Title: Competitive advantage from exposure to multiple national environments: the induced internationalisation of 'born-multidomestic' firms

Authors: Mark Lehrer, Bodo B. Schlegelmilch, Michael Behnam

Addresses: Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108-2770, USA. ' Institute for International Marketing and Management, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Augasse 2-6, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. ' Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108-2770, USA

Abstract: Recent work on early internationalisers and born-global firms emphasises the entrepreneurial orientation of these firms. In contrast, this paper analyses the neglected, but nonetheless prevalent, phenomenon of firms that enter foreign markets at a relatively early stage because their home country and/or line of business embeds them in an international environment. Such |induced| early internationalisers can be called born-multidomestic firms. A basic model of causes and competitive effects of induced early internationalisation is illustrated with a longitudinal study of software maker SAP AG of Germany.

Keywords: MNCs; multinational corporations; induced internationalisation; born-global firms; software industry; SAP AG; Germany; market entry; foreign markets.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2009.022636

European Journal of International Management, 2009 Vol.3 No.1, pp.92 - 110

Published online: 19 Jan 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article