Internationalization among emerging countries: insights from Brazilian-Russian beef network

Abstract

This paper examines the expansion (or internationalization) of Brazilian firms into the Russian market, by applying the revised model of Uppsala in the context of emerging economies. The study is an exploratory descriptive study based on case studies of four Brazilian meatpackers with operations in Russia. The results show that the revised model of Uppsala partially explains the internationalization of the firms studied. Some evidence regarding the influence of the business network was empirically found. However, some concepts proposed by the revised model, such as the manner in which a network limits company expansion, were not found. This study contributes empirical evidence to support the theoretical framework and opens avenues for further research on business networks among emerging countries.