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INTERNATIONAL SURVIVAL AND STRATEGIC RENEWAL THROUGH DISRUPT PATH DEPENDENCE

A SOBREVIVÊNCIA INTERNACIONAL E A RENOVAÇÃO ESTRATÉGICA POR MEIO DO ROMPIMENTO DA DEPENDÊNCIA DE TRAJETÓRIA

SUPERVIVENCIA INTERNACIONAL Y RENOVACIÓN ESTRATÉGICA A TRAVÉS DE LA DISRUPCIÓN DE LA DEPENDENCIA DEL CAMINO

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present article is to analyze how firms can strategically renew themselves and disrupt their path dependence to survive in international markets, despite the influence of path dependence. Using a qualitative methodology, this study has adopted a single-case design, based on semi-structured interviews with employees involved in the path of an emerging market firm. Through a historic and process-driven analysis it was possible to use realtime and retrospective data. The paper leads to the start of debates about path dependence transition. It also presents the relationship between international survival, strategic renewal and path dependence disruption.

Keywords:
Path dependence; Disruption; Strategic renewal; Emerging market; International survival.

O objetivo do presente artigo é analisar como as empresas podem se renovar estrategicamente e romper sua dependência de trajetória para sobreviver em mercados internacionais, apesar da influência da dependência de trajetória. Utilizando uma metodologia qualitativa, este estudo adotou um caso único, com base em entrevistas semiestruturadas com funcionários que possuem envolvimento com a trajetória de uma empresa de mercado emergente. Por meio de uma análise histórica e orientada por processos, foi possível utilizar dados em tempo real e retrospectivos. O artigo leva ao início dos debates sobre a transição da dependência de trajetória. Também apresenta a relação entre sobrevivência internacional, renovação estratégica e o rompimento da dependência de trajetória.

Palavras-chave:
Dependência de trajetória; Rompimento; Renovação estratégica; Mercado emergente; Sobrevivência internacional.


El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar cómo las empresas pueden renovarse estratégicamente y romper su dependencia de trayectoria para sobrevivir en los mercados internacionales, a pesar de la influencia de la dependencia de trayectoria. Utilizando una metodología cualitativa, este estudio ha adoptado un caso único, basado en entrevistas semiestructuradas con empleados que están involucrados con la trayectoria de una empresa de mercado emergente. A través de un análisis histórico y basado en procesos fue posible utilizar datos en tiempo real y retrospectivos. El documento conduce al inicio de debates sobre la transición de la dependencia de la trayectoria. También presenta la relación entre supervivencia internacional, renovación estratégica y disrupción de la dependencia del camino.

Palabras clave:
Dependencia de la trayectoria; Disrupción; Renovación estratégica; Mercado emergente; Supervivencia internacional.


INTRODUCTION

In light of constant market transformations, strategic renewal emerges as a relevant aspect for firms’ international survival. Although firms suffer with the inflexibility of organizational routines and strategies caused by path dependence (SCHREYÖGG; SYDOW, 2011SCHREYÖGG, G.; SYDOW, J. Organizational Path Dependence: A Process View. Organization Studies, v. 32, n. 3, p. 321-335, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840610397481. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0170840610397481?journalCode=ossa. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840610397481...
), a process characterized by sustained persistency and lock-in (SYDOW; SCHREYÖGG; KOCH, 2009SYDOW, J.; SCHREYÖGG, G.; KOCH, J. Organizational path dependence: Opening the black box. Academy of management review, v. 34, n. 4, p. 689-709, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689...
), they need to renew themselves strategically to alter their path dependence (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
), in order to survive in foreign markets (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
).

