internationality factor but it is recognized as a factor of internationality when the foreign goods are traded in China.

Filling the Post-Entry Speed of Internationalization and Export Performance Gap

The purpose of this paper to explore the intermediate mechanism between post-entry speed of internationalization (PSI) and export performance through the lens of dynamic capabilities. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of PSI on two firm-specific dynamic capabilities, i.e., adaptive capabilities (AC) and knowledge capability upgrading (KCU), and then explores the mediating role of these two dynamic capabilities in the relationship between PSI and financial and non-financial export performance. Employing a sample of 212 New Zealand exporting SMEs, our findings confirm the existence of a positive relationship between PSI and both AC and KCU. Furthurmore, the findings demonstrate support for the mediating role of dynamic capabilities in the relationship between PSI and export performance and reinforce that the process capabilities creation and upgrading is a viable channel for SMEs to achieve the superior performance implications associated with rapid internationalization. Our findings reveal that rapid internationalization provides no guarantee that firms archives the desired performance implications. Rather, obtaining these benefits depends on the firm’s ability to leverage on the opportunities provided by rapid internationalization to renew its stock of knowledge and improve its adaptive capability.

Early and Rapid Internationalization as Means of Entrepreneurial Experimentation and Learning

Early and rapidly internationalization is by nature a dynamic phenomenon. However, the extant literature on international entrepreneurship (IE) has less paid attention to the processual aspects of this phenomenon. In particular, little research has examined how early and rapidly internationalization is related to subsequent international expansion. We attempt to bridge this gap by drawing upon the judgment-based view of entrepreneurship. This paper proposes that early and rapidly internationalization can be understood as means of cross-border entrepreneurial experimentation and learning under genuine uncertainty. Through earlier initiation of commitments to foreign markets, entrepreneurs can quickly experiment with their judgments on novel cross-border combinations of resources and markets and thereby refine and extend their judgments along with the accumulation of experience, potentially facilitating subsequent expansion. We hypothesize that the choices of operation mode and foreign location have an effect on these entrepreneurial processes. The results of our longitudinal studies of 105 firms over an 18-year period (2000-2018) suggest that equity-based operation mode experience promotes the subsequent expansion of geographic scope rather than the extent of foreign operations. Furthermore, we found that experience in high-quality regulation host countries and host countries outside the home region positively moderate the relationship between experience and subsequent expansion.

Rapid FDI of Emerging Market Firms The Role of Foreign Participation

Most literature on rapid internationalization focuses on exporting firms and leaves other parts of internationalization process such as foreign direct investment (FDI) unexplained. In this paper, we explore the determinants of rapid FDI, namely why certain firms are able to have high degree of market penetration and large market commitment even in the early stage of FDI. Based on the relational perspective, relationships with foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) in particular, we argue that interactions with foreign MNCs at home helps a local firm to leapfrog certain stages in the establishment chain. Our hypotheses are tested using 1612 first-time outward FDI projects from China between the years 2000 and 2014. The largely supported results suggest that foreign participation in an emerging market context accelerates the internationalization process of local firms. Our findings should offer alternative explanations for the puzzle of emerging market firms’ rapid internationalization and the possible sources of emerging market multinational corporations’ firm-specific advantages.

How CEO Narcissism Predicts Initial-Entry and Post-Entry Speed of Internationalization

Building upon the perspective that narcissism is an important personality trait of CEOs, the present study examines its effect in the international business context. International operations are potentially associated with great advantages but also certain threats. Distinct from traditional incremental approach, an increasing number of firms internationalize with a higher speed than they used to do, not only the time between inception and start of internationalization but also the subsequent period one internationalization starts becomes shorter. Therefore, from a multiple perspective of internationalization speed, this research examines how IEO explains why narcissistic CEO-led firms implement their first international operations rapidly and experience a faster expansion to a great many foreign markets after the initial-stage. Using survey data collected from 248 exporting firms, and an archival measure to calculate the firms’ internationalization speed, we find support for our model. These findings offer an improved understanding of CEO narcissism in an international business context, help to better understand the drivers of firms’ rapid internationalization in both inception stage and post stage, and the mediation effects of international entrepreneurial orientation of the firm.

Polarized agents of internationalization: an autoethnography of migrant faculty at a Japanese University

In recent years, government policies that target the rapid internationalization of Japanese higher education have provided new career opportunities especially for scholars with experience of studying and teaching abroad. This autoethnographic paper draws on such “migrant” faculty’s engagement in formal curriculum development to illustrate their active negotiations within the micro-level processes of internationalization of a Japanese University. More specifically, the analysis focuses first on the enactment of agencies to negotiate diverse understandings of “culture” and “discipline” in the process of building a “Japanese Studies” curriculum. The paper then draws on those negotiations to show how those agencies were transformative; namely how they impacted on and challenged the framing and the practice of the official framework of “Japanese Studies” at University X. This study aims, therefore, to shed light on the ways individual migrant faculty members of diverse backgrounds, may constructively contribute to internationalization processes of higher education when such faculty’s active interactions are carefully looked at and sought for, beyond established and often imagined cultural, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries.

