The internationalization process of born global firms in high-tech and low-tech industries: Is there any difference?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The impact of industry characteristics on born global firms’ internationalization process is widely acknowledged. Even though there are studies focusing on both high-tech and low-tech industries, the differences between their internationalization patterns have not been generally analyzed. Through a multiple case-study research focusing on a comparison between both industries, we are able to identify differences in the internationalization pattern and specific influential factors. Our findings show that (1) high-tech firms are more international than low-tech ones; (2) the global nature of high-tech firms triggers internationalization while low-tech firms are driven by home market conditions and entrepreneurial traits; (3) networks have a distinct role between industries; (4) the concept of psychic distance may still be applied to this type of firms.