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This paper systematically reviews and scrutinises the current development of studies concerning digital platform use in firms’ internationalisation. It also provides a research agenda for future work. Despite more than two decades of research, the study of how traditional firms enter foreign markets using digital platforms remains in its infancy. This paper contributes insights into the academic and managerial relevance of this field.

A systematic review of the literature based on content analysis was undertaken, drawing from peer-reviewed journal articles in international business, international marketing, information systems, and electronic commerce. The articles were published between 1999 and 2023, and the review employed a vote-counting method.

This analysis of 61 papers indicates that research on digital platform use in firms’ internationalisation is growing rapidly. However, the field itself is fragmented, and the research findings are inconsistent. This dynamic area reflects a growing trend, is dominated by several theories, relies primarily on survey data, and frequently uses China as a research context.

In acknowledging the vibrancy and managerial importance of this field, the authors offer a comprehensive overview of the existing studies to serve as a repository of knowledge on digital platform use in internationalisation for both academics and practitioners. Based on the aforementioned analysis, this study develops a reconciling framework to address current research gaps and identify future study directions.

This study aims to re-examine the relationship between financial accessibility and performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries using a large database.

This study uses cross-sectional firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprises Survey database collected under Wave II from 2006 to 2019. Controlled for firm level and country level factors, OLS and instrumental variable regressions have been used for analysis. Firm performance has been measured in terms of labour productivity.

The study observes a positive association between access to finance and MSME performance measured in terms of sales and value-added per worker. Along with firm characteristics (like size, age and managerial experience), country’s development level, institutional quality (i.e. corruption and regulations) and economic openness also impact MSMEs’ productivity.

Strengthening the financial system to allow the financial sector to meet the requirements of MSME finance is very important. Better access to external finance will enable MSMEs to invest in upgrading technology and expanding operations, thus improves their labour productivity. As the MSME sector is vulnerable to economic shocks, policies facilitating their access to formal credit during crises could strengthen resilience.

Credit constraint to MSMEs is a multi-stakeholder problem. It requires a coordinated approach from MSME owners, financial institutions and policymakers to address it and enhance the credit flow to the MSME sector. Timely research inputs from academia, research institutions and think tanks may help assess MSMEs promotion policies and their revision if needed.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the effect of access to finance on the labour productivity of MSMEs in developing countries. Given the mixed results in the recent past between access to finance and firm performance, it highlights the critical role of financial accessibility in improving their labour productivity and thus enabling MSMEs to realise their full potential in developing countries.

Foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operate in complex and competitive international environments, implement market and non-market strategies, manage resources and value-added activities and contribute to the overall performance of their parent firms. Thus, the research question on the determinants of MNE foreign subsidiaries’ performance is of interest to managers and academic researchers. The empirical literature has flourished over the recent decades; however, the domains are fragmented, and the findings are inclusive. The purpose of this study is to systematically review, analyse and synthesize the empirical articles in this area, identify research gaps and suggest a future research agenda.

This study uses the qualitative content analysis method in reviewing and analysing 150 articles published in 24 scholarly journals during the period 2000–2023.

The literature uses a variety of theoretical perspectives to examine the key determinants of subsidiary performance which can be grouped into six major domains, namely, home- and host country-level factors; distance between home and host countries; the characteristics of parent firms and of subsidiaries; and governance mechanisms (the establishment modes and ownership strategy, subsidiary autonomy and the use of home country expatriates for transferring knowledge from the headquarters and controlling foreign subsidiaries). A range of objective and subjective indicators are used to measure subsidiary performance. Yet, the research shows a lack of broader integration of theories and presents inconsistent theoretical predictions, inconclusive empirical findings and estimation bias, which hinder our understanding of how the determinants independently and jointly shape the performance of foreign subsidiaries.

This study provides a comprehensive, nuanced and systematic review that synthesizes and clarifies the determinants of subsidiary performance, offers deeper insights from both theoretical, methodological and empirical aspects and proposes some promising avenues for future research directions.

The purpose of this article is to explore the impact of open innovation on international revenues, as well as the moderating role of digital transformation and strategic differentiation in the relationship.

This study develops a theoretical framework to specify a group of hypotheses. A two-way fixed effect model is used to analyze the relationship between open innovation and international revenues, as well as the moderating effects of digital transformation and strategic differentiation, using panel data of Chinese multinational firms.

Results revealed that open innovation is statistically significantly positive when related to international revenues. Based on the quantitative analysis, the correlation is stronger in sample enterprises with higher digital transformation and strategic differentiation.

This study highlights how open innovation drives international revenues for Chinese listed firms, advancing resource-based view theory in emerging market countries. Introducing digital transformation and strategic differentiation as boundary conditions addresses research gaps and offers practical insights for supporting open innovation for practitioners.

This study aims to address two research questions: Do the decision modes on foreign partner selection post-entry vary between different types of family small and medium enterprises (SMEs)? How does socio-emotional wealth (SEW) affect (if so) decision modes in international partnership post-entry decisions (e.g. engagements with or changes of international partners) in different types of family SMEs?

This study employs a qualitative case study design of different types of family SMEs, namely, one family firm with a high level of family involvement in the internationalisation activities of the firm (FMH) and one family firm with a low level of family involvement in the internationalisation activities of the firm (FML).

The case study evidence indicates different decision modes on foreign partner selection post-entry in the investigated family SMEs: a bounded rationality mode in the FMH firm and a real option reasoning in the FML firm. The bounded rationality mode was linked with the appearance of SEW goals in the FMH firm, which in turn led to foreign partner engagements resulting also in a low speed of internationalisation growth. In contrast, the real option reasoning mode in the FML firm was not linked with SEW goals, and it led to international partner changes, resulting in a speedier internationalisation growth.

