IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/jintbs/v52y2021i7d10.1057_s41267-020-00344-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Internationalization of the firm: A discourse-based view

Author

Listed:
  • Len J Treviño

    (Florida Atlantic University)

  • Jonathan P Doh

    (Villanova University)

Abstract

While internationalization process theory has deepened our understanding of international expansion, it and many other international business (IB) theories have largely neglected the underlying managerial processes and decision-making contexts of internationalization. In response, we articulate a model that accounts for both the external context and the internal processes leading to internationalization decisions. We argue that internationalization decisions are grounded in contestation and struggle for control, eventually leading to a dominant discourse, consensus, and performativity. We illustrate our model through two contrasting cases of internationalization, and we show how contemporary IB theories can be enhanced by adding a discourse approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Len J Treviño & Jonathan P Doh, 2021. "Internationalization of the firm: A discourse-based view," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(7), pages 1375-1393, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:52:y:2021:i:7:d:10.1057_s41267-020-00344-8
    DOI: 10.1057/s41267-020-00344-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41267-020-00344-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41267-020-00344-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eero Vaara & Janne Tienari, 2011. "On the narrative construction of multinational corporations : An antenarrative analysis of legitimation and resistance in a cross-border merger," Post-Print hal-02312572, HAL.
    2. Eero Vaara & Birgit Kleymann & Hannu Seristö, 2004. "Strategies as Discursive Constructions: The Case of Airline Alliances," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(1), pages 1-35, January.
    3. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 2009. "The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1411-1431, December.
    4. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    5. Sumantra Ghoshal & Harry Korine & Gabriel Szulanski, 1994. "Interunit Communication in Multinational Corporations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(1), pages 96-110, January.
    6. Peter J. Buckley & Mark Casson, 1991. "The Future of the Multinational Enterprise," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, edition 0, number 978-1-349-21204-0.
    7. Otto Andersen, 1993. "On the Internationalization Process of Firms: A Critical Analysis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 24(2), pages 209-231, June.
    8. Yadong Luo & Oded Shenkar, 2006. "The multinational corporation as a multilingual community: Language and organization in a global context," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(3), pages 321-339, May.
    9. Jane E. Dutton & Robert B. Duncan, 1987. "The influence of the strategic planning process on strategic change," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(2), pages 103-116, March.
    10. Eero Vaara & Juha-Antti Lamberg, 2016. "Taking historical embeddedness seriously : Three historical approaches to advance strategy process and practice research," Post-Print hal-02276732, HAL.
    11. Stan D Reid, 1981. "The Decision-Maker and Export Entry and Expansion," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 12(2), pages 101-112, June.
    12. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Jan Johanson, 2017. "From internationalization to evolution: The Uppsala model at 40 years," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1087-1102, December.
    13. Jones, Geoffrey, 2000. "Merchants to Multinationals: British Trading Companies in the 19th and 20th Centuries," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198294504.
    14. Grazia D Santangelo & Klaus E Meyer, 2017. "Internationalization as an evolutionary process," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1114-1130, December.
    15. Peter J. Buckley, 2016. "Historical Research Approaches to the Analysis of Internationalisation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 879-900, December.
    16. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    17. Catherine Welch & Niina Nummela & Peter Liesch, 2016. "The Internationalization Process Model Revisited: An Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 783-804, December.
    18. Eero Vaara & Brigit Kleymman & Hannu Seristö, 2004. "Strategies as Discursive Constructions : The Case of Airline Alliances," Post-Print hal-02311665, HAL.
    19. Haridimos Tsoukas & Efi Vladimirou, 2001. "What is Organizational Knowledge?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(7), pages 973-993, November.
    20. Warren J Bilkey & George Tesar, 1977. "The Export Behavior of Smaller-Sized Wisconsin Manufacturing Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 93-98, March.
    21. Cynthia Hardy & Nelson Phillips, 1998. "Strategies of Engagement: Lessons from the Critical Examination of Collaboration and Conflict in an Interorganizational Domain," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 217-230, April.
    22. John Cantwell & John H Dunning & Sarianna M Lundan, 2010. "An evolutionary approach to understanding international business activity: The co-evolution of MNEs and the institutional environment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(4), pages 567-586, May.
    23. Raymond Vernon, 1966. "International Investment and International Trade in the Product Cycle," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(2), pages 190-207.
    24. Jane W Lu, 2002. "Intra- and Inter-organizational Imitative Behavior: Institutional Influences on Japanese Firms' Entry Mode Choice," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(1), pages 19-37, March.
    25. Nicole Coviello & Liena Kano & Peter W Liesch, 2017. "Adapting the Uppsala model to a modern world: Macro-context and microfoundations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1151-1164, December.
    26. Mary Yoko Brannen & Rebecca Piekkari & Susanne Tietze, 2014. "The multifaceted role of language in international business: Unpacking the forms, functions and features of a critical challenge to MNC theory and performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 495-507, June.
    27. Eero Vaara & Janne Tienari, 2011. "On the Narrative Construction of Multinational Corporations: An Antenarrative Analysis of Legitimation and Resistance in a Cross-Border Merger," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 370-390, April.
