Scaling, the process of resource-efficient rapid growth of companies, is gaining increasing attention from both academia and practitioners. Scaleup companies consistently outperform their counterparts generating a greater impact on society in terms of jobs, value creation, and diffusion of innovation.
Internationalization serves as a powerful strategy for scaling, despite challenges such as rising costs, or adaptation dilemmas which emphasize the need for strategizing and resource-efficient ways to international expansion.
Notwithstanding the relevance of the topic, there is a considerable lack of theorizing and of empirical evidence on scaling, particularly regarding the resources and strategies that emerge during the scaling process. This lack of knowledge is even more pronounced in the field of international business and entrepreneurship, where the discussion mainly revolves around the impact of digitalization and the scalability of digital firms, or the standardization/adaptation debate focused on (digital) business models.
We therefore adopt a holistic approach to comprehend international scaling along strategies, processes and, importantly, related resource dynamics. Our research begins with a comprehensive literature review, including adjacent fields, to take stock, bridge knowledge and identify triggers and dimensions of viable and sustainable scaling. Subsequently, a longitudinal multiple-case study methodology will be adopted, supported by secondary data gathered from diverse sources (e.g., CrunchBase, Lexis Nexis), to deepen our knowledge regarding the interrelations and dynamics of and between triggers, the dimensions of strategies, and the scaling process.
The phenomenological nature of international scaling together with the lack of theorizing and empirical substantiation do provide ground for both a significant theoretical contribution, and an impact on practitioner and policymaker communities. Through our ‘multi-perspective’ approach, which integrates insights from adjacent research fields and diverse stakeholders, we expect outputs that include academic publications and more readily accessible reports adapted for a wider audience, commentaries in industry publications, blogs, and case studies. In addition, workshop organization and conference participation aim at facilitating collaboration and knowledge