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Knowledge trajectories in the internationalization of the firm

Sylvio Leal Barbosa (Department of Management, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Sergio Fernando Loureiro Rezende (Department of Management, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Angela Versiani (Department of Management, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Katia M. Galdino (Department of Management, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA)

International Marketing Review

ISSN: 0265-1335

Article publication date: 24 January 2023

Issue publication date: 11 April 2023

209

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the internationalizing firm accumulates knowledge from different domains throughout time, during entry and post-entry moves in a foreign market. This paper focuses on market, institutional, internationalization and technological knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a comparative case study method, relying on three longitudinal cases of multinational firms' (MNEs) internationalization processes, particularly concerning MNEs' entry and post-entry moves in one foreign market (Brazil).

Findings

Throughout the internationalization processes, the internationalizing firms unevenly developed experiential knowledge within Brazil. As a result, the market, internationalization, institutional and technological knowledge followed different accumulation patterns, distinguished based on precedence, simultaneity and speed. More specifically, (1) the market and institutional knowledge trajectories evolved simultaneously; (2) the market knowledge trajectory preceded that of technological knowledge and (3) the accumulation of internationalization knowledge happened faster than that of the market, institutional and technological knowledge.

Originality/value

This paper shows how knowledge accumulation in internationalization processes varies throughout time and according to the type of knowledge involved. While most of the literature relies on cross-sectional studies that discount the changing nature of knowledge, this paper shows that the internationalizing firm accumulates market, internationalization, institutional and technological knowledge following three temporal dimensions: precedence, simultaneity and speed.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial support received by the Minas Gerais Research Funding Foundation (Fapemig). The authors also thank editor Susan Freeman and three anonymous reviewers for their guidance and feedback.

Citation

Barbosa, S.L., Rezende, S.F.L., Versiani, A. and Galdino, K.M. (2023), "Knowledge trajectories in the internationalization of the firm", International Marketing Review, Vol. 40 No. 2, pp. 313-337. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-12-2021-0357

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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