International Process Models and Methods

Existing research regarding firm internationalization are dominated by comparative static, cross-sectional, variance based, approaches in which the degree of internationalization at a point in time outcome is the focus of explanation. These tell us little about the ongoing process of internationalization and the underlying forces shaping the way it changes and develops over time. This requires the development of process theories and methods that focus on the temporal sequence of events taking place and the mechanisms and processes driving this. We discuss the nature of process theory and a research methodology for developing such theories based on the analysis of case histories and illustrate it by analyzing a case history of firm internationalization. On the basis of this and other research we propose a complex adaptive systems conceptualization of the internationalization process.