1. ¹Department of Management, School of Business Administration, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA
2. ²Faculty of Business Administration, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

Correspondence: Yadong Luo, Department of Management, School of Business Administration, University of Miami, 414 Jenkins Building, Coral Gables, FL 33124-9145, USA. Tel: +1 305 284 4003; Fax: +1 305 284 3655; E-mail: yadong@miami.edu

Received 11 January 2007; Accepted 11 January 2007; Published online 19 April 2007.

Abstract

In this article, we present a springboard perspective to describe the internationalization of emerging market multinational corporations (EM MNEs). EM MNEs use international expansion as a springboard to acquire strategic resources and reduce their institutional and market constraints at home. In so doing, they overcome their latecomer disadvantage in the global stage via a series of aggressive, risk-taking measures by aggressively acquiring or buying critical assets from mature MNEs to compensate for their competitive weaknesses. We discuss unique traits that characterize the international expansion of EM MNEs, and the unique motivations that steer them toward internationalization. We further delineate peculiar strategies and activities undertaken by these firms in pursuit of international expansion, as well as internal and external forces that might compel or facilitate their propulsion into the global scene. We finally explain the risks and remedies associated with this international 'springboarding' strategy and highlight major issues meriting further investigation.