UQ Business School will work with the Australian Business Foundation to investigate what happens after Australian firms like The Wiggles successfully enter overseas markets.
UQ Business School’s Professor Peter Liesch, Dr Jay Weerawardena, and Stuart Middleton, and the Foundation’s Dr Matthew Steen are investigating the post-entry market development activities of early and rapidly internationalising Australian firms.
Professor Liesch said although born globals – firms that go international early and rapidly, sometimes without launching in the domestic market – were becoming better understood, little was known about what happened next.
The project has selected four firms from each of four states (New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria).
They include global brand The Wiggles, readily-recognised biotechnology firms, engineering manufacturing firms, and service firms.
“We don’t know how these firms build a strong presence in international markets to support further growth,” Professor Liesch said.
“This can include going as far as to establish a manufacturing plant, setting up an office to manage capital-raising, or simply employing an agent.
“Our research will also examine the value to Australia of these activities in terms of dollars, intellectual property benefits, and expertise and capacity building.
“We hope to identify the range of trajectories to deepened internationalisation and assess the nature, extent, and significance of their contributions to the national economy.
“This research builds on findings from our ARC Discovery project on earlier phases of the early and rapid internationalisation phenomenon.”
A special issue of selected papers on the early and rapid internationalisation of the firm for the Journal of World Business is expected in print in July this year.
For more information contact:
UQ Business School – Cathy Stacey on (07) 3365 6179 or 0434 074 372
Australian Business Foundation Ltd – research analyst Dr Matthew Steen on (02) 9458 7342
