Identifying and explaining epochs of internationalization: a case study

Stefan Eckert , Ulrike Mayrhofer (1)

1 Pôle de Recherche - Rouen Business School

This research investigates the internationalization process of multinational corporations. The authors identify international epochs that profoundly characterize the internationalization process of companies and explain their emergence. Based on a longitudinal case study of the German company Hoechst and its merger with the French company Rhône-Poulenc to Aventis, the empirical analysis reveals that international epochs are initiated by significant changes in the power structure of the corporation, such as the appointment of a new CEO or a corporate merger.

Mots clés: internationalization process; international epochs; international mergers and acquisitions; corporate policy

Stefan Eckert, Ulrike Mayrhofer. Identifying and explaining epochs of internationalization: a case study. European Management Review, 2005, n° 2, pp. 212-223. ⟨10.1057/palgrave.emr.1500040⟩. ⟨hal-00567672⟩