Title: Serial nonlinearities in firm's internationalisation process: case evidence from China

Authors: Xiaotian Zhang; Raushan Aman; Julia Helena Zhang; Yanhong Xi

Addresses: School of Economics, Shanghai University, 201900/266 Jufengyuan Road, Baoshan, Shanghai, China ' Martti Ahtisaari Institute, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Erkki Koiso-Kanttilan katu 90570 Oulu, Finland ' Copenhagen Business School, Solbjerg Pl. 3, 2000 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark ' Martti Ahtisaari Institute, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Erkki Koiso-Kanttilan katu 90570 Oulu, Finland

Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to the emerging literature on nonlinear internationalisation by presenting a Chinese SME's experience of nonlinear internationalisation both in terms of fluctuations in sales with every client in each foreign market and the number of foreign markets in which it operates. By analysing the firm's annual activities with 66 foreign clients in 15 foreign markets since its establishment, we found that the firm did not experience constant growth in any of the markets. Moreover, though the number of served markets has grown, only a few of them are among the original export countries. Despite this fact, this firm has grown considerably, although substantial growth was experienced much later than at the company's start-up phase, with some crisis occurring during the process. Thus, fluctuations in internationalisation do not necessarily lead to failure; they may be caused by different external and internal factors, and such fluctuations can occur several times in a particular market.

Keywords: internationalisation; internationalisation process; nonlinear internationalisation; de-internationalisation; re-internationalisation; sales fluctuations; export; foreign markets; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEXPORTM.2020.107721

International Journal of Export Marketing, 2020 Vol.3 No.3, pp.219 - 244

Received: 23 Oct 2019
Accepted: 02 Feb 2020
Published online: 10 Jun 2020 *

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