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This study aims to investigate the importance of relational and conditional knowledge by assessing how service and signaling competences affect manufacturing firms’ productivity. These relationships are explored in the context of Africa, where, paradoxically, firms selling abroad must satisfy different market demands than firms that serve only domestic markets.

The authors draw on the World Bank Enterprise Survey to perform a cross-sectional analysis of 4,683 manufacturing firms. These surveys cover the period 2009-2017 and 35 different African countries. The authors define service competence development as co-location with knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) firms, measured through KIBS density at city level. Signaling is measured through outward-looking competences.

This paper shows that African exporters differ significantly from their non-exporting counterparts in terms of productivity and competences. External service competence generates productivity gains for exporters but has the opposite effect for non-exporters. Results consistent with previous research also show that signaling competences generate productivity gains, but the effect for firms serving domestic markets is stronger than the effect for exporting firms. The authors use paradoxes of learning to interpret these results.

This study detects nuances of the African context that increase the understanding of knowledge management in emerging markets. The findings would benefit from confirmation in a longitudinal and causal setting.

African exporting firms should establish mechanisms to develop joint knowledge with external partners (know-with) to enhance their competitiveness, whereas African non-exporters should prioritize building knowledge credibility.

The study develops a novel empirical approach to analyzing firm competences in Africa. It also shows that contextualization of existing knowledge management theories matters, opening a research avenue to test further existing theories in emerging economies.

The authors discuss a dominant logic as the main idea behind a global marketing logic (GML) of an MNE and investigate how local stakeholders’ influence the feasibility of applying the GML in emerging markets. The aim of the paper is to enhance the understanding of the factors that influence the local stakeholders' acceptance of the MNEs' GML and the different activities of MNEs that may increase the acceptance.

The authors apply a qualitative case study method investigating three Swedish MNEs and their activities while implementing a GML in the big emerging markets. The authors study their relationships with business, political and social stakeholders.

The authors identify three persistent contents of the GML: (1) a consistent value chain role across markets, (2) standardized, premium products/services and promotion strategies, (3) a corporate brand-based identity. The development of trust, commitment, legitimacy and power within local stakeholders’ relationships influences the approval. The acceptance of the MNE's GML by local stakeholders strengthens its market position.

The authors extend the knowledge by investigating the nature of a GML and explain to what extent it may help MNEs to gain a competitive position. The authors also discuss how global and local activities may influence local stakeholders' acceptance. This study contributes towards a better understanding of how and to what extent a GML can be successful.

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize strategic agility in entrepreneurial internationalization and highlight the role of marketing “under particular conditions” – those of early and fast internationalizers.

The study is based on in-depth case studies of four entrepreneurial internationalizers using an inductive approach. The role of marketing is studied along a set of four key business processes, i.e. sensing through selective customer/partner intimacy; business development through selective experimentation and testing; coordination and harmonization of multiple stakeholders; and creative extension of resources.

Strategic agility is a composite of flexibility and selective responsiveness. Marketing thought, mainly through customer and partner interaction, plays a prominent role in achieving strategic agility. Customer- and market-centric thinking needs to be built in a key set of business processes. Marketing’s contribution to strategic agility means an ability to cope with time, relationship and functional dependencies. Strategic agility helps improve the risk profile of the entrepreneurial internationalizer. Entrepreneurial internationalizers are particularly suited to compete on and benefit from strategic agility.

The findings show managers and entrepreneurs in early and fast internationalizing ventures a path to strategic agility which helps to overcome the many parallel challenges that come with firm foundation and internationalization.

Strategic agility is a novel explanation for entrepreneurial internationalization. The study explains the prominent role played by marketing in achieving strategic agility and growth. Strategic agility is reconceptualized in the context of the young and small internationalizing firm.

The paper aims to explore the influential path of internet marketing capabilities impacting international market performance. The paper further investigates the mitigating roles of market- and entrepreneurial-oriented behaviors and knowledge internalization in this relationship. The effect of internet use for customer management on internet marketing capabilities is also examined.

A total of 618 firms with sales in international markets were approached to participate. Data were collected from a sample of 132 Taiwanese firms and analyzed using a structural equation model.

Use of internet for customer management positively influences internet marketing capabilities. The results also support the positive impacts of internet marketing capabilities on market- and entrepreneurial-oriented behaviors. Knowledge internalization mediates the relationships between market- and entrepreneurial-oriented behaviors and international market performance.

This paper’s investigation of the role of internet marketing capability in international market performance contributes to online internationalization, strategic orientations and organizational learning theory.

Managers should focus on developing internet marketing capabilities in management culture and fostering market- and entrepreneurial-oriented behaviors to facilitate knowledge internalization for better international performance.

This paper contributes to the construction of an alternative and comprehensive mechanism to understand the influences of internet marketing capabilities on the firm’s international performance.

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the international market expansion of multinational corporations (MNCs) to the base of the pyramid (BoP). The authors employ the corporate social entrepreneurship (CSE) perspective to reveal how MNCs can enter this market, the key enabling factors and the benefits they can gain. CSE is related to entrepreneurial and marketing strategies that are inspired by social responsibility.

An exploratory, qualitative multiple-case study has been employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers from three MNCs that have entered the BoP market in India.

