A typology of born global firms’ attributes and future directions

Abstract

Purpose: The phenomenon for born global firms (BGFs) has become mainstream, that is observed across many industries and countries. This study distills extant literature regarding BGFs to uncover critical attributes shared by BGFs. It applies a frame-based approach, a relatively under-applied methodology in the international business (IB) literature, to develop a multi-dimensional typology of BGFs’ attributes. Methods: A frame-based methodology was used to uncover and classify the dimensions of BGFs’ attributes that emanate from the literature. Findings: With BGFs as the superordinate phenomenon or concept, a typology of five subordinate dimensions emerged, namely i) defining characteristics; ii) orientations; iii) capabilities; iv) resources; v) strategies/actions. Value: This paper offers three important contributions. First, it provides a clear delineation of attributes associated with BGFs in order to provide a holistic perspective of the born global phenomenon. Second, it demonstrates a relatively under-applied frame-based methodology to analyze the BGFs’ attributes and presents conceptual clarity based on the literature review. Third, this paper identifies critical areas and recommends important guidelines for future scholarly developments in the born global literature