    28. Cynthia Hardy & Robyn Thomas, 2014. "Strategy, Discourse and Practice: The Intensification of Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 320-348, March.
    29. Eero Vaara & Juha-Antti Lamberg, 2016. "Taking historical embeddedness seriously : Three historical approaches to advance strategy process and practice research," Post-Print hal-02313404, HAL.
    30. Mats Forsgren, 2016. "A note on the revisited Uppsala internationalization process model – the implications of business networks and entrepreneurship," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(9), pages 1135-1144, December.
    31. Niina Erkama & Eero Vaara, 2010. "Struggles over legitimacy in global organizational restructuring : A Rhetorical perspective on legitimation strategies and dynamics in a shutdown case," Post-Print hal-02312530, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tang, Ryan W., 2023. "Institutional unpredictability and foreign exit−reentry dynamics: The moderating role of foreign ownership," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).
    2. Jeffrey A. Chandler & Yeongsu (Anthony) Kim & Jacob A. Waddingham & Aaron D. Hill, 2023. "Going global? CEO political ideology and the choice between international alliances and international acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(8), pages 1441-1470, October.
    3. Dimitrios Georgakakis & Mads E. Wedell-Wedellsborg & Tommaso Vallone & Peder Greve, 2023. "Strategic leaders in multinational enterprises: A role-specific microfoundational view and research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(3), pages 514-537, April.
    4. Hamid Boustanifar & Edward J. Zajac & Flladina Zilja, 2022. "Taking chances? The effect of CEO risk propensity on firms’ risky internationalization decisions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(2), pages 302-325, March.
    5. Nuno Calheiros-Lobo & José Vasconcelos Ferreira & Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, 2023. "SME Internationalization and Export Performance: A Systematic Review with Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-36, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Len J Treviño & Jonathan P Doh, 0. "Internationalization of the firm: A discourse-based view," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-19.
    2. Mats Forsgren & Ulf Holm, 2021. "Complementing the Uppsala model? A commentary on Treviño and Doh’s paper “Internationalization of the firm: A discourse-based view”," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(7), pages 1407-1416, September.
    3. Lars Håkanson, 2021. "The death of the Uppsala school: Towards a discourse-based paradigm?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(7), pages 1417-1424, September.
    4. Björn Röber, 2020. "Escalating internationalization decisions: intendedly rational, but only limitedly so?," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(2), pages 455-484, July.
    5. Niittymies, Aleksi & Pajunen, Kalle & Lamberg, Juha-Antti, 2022. "Temporality and firm de-internationalization: Three historical approaches," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    6. Nuno Calheiros-Lobo & José Vasconcelos Ferreira & Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, 2023. "SME Internationalization and Export Performance: A Systematic Review with Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-36, May.
    7. Decker, Stephanie, 2022. "Introducing the eventful temporality of historical research into international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    8. Gammeltoft, Peter & Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2021. "Enriching internationalization process theory: insights from the study of emerging market multinationals," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    9. Sinéad Monaghan & Esther Tippmann, 2018. "Becoming a multinational enterprise: Using industry recipes to achieve rapid multinationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(4), pages 473-495, May.
    10. Keith D. Brouthers & Liang Chen & Sali Li & Noman Shaheer, 2022. "Charting new courses to enter foreign markets: Conceptualization, theoretical framework, and research directions on non-traditional entry modes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 2088-2115, December.
    11. Christian Schwens & Florian B Zapkau & Keith D Brouthers & Lina Hollender, 2018. "Limits to international entry mode learning in SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(7), pages 809-831, September.
    12. Hamid Etemad, 2022. "Towards an integrated and longitudinal life-cycle framework of international entrepreneurship: Exploring entrepreneurial orientation, capabilities, and network advantages overcoming barriers to intern," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 503-536, December.
    13. Aaltonen, Päivi Hanna Maria, 2020. "Piecing together a puzzle—A review and research agenda on internationalization and the promise of exaptation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    14. Schembri, Joe & Fletcher, Margaret & Buck, Trevor, 2023. "To go or not to go? Opportunities as triggers of commitment to internationalisation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).
    15. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Jan Johanson, 2020. "The Uppsala model: Networks and micro-foundations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(1), pages 4-10, February.
    16. Dzikowski, Piotr, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of born global firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 281-294.
    17. Bruno F. Abrantes, 2020. "Are Neoclassic Internationalization Models Enduring? A Case-Review of the Uppsala Paradigm," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    18. Danchi Tan & Weichieh Su & Joseph T. Mahoney & Yasemin Kor, 2020. "A review of research on the growth of multinational enterprises: A Penrosean lens," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 498-537, June.
    19. Nicole Coviello & Liena Kano & Peter W Liesch, 2017. "Adapting the Uppsala model to a modern world: Macro-context and microfoundations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1151-1164, December.
    20. Francisco García-Lillo & Enrique Claver-Cortés & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Mercedes Úbeda-García, 2017. "Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Research on ‘Born Global’ Firms and INVs: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 631-652, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:52:y:2021:i:7:d:10.1057_s41267-020-00344-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.