The findings of this research confirm that successful entry into the BoP requires the pursuit of social responsibility and the adaptation of marketing strategies. In addition, MNCs should identify the key environmental factors (demand conditions and socio-political actors’ expectations) and develop organisational characteristics (management support, network orientation towards non-governmental organisations and availability of financial resources) to match. The findings of this research show that engagement in CSE in countries with considerable BoP populations can bring firms legitimacy and sustainable profitability.

This research is based on interviews with a limited number of MNCs in India. Future studies could generalise the findings of this research to a larger number of corporations in other countries.

This research brings new insights to the field of international marketing by integrating the corporate social responsibility, marketing and entrepreneurship disciplines. The findings of this research offer empirical support for CSE and its role in international marketing strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the internationalization process (IP) of retailing firms from emerging markets and to determine a new focus and/or modifications if necessary in the established Western‐based theories.

The paper follows an exploratory approach utilizing qualitative multiple case studies. Data are collected through eight in‐depth interviews with senior managers of four Turkish retail firms in textile and ready‐to‐wear industry. An inductive approach is followed.

It is found that internal drivers, home and host country characteristics and matching have an impact on the IP of retail firms from emerging markets. A table is formed to compare and contrast IP in the context of developed country, emerging market, and Turkish retail firms. Also a model is proposed to understand the IP of Turkish retail firms.

The proposed model of IP for Turkish retail firms provides an initial point for building theory in this quite new area of research.

This paper is among the first attempts to study the IP of Turkish retail firms, but it does not intend to claim generalizability to all emerging country firms.

Treating negotiations as a technique which can be learned and adapted to international business, this article takes a problem solving approach and endeavors to provide some guidelines for successful negotiating. It addresses the different stages of the negotiation process and provides a strategic planning model for negotiations.

The purpose is to investigate how a retailer identifies critical network actors and gains their support when entering an emerging market. and to examine the role of a firm's relationships with different types of actors on the new market.

The study is of an exploratory nature, and based on an inductive and qualitative research method. A case study of IKEA's entry into Russia and China was conducted.

It is argued that IKEA's entry into China and Russia was successful because of its dynamic utilization of matching and networking capabilities. The study explains how the support of relationships with, for example, political actors, interest groups and media supported the entry and the development of a positive consumer image.

This is a qualitative, in depth study and future research is needed in order to test the generalizability of the proposed framework and models.

The paper shows how retail managers can generate the support of different types of actors and relationships when entering new markets.

Traditionally consumer product firms' entry to new markets is regarded as a function of dealing with environmental, cultural and legal differences, and adapting products and strategies accordingly. This paper extends understanding by showing that matching and networking capabilities to mobilize resources, actors and activities on global, macro and micro levels are also critical components. It also relates the firm's business relationships with relationships to socio‐political actors on the new market.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how employing corporate social entrepreneurship and developing a network of relationships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can support and contribute towards the internationalisation of service firms into the base of the pyramid (BOP) markets in emerging markets.

This research adopts an exploratory approach employing qualitative multiple case studies. Three service firms that have targeted the BOP markets in India were studied. In total, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with multinational corporations (MNCs) and their NGO partners. Data analysis was facilitated through pattern matching and systematic case comparison.

The findings reveal that, by engaging in social entrepreneurship, these MNCs have focused on the neglected needs of the BOP population, developed sustainable solutions and empowerment, and started with social value creation and postponed value capturing. The pursuit of corporate social entrepreneurship has paved the way for them to establish relationships with NGOs. While the MNCs have mainly had the technical knowledge and financial resources required, collaboration with NGOs have allowed them to learn about the BOP’s specific needs and benefit from the NGOs’ knowledge, human resources and good relationships in this market.

This research unravels how service firms can seize opportunities at the BOP. The authors build on social entrepreneurship theory and bring new insights to the field of international business. In addition, the authors broaden the network view and show how networking with social actors such as NGOs enables the mobilisation of resources, actors and activities in emerging markets.

The authors are witnessing the increasing extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance as strategic behaviour specifically in emerging markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how multinational companies (MNCs) manage CSR activities in emerging markets to aid their core business activities. In line with this question, the paper aims to develop a theoretical view for deeper understanding of the strategy in CSR practices aiding internationalization. The view is based on a business network perspective highlighting the four concepts of learning, commitment, legitimacy and trust.

The methodology employed is qualitative, based on interviews with involved parties. The case study is about the experiences of a Korean MNC’s CSR strategy when entering into the Chinese electronics industry.

The case illustrates how the Korean MNC committed resources to gain trust and legitimacy that improved their market position. It further manifests that the firm’s CSR strategy was proactive because of the large commitment in several long- and short-term projects towards the society. Investment in social issues like education, environmental problems and communities aided the firm’s entry.

The study has a qualitative and in-depth nature. Future research is needed in order to generalize the proposed theoretical frame.

The study manifests how a MNC employs CSR strategy for internationalization in a foreign market. It shows how managers can undertake different practical CSR measures to enter and expand in foreign markets.

While internationalization of firms is mainly based on their business commitment towards counterparts or business firms, the study shows how CSR strategy and activities towards the society support their businesses.

While internationalization of firms is mainly based on their business commitment towards counterparts or business firms, the study shows how CSR strategy and activities towards the society support their businesses. The study investigates CSR strategy and enlightens activities like education and environmental problems. The study further develops the business network view and includes social aspects. The theoretical view holding the four relationship elements of trust, knowledge, legitimacy and commitment permits deeper understanding of the MNC’s proactive CSR behaviour in new markets.