Purpose: This study aims to investigate how business-to-business (B2B) companies build brand personality via the products they provide and via their interactions with customers. Design/methodology/approach: A multiple case study, which spans 10 years, investigates via interviews, observations, workshops and document analysis how two fast-growing B2B companies selling industrial equipment to manufacturers build brand personality. Findings: The studied companies concentrate on different brand personality dimensions depending on the activities in which they engage. By focusing on brand competence in the realm of the actual product and brand warmth in the realm of the augmented product, the companies manage to create a complete and consistent brand personality. Research limitations/implications: The research approach provides in-depth knowledge on how the companies build brands for a specific type of B2B product. However, the article’s perspective is limited to that of management and therefore does not take customer reactions into account. Practical implications: The study describes how firms can build strong B2B brands by emphasizing competence in product design and R&D and warmth in activities related to sales and customer service. Originality/value: The study introduces a conceptually consistent view of brand personality in the form of warm and competent brands to the B2B marketing literature. It builds on and contributes to the emerging research on B2B brand personality. By relating the companies’ brand-building activities to the type of products they sell, this study illustrates how context affects B2B brand building, and by integrating brand personality theory with product levels and marketing philosophy, it extends previous theory on B2B branding. © 2022, Ulf Aagerup, Svante Andersson and Gabriel Baffour Awuah.

The acquisitions of brands by companies have become more frequent, representing a significant and effective way for firms to reach international new markets. This recent trend has led to a rise in rebranding, particularly in the business-to-business (B2B) sector. Since marketing literature primarily focuses on B2C brand strategies, literature on the field constantly overlooks B2B characteristics. This is sorely needed, because, despite massive investments, many acquisitions fail, especially international acquisitions where one faces cross-country differences. This is unsurprising because most companies' M&A considerations do not place much weight on brand strategy, and brand equity is typically not handled very well but is often treated as an after-thought compared to more pressing financial matters (e.g. how rebranding affects stock returns) and operational matters (e.g. descriptions of enablers and barriers to the rebranding process). Previous studies in this field emphasise how to do rebranding. However, they treat the brand itself as a black box —it is only how you execute the B2B rebranding process that is investigated, not which dimensions of the customer's brand knowledge should be prioritised. This is unfortunate, because rebranding an acquired brand without an idea of the desired end result is like navigating without a destination —even if you execute well, you will most likely not end up where you need to be. This paper addresses this gap by providing insights into the significant factors that drive B2B rebranding strategies, focusing on the transfer of brand equity from the acquired B2B brand to the acquiring company's brand.This study was conducted in one B2B firm going through rebranding process in the life science sector. Getinge was founded in 1904 in Sweden and is a global medical technology firm. The company provides equipment and systems in the healthcare and life sciences sector and has become a global leader in the field of Surgical Workflow. The international growth has been possible through incorporating new innovative offerings. These have been both internally developed, but also acquired internationally. A significant number of international acquisitions have been made throughout the years. In 2021 the company employed over 10,000 people worldwide, with products marketed in over 135 countries.Besides being one of the most valued companies in the sector, Getinge was chosen since the firm has initiated a rebranding process after a long-time international growth strategy, including acquisitions of many different international brands. Moreover, since B2B companies commonly rely on corporate, rather than product branding. Getinge is an appropriate choice since this study, therefore, focuses on a company that uses the same name for its company and its products.By examining an in-depth single case study of a multinational B2B company in the life sciences industry, this paper contributes to the research in international rebranding by validating that brand equity is a relevant consideration for B2B rebranding processes. Specifically, it argues that brand awareness transfer plays an essential role during the rebranding process, especially when it comes to external branding. Customers generally accept the new brand if the value proposition remains unchanged. However, they need to be made aware of the change to avoid confusion. Internally by contrast, the most significant challenge seems to be the transfer of brand image. Awareness is easy; during a rebranding process employees immediately become aware of the change. They however exhibit strong opinions for or against rebranding depending on their emotional connections to the old brand.These results extend the theory on international rebranding after M&As by demonstrating that the B2B context requires different prioritizations than consumer goods rebranding. The study shows how various stakeholders respond throughout the rebranding process. Firms can plan their rebranding process in mind that both brand image and brand awareness are important for brand equity during the rebranding process. However, firms need to prioritise one over the other depending on their specific audience (internal and external). Moreover, the realisation that awareness is a crucial success factor in B2B rebranding might help companies leverage brand equity in international M&As.

