A general theory of de‐internationalization

Abstract

De-internationalization is a novel phenomenon that is gaining significant attention because of its proliferation in international business. However, unlike internationalization, literature on de-internationalization remains opaque and scarce, whereby the acts that characterize de-internationalization and the characters of those acts have remain largely underexplored. To address this knowledge gap and contribute to the body of knowledge on international business, this article aims to shed light on the acts and characters of acts defining de-internationalization. To do so, this article adopts a taxonomic method to conceptual development. In doing so, this article explains that (1) the act of de-internationalization can manifest as a firm's decision to adapt and stay or withdraw and exit an international market (what is happening), which can occur through (2) decoupling or psychic distance (how it is happening) due to (3) a means-ends or a needs-ends reason (why it is happening), respectively. Taken collectively, this article makes a seminal contribution by establishing a general theory of de-internationalization.

Choosing a good research topic for premier journals

“…Taken collectively, it is hoped that this article will serve as a useful resource to help authors choose good research topics for GBOE and premier journals at large. It is also hoped that readers will be delighted with the selection of articles in GBOE ’s latest issue focusing on de‐internationalization (Lim & Mandrinos, 2023), knowledge hiding (Koay & Lim, 2023), and ridesharing (Shamsudin et al., 2023).…”

“…Using a taxonomic method to conceptual development (Jaakkola, 2020), Lim and Mandrinos (2023) developed a general theory of de-internationalization. Most definitions of de-internationalization offer a limited perspective while those that provide a richer perspective tend to be less parsimonious.…”

Role of risk perception and situational factors in mobile payment adoption among small vendors in unorganised retail

“…And lastly, the risk from mega-disruptions such as the Ukraine and Russia war(W. M. [ 69 ], where a country has been cut off from the payment systems ( SWIFT) ( Society for worldwide interbank). The nation will be compelled to self-support as it will not have the option to import anything because of the absence of a payment arrangement.…”

De‐internationalization: An organizational institutionalism perspective

“…However, little efforts, to date, have been invested to theorize and enrich understanding of de‐internationalization, with the extant literature largely focused on internationalization linearly. The recent work of Lim and Mandrinos (2023) reviewed the extant conceptualization of de‐internationalization, which revealed several shortcomings (e.g., limited or non‐parsimonious coverage of de‐internationalization). These shortcomings were proactively addressed (e.g., comprehensive yet parsimonious coverage of de‐internationalization), resulting in a general theory of de‐internationalization, which sheds light on the acts and characters of acts defining de‐internationalization.…”

“…These shortcomings were proactively addressed (e.g., comprehensive yet parsimonious coverage of de‐internationalization), resulting in a general theory of de‐internationalization, which sheds light on the acts and characters of acts defining de‐internationalization. According to this general theory, “the act of de‐internationalization can manifest as a firm's decision to adapt and stay or withdraw and exit an international market, which can occur through (2) decoupling or psychic distance due to (3) a means‐ends or a needs‐ends reason, respectively” (Lim & Mandrinos, 2023, p. 5). The authors, however, cautioned that further research that sheds light on alternative perspectives of de‐internationalization is required, and that this general theory of de‐internationalization should serve as a starting point for new studies in this direction.…”