Strategic Patterns of National Postal Operators’ Internationalization: A Network and Resource-based View Approach

The paper builds on previous research about the importance of the international market for the development of national postal operators (NPOs) and the inter-organizational nature of their participation in international business and studies how they could further expand the latter. By integrating theories in the fields of strategic management and international business, in particular the resource-based view and the network approach to internationalization, the author outlines the relation “networks – resources”, thus highlighting the role of networks in terms of providing access to resources that facilitate the expansion of international operations. The theoretical foundations of the research serve as the basis for proposing a view on the internationalization of NPOs: a process of building positions in traditional and new networks through penetration as well as extension and integration, with access to resources available in these networks being at the heart of the process. Then, a framework for expanding NPOs’ international activities is provided; it consists of three strategic patterns that represent combinations between the networks used and the international operations applied. Thus, the paper addresses the general lack of research concerning the internationalization of these companies, among other contributions.