The health sector is very specific and difficult market for firms to access and deal with. The main reasons for this is that the healthcare systems are in continuous change, the co-creation processes in hospitals are complicated involving many different actors which also affects on firms commercialization and internationalization approaches. However, there is a growing demand of health services and the sector is growing also due to the COVID situation, that has been dramatically speeding up the digitalization of the healthcare services in the hospital settings. Approaching international hospital markets is, however, challenging for the start-up companies. On their journey they are facing a resistance, that they have to overcome in many different ways. The aim of this paper is to increase understanding how a start-up can overcome hospital resistance in an international innovation co-creation process. The results of are based on in depth case study in which the data collection was done over the four years of data gathering. The paper highlights how start-up companies can overcome the resistance in the international innovation co-creation in the hospital markets. It shows the importance of different activities, actors, capabilities and international activities in different phases of the international innovation co-creation journey. © 2022

Purpose: This paper aims, by a direct comparison, to address the differences and similarities of the internationalization processes of multinational companies both from developed and emerging countries.

Design/methodology/approach: This study employed qualitative approach, using an integrated model of internationalization process. Multiple case studies, with two companies with significant involvement in foreign markets and originating in countries with different levels of development, were carried out.

Findings: The results reveal that the case companies show some differences with regards to their use of ownership advantages to facilitate their internationalization. On the other hand, learning and experience of internationalization, coupled with the use of networks, have been factors that have influenced the pace and the pattern of the case companies' internationalization. An integrated model, which includes variables related to networks and learning/experience, may contribute to the understanding of the case of multinational companies from emerging economies.

Originality/value: Although the research field of emerging multinationals has been growing lately, very few attempts have been made in the sense of directly comparing the internationalization process of firms from both developed and emerging countries. The authors proposed an integrated analytical model that draws on insights from the eclectic paradigm and the Uppsala internationalization model. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

This article is an argument in favour of the importance of having different perspectives for different situations in marketing. Since the 1990s, relationship marketing has become an accepted stream in marketing research. However, this type of marketing consists of many different perspectives. Here, the network approach is covered. Its origin and its divergence from the mainstream marketing mix approach are discussed. It is concluded that Swedish culture and context influenced the development of the network approach. However, the network view is not pertinent to all marketing situations in Sweden and the approach is also useful outside of the Swedish context. Finally, it is argued that marketing research should benefit from many different perspectives and approaches that could be applicable to different marketing situations.

The aim of this book is to provide a wider perspective of the marketing field, particularly at a time when the field of marketing is expanding and developing in new and different directions. Unlike the more traditional literature, this book affords a deeper insight into the new marketing avenues of services marketing, business-to-business marketing and relationship marketing. Several other relevant marketing-related areas are also presented.

An international team of distinguished authors contribute their expertise, which provides a comprehensive overview of recent marketing developments. (Från förlaget)

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of a born global firm’s early internationalization process and the entrepreneur’s decisions regarding internationalization by using effectuation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

An explorative case study is used to explore if effectuation theory is a fruitful alternative perspective compared with the dominant paradigm (causation), which is primarily used in earlier studies on born globals.

Findings

The study shows how a born global company could enter many markets in short time, by co-operating with local network partners. The founders’ prior knowledge and networks were important to understand the rapid international expansion. Effectuation theory focuses on the entrepreneurs’ ability to create opportunities together with network partners and is a useful tool to understand the development in the born global firm.

Research limitations/implications

The study shows that effectuation theory holds promise for developing the international entrepreneurship area. Future research is recommended to focus not only on the entrepreneur’s competencies but also on the entrepreneur’s behaviour, including during the time before they started the firm.

Practical implications

Decision-makers in the early development of born global firms are recommended to use his/her own and his/her company’s resources and network. Also advantage should be taken of opportunities when they are recognized or created, instead of focusing on traditional planning activities.

Originality/value

There are few studies which have used effectuation theory as a basis for understanding the early development of a born global firm.

Vad utmärker det växande företaget? Vilken betydelse har entreprenören för det växande företaget? Dessa och många andra frågor besvaras i denna bok.

Vad utmärker det växande företaget? Varför växer vissa företag medan andra stagnerar eller rent av minskar i storlek? Vilken betydelse har entreprenören för det växande företaget? Agerar växande företag på ett sätt som skiljer dem från andra företag? Använder växande företag speciella strategier och organisationsformer? I vilka miljöer växer företag? Ovanstående frågor – och många andra – besvaras i den här boken.

