IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v29y2020i6s0969593120300974.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Heuristic decision-making in firm internationalization: The influence of context-specific experience

Author

Listed:
  • Niittymies, Aleksi

Abstract

It is widely understood that the internationalization decisions made by companies are complex and constrained by uncertainty. While prior research has shown that heuristics can facilitate decision-making in complex and uncertain environments, the role of heuristic decision-making in internationalization decisions has not been studied in depth. In order to remedy this lacuna, the article uses a qualitative and inductive approach to track the development of heuristic decision-making processes in two Finnish SMEs as they conduct their first moves towards internationalization, explicating the influence of context-specific experience on developments. The emergent theoretical model indicates that while heuristic decision-making has a positive impact on internationalization strategy development, managers are unable to harness this at the beginning of their first internationalization. Indeed, the positive impact appears only after a certain level of context-specific experience is accumulated and when the stimulus of an unexpected event triggers its transformation into usable heuristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Niittymies, Aleksi, 2020. "Heuristic decision-making in firm internationalization: The influence of context-specific experience," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(6).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:29:y:2020:i:6:s0969593120300974
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101752
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593120300974
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101752?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Jan Johanson, 2020. "The Uppsala model: Networks and micro-foundations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(1), pages 4-10, February.
    2. Elizabeth Maitland & André Sammartino, 2015. "Managerial cognition and internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(7), pages 733-760, September.
    3. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Jan Johanson, 2017. "From internationalization to evolution: The Uppsala model at 40 years," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1087-1102, December.
    4. Bruce Kogut & Gordon Walker & Jaideep Anand, 2002. "Agency and Institutions: National Divergences in Diversification Behavior," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 162-178, April.
    5. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Jean-François Hennart & Arjen HL Slangen, 2015. "Yes, we really do need more entry mode studies! A commentary on Shaver," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(1), pages 114-122, January.
    7. Sarah Kaplan, 2011. "Research in Cognition and Strategy: Reflections on Two Decades of Progress and a Look to the Future," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 665-695, May.
    8. Park, Jeong-Yang & Harris, Simon, 2014. "Microfoundations for learning within international joint ventures," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 490-503.
    9. Elizabeth Maitland & André Sammartino, 2015. "Decision making and uncertainty: The role of heuristics and experience in assessing a politically hazardous environment," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(10), pages 1554-1578, October.
    10. Erkko Autio & Gerard George & Oliver Alexy, 2011. "International Entrepreneurship and Capability Development—Qualitative Evidence and Future Research Directions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(1), pages 11-37, January.
    11. Shameen Prashantham & Steven W Floyd, 2012. "Routine microprocesses and capability learning in international new ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(6), pages 544-562, August.
    12. Marian V. Jones & Lucrezia Casulli, 2014. "International Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Logic and Utility of Individual Experience through Comparative Reasoning Approaches," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(1), pages 45-69, January.
    13. Prashantham, Shameen & Floyd, Steven W., 2019. "Navigating liminality in new venture internationalization," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 513-527.
    14. James P. Walsh, 1995. "Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Notes from a Trip Down Memory Lane," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 280-321, June.
    15. Daniel R Clark & Dan Li & Dean A Shepherd, 2018. "Country familiarity in the initial stage of foreign market selection," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(4), pages 442-472, May.
    16. Herbert A. Simon, 1991. "Bounded Rationality and Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 125-134, February.
    17. Magnani, Giovanna & Zucchella, Antonella & Floriani, Dinorá Eliete, 2018. "The logic behind foreign market selection: Objective distance dimensions vs. strategic objectives and psychic distance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 1-20.
    18. Loock, Moritz & Hinnen, Gieri, 2015. "Heuristics in organizations: A review and a research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(9), pages 2027-2036.
    19. Nicolai J. Foss & Torben Pedersen, 2019. "Microfoundations in international management research: The case of knowledge sharing in multinational corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(9), pages 1594-1621, December.
