International Expansion and Contexts of a Global Player from an Emerging Market: The Case of Sabmiller 1993–2013

Abstract

This article presents an empirical and theoretical contribution to the existing firm internationalization literature, by providing an analysis of the internationalization process followed by the emerging country multinational SABMiller during the period 1993-2013. Its findings are based on a single type II case study, contributes to international business literature providing a theoretically founded analysis of internationalization of emerging market multinational. After analyzing SABMiller's internationalization process to the light of different theoretical lenses of the internationalization theories it was found that the success of emerging markets multinationals depend of complementary characteristics between emerging world dynamics, and organizational innovations learnt and leverage at developed markets.

Multilatinas and the internationalization of Latin American firms

“…The Brazilian brewery Ambev, for example, emerged from the merge of two domestic firms -Brahma and Antarcticaand became the largest in Latin America, with investments in most countries in the region. In 2004 it merged with the Belgian Interbrew, and in 2008 merged with the American Anheuser-Busch, becoming Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest brewery in the world (Gonzalez-Perez, Rios-Molina & Vasquez-Melo, 2015). It then acquired SAB Miller (another group with a strong EMNE link, the South African SAB merged with the American Miller) in 2016.…”

Internationalization of Service SMEs: Perspectives from Canadian SMEs Internationalizing in Asia

“…Second, future research can also examine other contexts such as internationalization of service SMEs to Latin American, East European, and African countries (Iammarino & Pitelis, 2000; Ulrich, Hollensen, & Boyd, 2014). Third, the internationalization challenges faced by service SMEs from developing economies to other developing economies and even to developed economies can be areas of future research (Ahmed, Rifat, Nisha, Manirujjaman, & Shrensky, 2016; Gonzalez-Perez, Vasquez-Melo, & Rios-Molina, 2015; Muralidharan, Wei, & Liu, 2017). Fourth, while the present research has examined the challenges of Canadian SMEs in internationalization to China, India and Korea, internationalization to these countries may require different entry modes.…”

The internationalization of African firms: Opportunities, challenges, and risks

“…Our understanding of this phenomenon, especially its behavioral and strategic management dynamics, however, remains limited, as most of the extant studies have an economics orientation or narrow exporting focus (Ibeh et al, ). On a positive note, a burgeoning stream of relevant literature is now emerging (see, e.g., Adams, Nyuur, Ellis, & Debrah, ; Boso, Oghazi, & Hultman, ; Gonzalez‐Perez, Vasquez‐Melo, & Rios‐Molina, ; Horwitz, ; Ibeh, Awa, Makhmadshoev, & Madichie, in press; Luiz, Stringfellow, & Jefthas, ; Misati, Walumbwa, Lahiri, & Kundu, ; Ngwu, Adeleye, & Ogbechie, ; Ovadje, ; Rwehumbiza, ; White & Van Dongen, ). These have helped to increase our understanding of the internationalization behavior of African firms.…”