Den vänder sig till studenter, praktiker och beslutsfattare som är intresserade av att fördjupa sina kunskaper om växande företag och hur de fungerar. Boken bygger på författarens forskning om svenska snabbväxande företag, och de teoretiska diskussionerna illustreras med exempel från svenska företag.

Principal Topic

High growth firms have shown to be an important factor for creating jobs in the economy at large. It has therefore been an increasing interest in this phenomenon from media, politics and academia. In spite of a large research effort, the knowledge about this phenomenon is still limited because there are few common results regarding the factors of importance for the creation of high growth firms. Some researcher claim that the entrepreneurs’ characteristics and the firms network and microenvironment are important whereas other claim that institutions in society in large are the most important factors. The purpose of this study is to deeper investigate the characteristics of high growth firms and to explore the factors that can explain the development of those firms. As earlier studies about high growth firms in Sweden has shown a strong connection between growth and internationalization, the firms international development will be highlighted.

Method

In an earlier study seven different types of firms were identified based on secondary data. In this second study, deep case studies will be conducted to get a deeper understanding of why these firms grow. Here the elite of the elite of the different types, super growers, will be further investigated. Super growers achieve higher growth in sales, organic employment and total employment than other groups in absolute and relative terms. Super growers were over-represented in young and growing industries, such as the business system industry. Three Swedish companies in that industry are chosen as case companies. Historical and a real time information will be collected. Secondary data and personal interviews will be used. The different cases will be confronted with each other and different theoretical approaches will be confronted with the cases in order to generate new knowledge about high growth firms.

Implications

This research intends to have implication for academia, practitioners and policy makers. For academia this explorative research intends to identify which factors that are important to understand the phenomenon of high growth firms. Practitioners and policymakers can learn from these findings and if the intention is to create high growth and job creation, concentrate on actions that will favor that development.

This paper analyses growth patterns in three high-growth Swedish firms (Intentia, IBS, and in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) industry. A multi-theoretical framework is developed and used to analyse the firms' growth. It is concluded that growth is a complex phenomenon that has to be viewed from different theoretical angles to be understood. It is shown that entrepreneurs' intentions, international growth strategies, organic organisations, industry structure and networks, and national cultures are all factors that influence firms' growth.

This paper continues with a discussion on earlier research on entrepreneurs in international new ventures. It can be concluded that research that has shown that the entrepreneur is an important factor to understand the inception and development of INVs. It can also be concluded that the research, so far, has came up to somewhat different conclusions and focused on different aspects on how entrepreneurs influence firm’s international behaviour. Following the above discussion earlier research on entrepreneurs and firm’s international development is discussed next in this paper. It is concluded that the entrepreneur’s cognition and action is instrumental to understand firm’s international development. To build international ventures the entrepreneurs need to adapt to different context and build an organization that can continue to grow internationally. A global mind-set is important to see and act on international opportunities. The paper concludes with some practical implications.

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of a born global firm’s early

internationalization process and the entrepreneur’s decisions regarding internationalization by using

effectuation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– An explorative case study is used to explore whether

effectuation theory is a fruitful alternative perspective compared with the dominant paradigm

(causation), which is primarily used in earlier studies on born globals.

Findings

– The study shows how a born global company could enter many markets in a short time,

by co-operating with local network partners. The founders’ prior knowledge and networks were

important to understand the rapid international expansion. Effectuation theory focuses on the

entrepreneurs’ ability to create opportunities together with network partners and is a useful tool to

understand the development in the born global firm.

Research limitations/implications

– The study shows that effectuation theory holds promise for

developing the international entrepreneurship area. Future research is recommended to focus not only

on the entrepreneur’s competencies, but also on the entrepreneur’s behavior, including during the time

before they started the firm.

Practical implications

– Decision-makers in the early development of born global firms are

recommended to use his/her own and his/her company’s resources and network. Also advantage

should be taken of opportunities when they are recognized or created, instead of focusing on

traditional planning activities.

Originality/value

– There are few studies that have used effectuation theory as a basis for

understanding the early development of a born global firm.

Internationalization of the firm traditionally has been examined using theoretical frameworks that do not focus on the firm's marketing context. In this paper, it is argued that international growth strategies are different for firms in different marketing contexts. Different international growth strategies for manufacturing and service companies in consumer and business-to-business market are studied. Using case studies, the study identifies different barriers in different marketing contexts and identifies different international growth strategies. The study shows that various internationalization theories are appropriate in different marketing contexts.

