What do we know about capabilities and early internationalization? A review and synthesis
Review of International Business and Strategy
ISSN: 2059-6014
Article publication date: 14 January 2022
Issue publication date: 23 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to organize and assess knowledge on the capabilities pertinent to the early internationalization of born globals (BGs) and international new ventures (INVs).
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic approach is used to search, code, organize and synthesize 155 peer-reviewed journal articles on capabilities and early internationalization.
Findings
The study delimits eight operational and five dynamic capabilities. The synthesis links capabilities to three antecedents (i.e. firm specific factors, managerial socio cognitive attributes and market factors) and three outcomes (i.e. precocity, survival and performance). While 7 of the 12 linkages identified are well-established, relationships involving market factors, survival and dynamic capabilities are sparsely researched.
Research limitations/implications
The authors know more about the effects of firm specific factors and managerial socio cognitive attributes on operational and dynamic capabilities than we do the influence of market factors on either group of capabilities. Likewise, the authors know more about the influence of operational and dynamic capabilities on performance than we do their impact on precocity or survival.
Practical implications
As the pandemic has shown, businesses with adaptable capabilities (e.g. shifting from a brick and mortar to an online/omnichannel approach or micro-breweries competent to switch from manufacturing beer to hand sanitizer) have increased their chance of survival while helping society cope.
Originality/value
This to the authors’ knowledge is the first study to provide a comprehensive review of literature on the nebulous concept of capabilities, in the context of the burgeoning research stream on early internationalization.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to Professor Susan Freeman for constructive feedback on the earliest versions of the manuscript, to two anonymous reviewers for useful suggestions and to the Editor(s) for support and guidance in the review process.
Citation
Kahiya, E.T. and Warwood, C. (2022), "What do we know about capabilities and early internationalization? A review and synthesis", Review of International Business and Strategy, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 602-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/RIBS-06-2021-0088
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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