Marketing

Philosophy

Ecology

Biology

Exploit

Microeconomics

Economic system

Computer security

Upgrade

Operating system

Originality

Economics

Computer science

Business

Qualitative research

Predictive power

Value (mathematics)

Epistemology

Sociology

Internationalization

Industrial organization

Host (biology)

Machine learning

Social science

Multinational Business Review

Purpose – The purpose of this the paper is to review the motives for internationalization to clarify previous arguments and provide a theory-driven classification. Design/methodology/approach – The authors build on behavioral economics and propose a classification of internationalization motives as the result of the interaction among two dimensions, an economics-driven exploitation of existing resources or exploration of new resources, and a psychology-driven search for better host country conditions or avoidance of poor home country conditions. Findings – These two dimensions result in four internationalization motives: sell more, in which the company exploits existing resources at home and obtains better host country conditions; buy better, in which the company exploits existing resources abroad and avoids poor home country conditions; upgrade, in which the company explores for new resources, and it obtains better host country conditions; and escape, in which the company explores for new resources and avoids poor home country conditions. Originality/value – This theory-driven classification provides predictive power for future analyses of internationalization motives.

Internationalization motives: sell more, buy better, upgrade and escape