The phenomenon of early internationalizing firms: What do we know after a decade (1993-2003) of scientific inquiry?

With a view to increasing knowledge within the emergent field of international entrepreneurship, we examine 38 studies from the last decade that deal with international new ventures, global start-ups and born-global firms. The methodology used for this synthetic review allow us to analyze a large number of recent, purposefully chosen studies that are compared along the following criteria: (1) main objective and type of research; (2) theoretical framework/s of reference; (3) methodological issues and (4) main findings and/or conclusions. We seek to elucidate the most relevant benefits and contributions as well as potential drawbacks, limitations or major discrepancies found in the research activities conducted to date. Finally, some suggestions and implications are provided in the form of a new research model and future research directions. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.