Internationalization and individual firm performance: a resource-based view

Abstract

This paper, through an analysis of the relationship between internationalization and a novel concept of performance at the firm level, sheds new light on this stream of literature, as our analysis presents a new approach by examining the internationalization-performance relationship at the firm level and arguing that this relationship is dependent on firm-specific assets. To test this argument, we use a sample of 267 manufacturing firms in Spain. We use a Bayesian stochastic frontier model with random coefficients to adequately capture the heterogeneity of resources across firms. The results reveal that the effect of internationalization on performance is heterogeneously distributed across firms. Finally, the strategic implications of these results for achieving a sustained competitive advantage by firms are discussed.