Chinese Archaeology Goes Abroad

From the mountains of Central Asia to the jungles of Mesoamerica, Chinese archaeologists are now conducting fieldwork around the world. China’s increasing involvement in world archaeology is a positive development for both heritage management and archaeological research. However, this new trend of joint Sino-foreign archaeological fieldwork is also situated within a larger political context. In this article, we examine how Chinese archaeological missions abroad help China achieve its geostrategic objectives. We present two case studies, one along the Swahili Coast in Kenya and another along the ancient Silk Road in Uzbekistan, to support our argument that Chinese involvement in archaeological projects in foreign countries often neatly dovetails with China’s foreign policy initiatives, which aim to build stronger economic and cultural ties with countries that host expanding Chinese markets. In sum, Chinese archaeology’s rapid internationalization is oriented towards growing China’s soft power and will likely play an even larger role in shaping global archaeological practice in the future.

Küresel Doğan İşletmelerin Uluslararasılaşma Sürecinde Örgütsel Kabiliyetleri ve Bunların İhracat Performansına Etkileri Üzerine Ampirik Bir Araştırma

Drawing on the resource based approach and capabilities viewpoint, in this research it has been examined whether BGs’ and Traditionally Internationalized Companies/Traditional Exporters show differences in terms of organizational capabilities that are thought to have an impact on the early and rapid internationalization of BGs, and the effect of the organizational capabilities on the probability of a company’s being classified as a BG or as a TC, as well as their effects on their export performance at different levels (all SMEs, BGs, TCs). The study was carried out with a survey of 112 exporter SMEs (61 of them were TCs and 51 BGs) in the Aegean Exporters' Associations list. In this study various research models have been developed and many findings have been reached that will contribute to the literature.

Internationalisation theory and Born Globals

PurposeIt has been claimed that Born Globals are incompatible with the Uppsala model, which is based on the firm having a maximum tolerable risk level. This assumption was used to explain observed incremental commitments, with further commitments being made as experiential learning reduces the level of risk faced. This study aims to show that adding a consideration of the role of expected value, including the effects of resource constraints, can reconcile the Born Global and internationalisation process literatures.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical arguments are supported by mathematical modelling of a firm pursuing expected value based on subjective beliefs.FindingsWhile the effects of risk and expected value coincide when firms limit their downside risks by taking an incremental approach to commitments, other factors impacting on expected value can shift the balance of incentives towards earlier and more rapid internationalisation. For instance, some firms are specialised and have high costs of R&D, and so need to achieve early and rapid growth but face small home markets. While resource constraints can lead a firm to expand for some time in its home market before internationalising, the effect can be reversed in the case of the finance constraint for some firms.Originality/valueThe study shows how Born Global and internationalisation process literatures can be reconciled through a consideration of the effects of expected value on internationalisation decisions. It also provides a novel theoretical analysis of Born Globals.

Enhancing the learning advantages of newness: The role of internal social capital in the international performance of young entrepreneurial firms

Abstract In this paper, we draw on social capital theory to explore the role of internal social exchanges in contributing to the international performance of young entrepreneurial firms. We argue that internal social capital embedded within young ventures helps them cultivate international learning effort pertaining to the effective alignment of resources and activities related to their international growth. The empirical analysis, based on a sample of 150 young internationalizing SMEs from India, demonstrates both direct and indirect effects of internal social capital on international performance. Whereas previous research focuses on the importance of social networks with external actors, our study emphasizes internal social capital linked to the underlying learning advantages of newness and opportunity capture and contributes to the literature on early and rapid internationalization.

International Strategy for Sustainable Growth in Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies

Although it is generally agreed that the pharmaceutical industry is in a state of rapid internationalization, there is no clear comprehensive explanation of the current state and effectiveness of an international strategy. There are many studies about internationalization but they neither focus on the pharmaceutical industry nor evaluate the effectiveness of an international strategy with a control. Therefore, we investigate the current state of internationalization with a sample of the 30 multinational pharmaceutical companies, as well as the effectiveness of an international strategy by comparing two international strategies. In this study, we define an international strategy as a strategy that controls the geographic distribution of sales across regions to maximize total sales. The results show that 33% of the companies are still home-region-oriented, and we did not find any evidence of the effectiveness of an international strategy that pursues a balanced geographic distribution across regions in terms of total sales and adjusted total sales. The results provide the practical implication that pharmaceutical companies should weigh up the specific markets to secure higher sales through the advantage of adapting to customers’ needs. This paper contributes to the research on sustainable growth by empirically providing results of comparisons of different international strategies in the pharmaceutical industry.

Exploring the influence of home country factors on rapid internationalisation of emerging multinational companies

This research explores home country influence on successful internationalisation of emerging multinational companies. We considered Qatar Airways and Emirates Airways as two companies from different countries with similar economic structures. Interviews of five experts in the airline industry revealed that four home country factors have produced significant competitive advantages, allowing both carriers to rapidly internationalise their activities and become key players in the global aviation industry. These home country factors are the location of the country, rapid economic development, government support, and influence of related industries.

Exploring the influence of home country factors on rapid internationalisation of emerging multinational companies

This research explores home country influence on successful internationalisation of emerging multinational companies. We considered Qatar Airways and Emirates Airways as two companies from different countries with similar economic structures. Interviews of five experts in the airline industry revealed that four home country factors have produced significant competitive advantages, allowing both carriers to rapidly internationalise their activities and become key players in the global aviation industry. These home country factors are the location of the country, rapid economic development, government support, and influence of related industries.