Conceptualising the Early and Rapid Internationalising Firms

The advent of technology and globalisation has enabled firms to leapfrog their internationalisation. Firms that internationalised from inception are often referred as “Born Globals”. Building on extant literature, this paper presents a framework conceptualising factors contributing to the rapid internationalisation of firms. Drawing from network approach and dynamic capabilities perspective, this paper proposes that the firms’ entrepreneurial orientation act as antecedents to network capability. To overcome resource constraints often faced by Born Globals, they take advantage of external resources to enhance their capabilities or competencies. This astute utilisation of external support is posited to explain rapid internationalisation by Born Globals.