    20. Niittymies, Aleksi & Pajunen, Kalle, 2020. "Cognitive foundations of firm internationalization: A systematic review and agenda for future research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Montserrat Jiménez-Partearroyo & Ana Medina-López & Sudhir Rana, 2024. "Business intelligence and business analytics in tourism: insights through Gioia methodology," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 2287-2321, September.
    2. Gada, Viswa Prasad & Popli, Manish & Malhotra, Shavin, 2024. "Geographic distance in cross-border acquisitions: The impact of CEO's psychological attributes," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    3. Altintas, Gulsun & Ambrosini, Véronique & Gudergan, Siegfried, 2022. "MNE dynamic capabilities in (un)related diversification," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1).
    4. Magnani, Giovanna & Gioia, Denny, 2023. "Using the Gioia Methodology in international business and entrepreneurship research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    5. Velásquez, Iris María Cantillo & Vargas, Yamile León, 2022. "Tendencias de investigación en los negocios internacionales," Revista Tendencias, Universidad de Narino, vol. 23(2), pages 273-302, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Niittymies, Aleksi & Pajunen, Kalle, 2020. "Cognitive foundations of firm internationalization: A systematic review and agenda for future research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    2. Guercini, Simone & Milanesi, Matilde, 2020. "Heuristics in international business: A systematic literature review and directions for future research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(4).
    3. Schweizer, Roger & Vahlne, Jan-Erik, 2022. "Non-linear internationalization and the Uppsala model – On the importance of individuals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 583-592.
    4. Schmidt, Heiko M. & Santamaria-Alvarez, Sandra Milena, 2022. "Routines in International Business: A semi-systematic review of the concept," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).
    5. Zilja, Flladina & Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Boustanifar, Hamid & Zhang, Dan, 2023. "CEO wealth and cross-border acquisitions by SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(6).
    6. Dan Li & Li-Qun Wei & Qing Cao & Deqiu Chen, 2022. "Informal institutions, entrepreneurs’ political participation, and venture internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(6), pages 1062-1090, August.
    7. Altintas, Gulsun & Ambrosini, Véronique & Gudergan, Siegfried, 2022. "MNE dynamic capabilities in (un)related diversification," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1).
    8. Niittymies, Aleksi & Pajunen, Kalle & Lamberg, Juha-Antti, 2022. "Temporality and firm de-internationalization: Three historical approaches," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    9. Stefano Elia & Marcus M. Larsen & Lucia Piscitello, 2019. "Entry mode deviation: A behavioral approach to internalization theory," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(8), pages 1359-1371, October.
    10. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Roger Schweizer, 2022. "Human behavior and judgment: A critical nano-foundation for the Uppsala model and international business studies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1549-1555, September.
    11. Putzhammer, Moritz & Fainshmidt, Stav & Puck, Jonas & Slangen, Arjen, 2018. "To elevate or to duplicate? Experiential learning, host-country institutions, and MNE post-entry commitment increase," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 568-580.
    12. Daniel R Clark & Dan Li & Dean A Shepherd, 2018. "Country familiarity in the initial stage of foreign market selection," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(4), pages 442-472, May.
    13. Pei Sun & Jonathan P. Doh & Tazeeb Rajwani & Donald Siegel, 2021. "Navigating cross-border institutional complexity: A review and assessment of multinational nonmarket strategy research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1818-1853, December.
    14. Martín Martín, Oscar & Chetty, Sylvie & Bai, Wensong, 2022. "Foreign market entry knowledge and international performance: The mediating role of international market selection and network capability," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    15. K. Skylar Powell, 2017. "Understanding ‘Misfits’: Aspirations and Systematic Deviations from Firm-Specific Optimal Multinationality," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 529-544, August.
    16. Keith D. Brouthers & Liang Chen & Sali Li & Noman Shaheer, 2022. "Charting new courses to enter foreign markets: Conceptualization, theoretical framework, and research directions on non-traditional entry modes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 2088-2115, December.
    17. Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd & Nell, Phillip C. & Ambos, Björn, 2017. "When Do Distance Effects Become Empirically Observable? An Investigation in the Context of Headquarters Value Creation for Subsidiaries," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 255-267.
    18. Gada, Viswa Prasad & Popli, Manish & Malhotra, Shavin, 2024. "Geographic distance in cross-border acquisitions: The impact of CEO's psychological attributes," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    19. Christian Schwens & Florian B Zapkau & Keith D Brouthers & Lina Hollender, 2018. "Limits to international entry mode learning in SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(7), pages 809-831, September.
    20. Prashantham, Shameen & Floyd, Steven W., 2019. "Navigating liminality in new venture internationalization," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 513-527.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:29:y:2020:i:6:s0969593120300974. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.