TY - JOUR

T1 - Strategic Agility, Internationalisation Speed and International Success – The Role of Coordination Mechanisms and Growth Modes

AU - Demir, Robert

AU - Campopiano, Giovanna

AU - Kruckenhauser, Christian

AU - Bauer, Florian

N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of International Management. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of International Management, 27, 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.intman.2021.100838

PY - 2021/3/1

Y1 - 2021/3/1

N2 - This study advances the debate on the global integration–local responsiveness imperative and theorises the contingency effects of vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms to unfold the benefits of strategic agility and internationalisation speed. We offer a comprehensive picture arguing that strategic agility and internationalisation speed affect firms’ growth mode choices in pursuit of internationalisation, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of network-based and acquisitive growth modes that ultimately influence international success. Using data from British, German, Austrian, Swiss and Malaysian small and medium-sized firms, we find some surprising results. In contrast to prior studies, we find that strategic agility and internationalisation speed are inseparable in pursuit of international success. However, our study shows that while both are necessary, they are insufficient both alone and combined – they require different coordination mechanisms, namely strategic intent and horizontal coordination, and trigger different growth mode choices to internationalise. Combined, our findings suggest that firms need to orchestrate conflicting demands with respect to the dual global integration–local responsiveness imperative.

AB - This study advances the debate on the global integration–local responsiveness imperative and theorises the contingency effects of vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms to unfold the benefits of strategic agility and internationalisation speed. We offer a comprehensive picture arguing that strategic agility and internationalisation speed affect firms’ growth mode choices in pursuit of internationalisation, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of network-based and acquisitive growth modes that ultimately influence international success. Using data from British, German, Austrian, Swiss and Malaysian small and medium-sized firms, we find some surprising results. In contrast to prior studies, we find that strategic agility and internationalisation speed are inseparable in pursuit of international success. However, our study shows that while both are necessary, they are insufficient both alone and combined – they require different coordination mechanisms, namely strategic intent and horizontal coordination, and trigger different growth mode choices to internationalise. Combined, our findings suggest that firms need to orchestrate conflicting demands with respect to the dual global integration–local responsiveness imperative.

KW - Strategic agility

KW - Internationalisation speed

KW - Growth

KW - Strategic intent

KW - Horizontal coordination mechanisms

U2 - 10.1016/j.intman.2021.100838

DO - 10.1016/j.intman.2021.100838

M3 - Journal article

VL - 27

JO - Journal of International Management

JF - Journal of International Management

SN - 1075-4253

IS - 1

M1 - 100838

ER -