The important questions in a firm's internationalization strategy deal with which national markets they should enter and the order in which the chosen markets should be entered. Different theoretical scenarios provide a range of answers to these questions. In this article, it is argued that the appropriateness of the theories depends on the industrial context to which it is applied. The international development of some Swedish firms in mature and high-growth industries is discussed. Whether a theory is appropriate depends on the firms' degree of internationalization and whether the industry is mature or growing. International entrepreneurship literature has been shown to enhance understanding of the early stages of a firms' internationalization in growing industries.

Principal Topic

Why firms choose to establish themselves in certain markets is a question that has been discussed by different researchers. One of the most used concepts when discussing this question is psychic distance. In this article the concept is compared with other researchers’ views of market choice. Moreover, various theories are used to analyze the market choice of different Swedish firms. The international developments of some Swedish firms are shown in case studies, where market choice in mature and high growing industries is discussed. Is psychic distance still relevant to understand firms’ market choice? If not, which other theories can be useful to understand firms’ market choice?

Method

Cases from the rubber product industry is chosen to illustrate internationalization in a mature industry and cases from the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) industry are chosen to illustrate internationalization in a high growing industry. The cases was chosen because their international development illustrated various situation where theories could be compared with the firms’ actual behavior.The case studies are built on secondary data, such as business magazines, annual reports and internal documents, but mainly on personal interviews. I interviewed the individuals that personally took part in the decisions and implementation of the companies’ different establishments abroad, such as chairmen of the boards, presidents, export directors, area managers, export salesmen, presidents of subsidiaries, etc. More than 50 individuals were interviewed. The individuals who had the greatest influence on the internationalization processes were interviewed several times. Former interviews led to the identification of individuals who were central in the internationalization process. The interviewees have had the opportunity to read and comment on the drafts of the different cases.

Implications

The conclusion is drawn that different theories are relevant in various situations. Psychic distance is identified as a partial model and different theories are appropriate dependent of the firms’ degree of internationalization and if the industry is mature or growing. Decision-makers are recommended to careful analyze their own situation and use different models in various situations.

DEBATT. Generellt stöd till företag att nå ut internationellt är oftast meningslöst. Identifiera och satsa istället på ”born globals” som tidigt har siktet inställt på den globala marknaden - de skapar både tillväxt och arbetstillfällen i Sverige, skriver ekonomiprofessorn Svante Andersson.

This chapter deals with how Swedish born globals have contributed to economic growth and job creation in Sweden. The chapter starts with an overview of the Swedish economy and international trade. Thereafter follows a description of born globals in Sweden, including information on their sector, number of employees, and willingness and expectation to grow. This is illustrated by two examples of Swedish born globals that have experienced a continued international growth and have created jobs in Sweden. These examples are from the manufacturing and med-tech sectors, which are over-represented when it comes to born globals. After that, the creative sector is presented as a new growing sector in Sweden. The creative sector has been identified as one of the key sectors, with many born global firms, which can help Europe remain competitive in the changing global market driving economic growth and job creation (Collins et al., 2014). Subsequently, this chapter discusses how born globals in Sweden have influenced economic growth and job creation in different sectors and finishes with reflections on implications for policy and managers. © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Irene Mandl and Valentina Patrini.

A longitudinal study of the international behaviour of Swedish suppliers is presented. Three different types of supplier are identified: simple suppliers, advanced suppliers, and own product suppliers. Factors influencing the internationalisation of these suppliers are discussed. It is concluded that the firms' offer and the customers' buying strategies influence the firms' international behaviour. However, these factors do not determine the international strategies completely. Various entrepreneurs will choose various strategies. Three different types of entrepreneurs are identified: the marketing, technical, and structural entrepreneurs. The type of entrepreneur influences the firms' international strategies in different directions.

There are 2 dominant views in international business research: the economic and the process view. In this study it is shown that these views give some insight into the complex phenomenon of the internationalization of the firm. However, the understanding of various international behaviors in the firm's first international ventures as well as of radical strategic changes is enhanced by an analysis focusing on entrepreneurs.

Relationship marketing during the nineties has become an accepted approach in marketing research. This type of marketing, however, consists of many different perspectives. Here, the network approach is covered. This perspective’s origin and its differences to the marketing management approach are discussed. It is concluded that the development of the network perspective was influenced by its Swedish context, however the network view is not pertinent on all marketing situations in Sweden. Finally it is argued that research in marketing should prosper with many different perspectives that could be applicable for different marketing situations.

