Born Digitals

Insights on Internationalization of ‘Born Digital’ Firms

Esther Tippmann (University of Galway), Nicole Coviello (Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Canada) and Sinead Monaghan (Trinity College Dublin) explain what is unique about the internationalization of ‘born digitals’ and offer directions for future research in this recent article for the Journal of International Business Studies. 

Our insights we wish to share with you:

Many businesses are ‘born digital’ firms that tend to internationalize early and rapidly. Born digitals build and leverage their digital infrastructure, rely on digital infrastructure to accrue communication, collaboration and/or computing capabilities that are vital to selling through a digital business model, and do so from inception. Their digitality offers technological affordances, especially direct engagement with stakeholders, automation, network effects, flexibility and scalability, that underpin their distinct way of internationalizing.  

What was the approach for the research?

With the rise of digital firms, internationalization models and frameworks need to consider this new firm type. So, they explore whether traditional internationalization theory ‘fits’ born digitals and offer many directions for future research.

How might you benefit from these insights?

This article gives insights on five vital technology affordances of ‘born digitals’ that can be exploited for internationalization and explains what factors should be considered to gain leverage from these five affordances.

Citation: Monaghan, S., Tippmann, E. & Coviello, N. (2020). Born digitals: Thoughts on their internationalization and a research agenda. Journal of International Business Studies, 51: 11-22.