Understanding the pace, scope and pattern of firm internationalisation

Since the growth of the ‘born global’ concept much of the established literature has tended to overlook the development of born global characteristics outside ‘high technology’ sectors. To further enhance our understanding of the ‘born global’ phenomenon this paper draws on the ‘born global’ literature to identify possible industry influences and common internationalisation behaviours that rapidly internationalising firms are involved with. Five propositions are developed related to the key dimensions of pace, scale and pattern of firm internationalisation. These dimensions incorporate the speed with which a firm internationalises, its choice of markets, its choice of entry mode and the number of markets it enters. The results from a comprehensive case study of four Australian ‘born global’ firms suggest that industry influences may be an emerging factor on the influence of the pace with which a firm internationalises. Other key academic implications for our research include the ongoing importance of psychic distance in the assessment of prospective international markets and that entry mode choice is influenced by the prevailing trends established in each firm’s industry.