Branding has for a long time been in focus in strategic decision making for firms in a business-to-consumer context. Brands has been used as a tool to differentiate products and position firms’ offers towards competitors. In a business-to business context branding has not been in focus in the same way. Strategic decisions have more dealt with technology innovation and market expansions. In recent times, a greater interest for brand building in a business to business (B2B) context has emerged, both in practice and academia, especially for globally active B2B firms that strive to create a unified look of their products and firms. The hard global competition has made it difficult to compete on product quality alone, services around the product and intangible features has been important parts of B2B firms’ offers. The B2B firms’ more complex offers can be incorporated under a common brand that differentiates the firms’ offer from competitors. Although that the practical importance of B2B branding has been acknowledge lately, research dealing with B2B branding is still relatively limited. Most studies on B2B branding attempt to describe what brands are, how they affect companies, or vice versa. Research on the process of B2B brand building is however scarce. Also, when B2B brands are in focus of a study, it is usually their tangible characteristics that are examined. In B2C brand literature, intangible aspects and, the metaphor to see the brand as a person is widely discussed (Aaker, 1997). However, there is very little research on brand as a person element in the B2B context. Brand personality is normally defined as the human characteristics associated with a brand, More research into the brand personality building processes in a B2B context are therefore needed. Following the above discussion this study’s aim is to investigate how brand personality is built in B2B companies.

A qualitative approach has been adopted to enable us to investigate, in-depth, an under-researched area (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; and Yin, 1989) The key factor underpinning the selection of the two cases was conceptual relevance rather than representative grounds, so we used theoretical sampling (Miles and Huberman 1994). We combined secondary data research and field interviews and workshops with the CEOs in the case firms. The researchers constructed an interview-guide based on earlier literature and discussion in a workshop. Our aim and research question served as the basic structure for data analysis.  The study contributes to the literature by integrating theory on brand building from the marketing fields with the research dealing with the born global phenomenon discussed in the international entrepreneurship field.

Branding has for a long time been in focus in strategic decision making for firms in a business-to-consumer context. Brands has been used as a tool to differentiate products and position firms’ offers towards competitors. In a business-to business context branding has not been in focus in the same way. Strategic decisions have more dealt with technology innovation and market expansions. In recent times, a greater interest for brand building in a business to business (B2B) context has emerged, both in practice and academia, especially for globally active B2B firms that strive to create a unified look of their products and firms. The hard global competition has made it difficult to compete on product quality alone, services around the product and intangible features has been important parts of B2B firms’ offers. The B2B firms’ more complex offers can be incorporated under a common brand that differentiates the firms’ offer from competitors. Although that the practical importance of B2B branding has been acknowledge lately, research dealing with B2B branding is still relatively limited. Most studies on B2B branding attempt to describe what brands are, how they affect companies, or vice versa. Research on the process of B2B brand building is however scarce. Also, when B2B brands are in focus of a study, it is usually their tangible characteristics that are examined. In B2C brand literature, intangible aspects and, the metaphor to see the brand as a person is widely discussed (Aaker, 1997). However, there is very little research on brand as a person element in the B2B context. Brand personality is normally defined as the human characteristics associated with a brand, More research into the brand personality building processes in a B2B context are therefore needed. Following the above discussion this study’s aim is to investigate how brand personality is built in B2B companies.

A qualitative approach has been adopted to enable us to investigate, in-depth, an under-researched area (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; and Yin, 1989) The key factor underpinning the selection of the two cases was conceptual relevance rather than representative grounds, so we used theoretical sampling (Miles and Huberman 1994). We combined secondary data research and field interviews and workshops with the CEOs in the case firms. The researchers constructed an interview-guide based on earlier literature and discussion in a workshop. Our aim and research question served as the basic structure for data analysis.  The study contributes to the literature by integrating theory on brand building from the marketing fields with the research dealing with the born global phenomenon discussed in the international entrepreneurship field.

