Determinants of the Internationalization of the Firm: The Accelerated Model vs. the Sequential Model

The aim of this paper is to analyze the internationalization strategies followed by enterprises in the world, distinguishing between big enterprises and other firms (SMEs). In particular, we want to delve into determinants of internationalization and processes that allow companies to perform in international markets according to their resources. We developed an analytical framework based on the resources-based view of the firm and on two internationalization models, the Uppsala and Born-Global models, with the purpose of allowing the analysis of different typologies of internationalized firms. By the use of Probit, Logit and Linear regression models, the empirical results provide evidence supporting both theoretical models proposed. One group of firms presents a gradual internationalization, as suggests the Uppsala model. A second group follows an accelerated internationalization, consistent with the born-global approach. An interesting finding is that sequential internationalization is more common and that the structural factors explain international strategy better for SMEs than internal factors.