This study unearths the case that different types of family SMEs can employ different decision modes in their international partnerships, whereas SEW tendencies do not always appear.

This perspective article aims to provide an overview of the interplay between international entrepreneurship and the dynamics of family businesses, with a particular focus on post-entry decisions.

This paper is based on a short literature review.

The convergence of international entrepreneurship and family businesses presents a compelling area of study, where post-entry decisions serve as a critical yet underexplored facet. Post-entry decisions in international entrepreneurship for family-owned businesses encompass responses to international crises and shocks and strategies for de-internationalization, restructuring or market exit.

This article synthesizes existing research, highlighting the importance of studying post-entry decisions in the realm of international family businesses. It encourages scholars and practitioners to delve into the unique challenges faced by these firms, ultimately enriching the understanding of international entrepreneurship within the family business context and providing valuable insights for both theory and practice.

Drawing on the time compression diseconomies perspective and business network theory, this study examines how the international expansion of a business group’s pace, scope and rhythm affects its performance.

Panel data (1999–2013) from the top 100 Taiwanese business groups investing in globalization were collected.

The results show that international pace and rhythm have an inverse U-shaped relationship with business group performance, while the relationship between international scope and business group performance is U-shaped. This study highlights that international expansion is multidimensional and nonlinear and that the factors that shape nonlinear relationships between international processes and performance are different. Furthermore, family group involvement positively moderates the link between international scope and performance and negatively affects the relationship between international pace and performance. However, no significant effect is observed between rhythm and performance. High family business group involvement mitigates the impact of outsiders’ liability and managerial costs; moreover, it enhances the positive effects of location-specific advantages and business network resources.

This study combined the time compression diseconomies perspective and business network theory to explain why and how internationalization may not always lead to good performance by examining the effects of different international expansion processes and the interactive effect of family group involvement.

The operation mode of enterprises will affect its resource commitment in the host country, involving different costs and time, as well as risks. Yet, the current state of knowledge about how the institutional environment affects the operation mode change of international construction enterprises is equivocal. This study aims to explore the impact of a host country's institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises.

First, this study proposes a model on the impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises. Second, this study used the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) published by the World Bank and a questionnaire survey to collect data. Finally, the study employs a multiple regression methodology to test the hypothesis and discusses the results.

Results highlight that the important impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises. The results showed that enterprises are more willing to increase resource commitments under the condition of stable institutional environment. In addition, enterprises' market-specific experience and general international experience, as moderating variables, weaken the impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change. However, general international experience has no significant moderating effect.

The findings of this study provide practical implications for the investment risk assessment of international construction enterprises. Enterprises need to consider the change in institutional quality and institutional instability of the host country, as well as their own international experience when changing operation mode.

This study extends internationalization theory to the international construction field and provided theoretical guidance for the mechanism of operation mode change of international construction enterprises.

Distance has been a core concept and issue in international business and management research. While scholars argue that distance through internationalization is increasing costs, distance is also associated with positive implications such as the integration of more diverse knowledge. Still, many firms struggle to manage distance effectively and efficiently in their multinational contexts. The purpose of this study therefore is to propose Open Strategy – increasing transparency and inclusion in the strategy process – as an attractive concept for managing distance.

This is a conceptual paper where the authors introduce Open Strategy to the IB community.

The authors argue that opening the strategy of multinational enterprises, enables firms to leverage diversity by re-combining the firms diverse and distant knowledge. It also reduces distance by moving beyond formal mechanisms of control and coordination to improve joint understanding, cooperative commitment and strategy implementation. The framework shows how firms can move beyond established dogmas in international business research by rendering their strategy processes more open.

Leveraging the Open Strategy literature, the authors are able to find a way to respond to the challenge of increasing distance, in fact even arguing that distance can be beneficial if framed as diversity.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative picture of the state of the art of the literature on digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as an enabler for their internationalisation process and as a comprehensive view of the specific domains impacted by digital technologies as well as their repercussions on the international outreach.

A systematic review which leverages a descriptive analysis of extant literature and an axial coding technique has been conducted to shed light on the current knowledge and to identify primary research areas and future research lines.

The research indicates that digitalisation impacts the internationalisation of SMEs in three specific domains: (1) internationalisation through the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) technologies and e-commerce platforms; (2) international expansion through the digitalisation of value chain activities and (3) international outreach through knowledge acquisition on digital platforms.

The value of this study is threefold. First, the authors attempt to systematically review the literature on SMEs digitalisation and internationalisation and provide a holistic perspective on the intertwining of these two research streams. Second, the authors propose a novel conceptualisation on the dimensions of SMEs digitalisation as enablers to internationalisation. Third, the authors put forward promising future lines of research.

1. Digitalisation represents a pivotal strategy that allows companies to build new strategic capabilities and is a propeller for SMEs internationalisation.

2. Through e-commerce, SMEs could compete at the same level of multinational companies but enduring lower costs of expansion.

3. Digital platforms allow SMEs to enhance the learning processes about international markets through an immediate access to relevant information.

4. Digital entrepreneurship has enabled SMEs to develop new configurations of value chain activities, evolving their business model or reaching new markets.

5. SMEs are changing the “business as usual” paradigm offering digital tools to build modular architectures that are scalable and agile in their evolution ability.

Digitalisation represents a pivotal strategy that allows companies to build new strategic capabilities and is a propeller for SMEs internationalisation.

Through e-commerce, SMEs could compete at the same level of multinational companies but enduring lower costs of expansion.

Digital platforms allow SMEs to enhance the learning processes about international markets through an immediate access to relevant information.

Digital entrepreneurship has enabled SMEs to develop new configurations of value chain activities, evolving their business model or reaching new markets.

SMEs are changing the “business as usual” paradigm offering digital tools to build modular architectures that are scalable and agile in their evolution ability.