Purpose: This study aims to explore challenges and opportunities in the digitalization of the business-to-business (B2B) customer journey in different buying situations. It also investigates where in the customer journey digital marketing is most efficient. Design/methodology/approach: This research adopts a single case study approach to examine a B2B company that implemented digitalization in its customer journey in different buying situations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, complemented by internal documents and information from the company’s website and social media, to identify reasons for and against the decision to digitalize the B2B customer journey. Findings: Digitalization can offer firms a cost-effective and value-creating way to interact with customers in a B2B context. The B2B buying situation, however, plays a significant role in decisions on how to implement digitalization. Moreover, in the prepurchase phase, digital marketing is more effective in building awareness; in the purchase phase, personal selling is more effective in addressing customers’ needs. Research limitations/implications: The use of a single case study cannot produce results directly generalizable to other contexts. However, the findings are applicable to the digitalization of B2B customer journeys in similar industrial contexts. Practical implications: To successfully implement digitalization in the customer journey, B2B firms should choose digital tools according to different buying situations and phases in the customer journey, segment buyers by their needs rather than individual characteristics and integrate the sales and marketing functions. Originality/value: This study contradicts prior research that claims that digital marketing can be used in a similar way in both B2B and business-to-consumer contexts. It further shows that the relevant demarcation is not between personal sales and digitalization but between automated digital marketing and individualized personal sales, regardless of medium. © 2024, Svante Andersson, Ulf Aagerup, Lisa Svensson and Sanna Eriksson.

The business model literature has increased dramatically during the last decades. However, most business model literature does not deal with the international location dimension of business. That is, in which countries value-creating, delivering, and capturing activities are carried out or localised. Localisation decisions are of significant importance for international new ventures as these firms have to deal with liabilities of newness, smallness, and foreignness. This chapter contributes by merging literature on business models with international new venture literature and discussing how business models in new international ventures are created and developed and how the international context influences these firms' business models, especially from the localisation perspective.

The aim of this paper is to shed light on how a born global can obtain continued growth internationally, in institutionally distant markets. We are seeking a deeper understanding of international growth for born global enterprises by combining theories of networks and institutional perspective. We discuss how institutional distance affects the internationalization processes in born globals. We seek to highlight why and how a born global firm does enter different markets. In this respect, born globals from developed countries and those from emerging markets are compared, leading us to derive some propositions from our discussions. Finally some suggestions for future research are presented.

The aim of this chapter is to shed light on how a born global can obtain continued growth internationally, in institutionally distant markets. We are seeking a deeper understanding of international growth for born global enterprises by combining theories of networks and institutional perspective. We discuss how institutional distance affects the internationalization processes in born globals. We seek to highlight why and how a born global firm enters different markets. In this respect, born globals from developed countries and those from emerging markets are compared, leading us to derive some propositions from our discussions. Finally some suggestions for future research are presented. © Jorma Larimo, Niina Nummela and Tuija Mainela 2015.

INTRODUCTION

Research on firms that already from their inception see the whole world as a market and/or the whole world as a source to access resources, so called born globals (Andersson & Wictor, 2003, Knight & Cavusgil, 2004; Cavusgil & Knight, 2015), has been growing during the last decades  (Servantie, 2016). Born globals are an especially interesting group of firms to study, in regard of value creation, as they have been able to create competitive offers fulfilling the needs of customers on global markets.

 The distinguishing feature of born globals is their international behaviour at birth and soon thereafter. The firms’ behaviour is initiated by the entrepreneurs’ and management’s global mindset and the commitment of resources leading to international growth (Andersson, 2000; Knight & Causgil, 2004). Born globals is, by definition, a born global firm “forever”, as has been characterized by their early years.  We argue that the early years make these firms a special type of firms that will influence their further international development. Firms with a long-term focus on the domestic market must unlearn routines rooted in the domestic context before new, internationally oriented routines can be learned. An early entrance to international markets forces born globals to adopt to new contexts and create new knowledge that leads to new routines and creates a culture in the firms to adapt to new international opportunities (Andersson & Evers, 2015; Autio et al ., 2000, Cavusgil & Knight, 2004).

There has been extensive research on born globals’ internationalization dealing with which markets, and market channels firms should choose to grow internationally. There has also been extensive research dealing with antecedents and factors influencing these choices. The focus on born global research has also been on the very early stages in the internationalization process. Few studies have captured the long-term behaviour and growth of born globals (2008; Gabrielsson and Gabrielsson, 2013, Melen Hånell, Nordman and Sharma, 2014). A question that has been very little addressed is: what happens to born global firms when they grow up (Cavusgil & Knight, 2015)? In this study we define this grown up born global firms as mature born globals (c. f. Hagen & Zuchella, 2014, maturing born global firms). To succeed with a continued international expansion, the born global firms need to increase sales on international markets. The underlying reason for success on international markets and continuous growth is that the mature born global firms have an offer that gives higher value to the customer than their competitors. However customer value is not explicitly treated in internationalization theories (Axinn & Matthyssen, 2002). To our knowledge there has not been any research that has, in- depth, explored how mature born globals create value for customers to create international growth. In line with the above discussion, the aim of this study is to investigate how mature born global firms create value for customers to create international growth.

