A Systematic Review of Previous Research on Internationalization Process – Grounding on Behaviour and Growth Theories

Abstract

Internationalization process is complicated since it is exposed and juxtaposed businesses to various priorities by different stakeholders, rules and controls issues imposed by authorities of home and host countries. Against this background, this study aims to explore and review studies of internationalization, grounding on Behaviour and Growth theories. By so doing it discloses the gaps in this field pertaining to types of organizations under studies, methodologies used, underpinning theories utilised, and at the same time it recommends future study directions. In the past studies, the combination of both theories which provides a comprehensive scope of internationalization is yet to be utilized. Through thematic analysis of eleven (11) articles that applied either or both theories of behavioural and growth as an underpinning theory in the internationalization process found three main results. First, less focus on the SMEs and combination of SMEs and large firms in exploring the phenomenon of internationalization; second, usage of quantitative instead of qualitative and mixed methods; and third, less focused on the combination of all four main elements internationalization process – motive, challenge, knowledge, and strategy. These three main gaps unearth a new direction of future research to explore to close the literature gap pertaining to internalization process.