METHOD

A qualitative approach has been adopted to enable us to investigate, in-depth, an under-researched area (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; and Yin, 1989) “how born global firms create value for customers to create international growth”. In all, the study was conducted with five companies. The key factor underpinning the selection of the five cases was conceptual relevance rather than representative grounds, so we used theoretical sampling (Miles and Huberman 1994). We conducted a review of annual reports, other secondary documentation, and the websites of the case firms. We combined secondary data research and field interviews and workshops with the CEOs in the case firms. The researchers constructed an interview-guide based on earlier literature and discussion on a works-shop. Interviews were carried out with the five CEOs and transcribed. Data analysis included several steps. The information from the interviews, and other sources served as descriptive narratives, which helped us process the large volume of data (Mintzberg and McHugh 1985). This process enabled the unique patterns of each case to emerge before cross-case comparison (Eisenhardt 1989; Yin 1994) was undertaken. Our aim and research question served as the basic structure for data analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that a strong focus on customer value creation was in focus. To create customer value a combination of proactive and reactive market orientation was implemented built on a competitive offer that was hard to replicate. Depending on the characteristics of the buyer-seller relationship different tools were used to build relationship value. The revenue earned is invested in further international growth, by investing in market driving activities, and entrepreneurial alertness to act on upcoming opportunities was crucial. This study contributes to the international entrepreneurship field by explicitly including marketing literature and empirically investigating how value is created to achieve international growth in born globals. This study also contributes to the industrial marketing field by developing a model that shows how born global firms create value for international customers to generate international growth in a B2B context.

INTRODUCTION

Research on firms that already from their inception see the whole world as a market and/or the whole world as a source to access resources, so called born globals (Andersson & Wictor, 2003, Knight & Cavusgil, 2004; Cavusgil & Knight, 2015), has been growing during the last decades  (Servantie, 2016). Born globals are an especially interesting group of firms to study, in regard of value creation, as they have been able to create competitive offers fulfilling the needs of customers on global markets.

 The distinguishing feature of born globals is their international behaviour at birth and soon thereafter. The firms’ behaviour is initiated by the entrepreneurs’ and management’s global mindset and the commitment of resources leading to international growth (Andersson, 2000; Knight & Causgil, 2004). Born globals is, by definition, a born global firm “forever”, as has been characterized by their early years.  We argue that the early years make these firms a special type of firms that will influence their further international development. Firms with a long-term focus on the domestic market must unlearn routines rooted in the domestic context before new, internationally oriented routines can be learned. An early entrance to international markets forces born globals to adopt to new contexts and create new knowledge that leads to new routines and creates a culture in the firms to adapt to new international opportunities (Andersson & Evers, 2015; Autio et al ., 2000, Cavusgil & Knight, 2004).

There has been extensive research on born globals’ internationalization dealing with which markets, and market channels firms should choose to grow internationally. There has also been extensive research dealing with antecedents and factors influencing these choices. The focus on born global research has also been on the very early stages in the internationalization process. Few studies have captured the long-term behaviour and growth of born globals (2008; Gabrielsson and Gabrielsson, 2013, Melen Hånell, Nordman and Sharma, 2014). A question that has been very little addressed is: what happens to born global firms when they grow up (Cavusgil & Knight, 2015)? In this study we define this grown up born global firms as mature born globals (c. f. Hagen & Zuchella, 2014, maturing born global firms). To succeed with a continued international expansion, the born global firms need to increase sales on international markets. The underlying reason for success on international markets and continuous growth is that the mature born global firms have an offer that gives higher value to the customer than their competitors. However customer value is not explicitly treated in internationalization theories (Axinn & Matthyssen, 2002). To our knowledge there has not been any research that has, in- depth, explored how mature born globals create value for customers to create international growth. In line with the above discussion, the aim of this study is to investigate how mature born global firms create value for customers to create international growth.

METHOD

A qualitative approach has been adopted to enable us to investigate, in-depth, an under-researched area (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010; and Yin, 1989) “how born global firms create value for customers to create international growth”. In all, the study was conducted with five companies. The key factor underpinning the selection of the five cases was conceptual relevance rather than representative grounds, so we used theoretical sampling (Miles and Huberman 1994). We conducted a review of annual reports, other secondary documentation, and the websites of the case firms. We combined secondary data research and field interviews and workshops with the CEOs in the case firms. The researchers constructed an interview-guide based on earlier literature and discussion on a works-shop. Interviews were carried out with the five CEOs and transcribed. Data analysis included several steps. The information from the interviews, and other sources served as descriptive narratives, which helped us process the large volume of data (Mintzberg and McHugh 1985). This process enabled the unique patterns of each case to emerge before cross-case comparison (Eisenhardt 1989; Yin 1994) was undertaken. Our aim and research question served as the basic structure for data analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that a strong focus on customer value creation was in focus. To create customer value a combination of proactive and reactive market orientation was implemented built on a competitive offer that was hard to replicate. Depending on the characteristics of the buyer-seller relationship different tools were used to build relationship value. The revenue earned is invested in further international growth, by investing in market driving activities, and entrepreneurial alertness to act on upcoming opportunities was crucial. This study contributes to the international entrepreneurship field by explicitly including marketing literature and empirically investigating how value is created to achieve international growth in born globals. This study also contributes to the industrial marketing field by developing a model that shows how born global firms create value for international customers to generate international growth in a B2B context.

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how mature born global firms create value for customers to achieve continued international growth.

Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a case study approach to investigate the underresearched area of how mature born globals create value for customers and, by doing so, contribute to their continued international growth. This in-depth examination of how three born globals developed over time uses interviews, observation and secondary data.

Findings – The findings indicate that the entrepreneurs of born global firms, that continued to grow, created a culture in the early stages that supported value creation for foreign customers. These firms have built a competitive position by developing international niche products. They have also implemented a combination of proactive and reactive market orientation to facilitate the creation and delivery of value to customers. To maintain growth, they further invest the revenues earned on additional international marketing activities and continuously enhance their focal products.

Research limitations/implications – The study relies on three cases. We therefore recommend that future studies extend the scope of the research to several companies in various industries and countries, in which the theoretical arguments can be applied. In addition, further studies that test the propositions developed in this study, in different contexts, are highly recommended.

Practical implications – To gain international growth, managers should create an organizational culture that facilitates satisfying international customer needs. Firms should continuously invest in sales and market development (e.g. social media marketing, personal selling) and undertake technology development of niche rather than new products. To achieve international growth, managers need to standardize part of the offer to achieve economies of scale and adapt the other part to international customers’ needs.

Originality/value – Research on born globals has focused on the early stages of their internationalization processes, while largely neglecting the later stages (mature born globals) or the factors that lead to continued international growth. To address this gap, this study explores what happens when born globals ‘grow up’. This study contributes to the literature by capturing the factors and processes underlying how mature born globals create value for customers, for international growth. In particular, the study shows that the culture and strategies developed in the born globals’ early stages also lead to international growth in later stages. The mature born globals have also invested in niche products, brand building, and effective market channels and adopted a combination of proactive and reactive market orientations. © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how mature born global firms create value for customers to achieve continued international growth.

Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a case study approach to investigate the underresearched area of how mature born globals create value for customers and, by doing so, contribute to their continued international growth. This in-depth examination of how three born globals developed over time uses interviews, observation and secondary data.

Findings – The findings indicate that the entrepreneurs of born global firms, that continued to grow, created a culture in the early stages that supported value creation for foreign customers. These firms have built a competitive position by developing international niche products. They have also implemented a combination of proactive and reactive market orientation to facilitate the creation and delivery of value to customers. To maintain growth, they further invest the revenues earned on additional international marketing activities and continuously enhance their focal products.

Research limitations/implications – The study relies on three cases. We therefore recommend that future studies extend the scope of the research to several companies in various industries and countries, in which the theoretical arguments can be applied. In addition, further studies that test the propositions developed in this study, in different contexts, are highly recommended.

Practical implications – To gain international growth, managers should create an organizational culture that facilitates satisfying international customer needs. Firms should continuously invest in sales and market development (e.g. social media marketing, personal selling) and undertake technology development of niche rather than new products. To achieve international growth, managers need to standardize part of the offer to achieve economies of scale and adapt the other part to international customers’ needs.

Originality/value – Research on born globals has focused on the early stages of their internationalization processes, while largely neglecting the later stages (mature born globals) or the factors that lead to continued international growth. To address this gap, this study explores what happens when born globals ‘grow up’. This study contributes to the literature by capturing the factors and processes underlying how mature born globals create value for customers, for international growth. In particular, the study shows that the culture and strategies developed in the born globals’ early stages also lead to international growth in later stages. The mature born globals have also invested in niche products, brand building, and effective market channels and adopted a combination of proactive and reactive market orientations.