In theoretical terms, if, on the one hand, International Business (IB) literature states that the future internationalization behavior underlies the path (JOHANSON; VAHLNE, 1977JOHANSON, J.; VAHLNE, J. The internationalization process of the firm: a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitment. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 8, p. 23-32, 1977. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Accessed on: May 10, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.84...
; LETEN; BELDERBOS; LOOY, 2016LETEN, B.; BELDERBOS, R.; LOOY, B. V. Entry and Technological Performance in New Technology Domains: Technological Opportunities, Technology Competition and Technological Relatedness. Journal of Management Studies, v. 53, n. 8, p. 1257-1291, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.12215. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215...
), on the other, authors argue that firms with greater strategic flexibility are more efficient at starting strategic renewal (JAVED et al., 2022JAVED, A.; NAWAZ, A.; INAYAT, A.; FAREED, M. Predicting the Role of Strategic Orientation, Social Capital, and Strategic Flexibility for Strategic Renewal of SMEs. OEconomia, v. 5, n. 2, 2022. Available in: https://journal.oeco-edition.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/43. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://journal.oeco-edition.org/index.p...
), which, on its turn, entices the rejection of path dependence (VOLBERDA; BADEN-FULLER; VAN DEN BOSCH, 2001VOLBERDA, H.W.; BADEN-FULLER, C.; VAN DEN BOSCH, F.A.J. Mastering Strategic Renewal: Mobilising Renewal Journeys in Multi-unit Firms. Long Range Planning, v. 34, n. 2, p. 159-178, 2001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-6301(01)00032-2. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024630101000322. Accessed on: May 17, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-6301(01)00...
). The strategic renewal implicates in the development of new sets of capabilities to innovate and transform an organization (AMANKWAH-AMOAH; KHAN; OSABUTEY, 2021AMANKWAH-AMOAH, J.; KHAN, Z.; OSABUTEY, E. L.C. COVID-19 and business renewal: Lessons and insights from the global airline industry. International Business Review, v. 30, n. 3, p. 101802, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101802. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593121000093. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.1...
). It can be argued that strategic renewal is driven by dynamic capabilities (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
; JAVED et al., 2022JAVED, A.; NAWAZ, A.; INAYAT, A.; FAREED, M. Predicting the Role of Strategic Orientation, Social Capital, and Strategic Flexibility for Strategic Renewal of SMEs. OEconomia, v. 5, n. 2, 2022. Available in: https://journal.oeco-edition.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/43. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://journal.oeco-edition.org/index.p...
), which reside in exploitation capabilities - involving the ability to enhance existing capabilities - and exploration capabilities, which correspond to new alternatives and new learning (PRANGE, 2012PRANGE, C. Ambidextrous Internationaization Strategies: The Case of Chinese Firms Entering the World Market. Organizatonal Dynamics, v. 41, n. 3, p. 245-253, 2012. Available in: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christiane-Prange/publication/256924013_Ambidextrous_Internationalization_Strategies_The_Case_of_Chinese_Firms_Entering_the_World_Market/links/5a57d07845851529a2ee53e1/Ambidextrous-Internationalization-Strategies-The-Case-of-Chinese-Firms-Entering-the-World-Market.pdf. Accessed on: May 11, 2018.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chr...
).

To overcome the commitment to an existing strategy, firms need to promote explorative and path breaking activities (FRIESL; GARREAU; HERACLEOUS, 2019FRIESL, M.; GARREAU, L.; HERACLEOUS, L. When the parent imitates the child: Strategic renewal through separation and reintegration of subsidiaries. Strategic Organization, v. 17, n. 1, p. 62-94, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127018794850. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1476127018794850. Accessed on: July 10, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127018794850...
), using strategic renewal to alter their path dependence (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
). In this case, while strategic renewal may be aligned with the organizational path, there may also be path rejection in the search for survival. Therefore, we believe that the question of long-term survival of firms in foreign markets is a topic that in large extent represents a challenge for firms’ executives, as well as IB scholars. The matter regards not only survival in relation to the firm’s growth (KHAN et al., 2021KHAN, S. H.; MAJID, A.; YASIR, M.; JAVED, A.; SHAH, H. A. The role of social capital in augmenting strategic renewal of SMEs: does entrepreneurial orientation and organizational flexibility really matter? World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, v. 17, n. 2, p. 227-245, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0029. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0029/full/html. Accessed on: July 11, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0...
), or how they renew themselves during crisis (AMANKWAH-AMOAH; KHAN; OSABUTEY, 2021AMANKWAH-AMOAH, J.; KHAN, Z.; OSABUTEY, E. L.C. COVID-19 and business renewal: Lessons and insights from the global airline industry. International Business Review, v. 30, n. 3, p. 101802, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101802. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593121000093. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.1...
; ISSAH et al., 2023ISSAH, Wunnam Basit et al. Managerial capabilities and strategic renewal in family firms in crisis situations: the moderating role of the founding generation. Journal of Business Research, v. 156, p. 113486, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113486. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296322009511. Accessed on: March 11, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.1...
), or use digital technologies to stimulate the bifurcation of paths (BOHNSACK; KURTZ; HANELT, 2021BOHNSACK, R.; KURTZ, H.; HANELT, A. Re-examining path dependence in the digital age: The evolution of connected car business models. Research Policy, v. 50, n. 9, p. 104328, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104328. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733321001281. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.10...
), but also other motivations not yet identified on how firms disrupt their path dependence and transform themselves, thus attaining long-term prosperity (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
).

Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to analyze how firms can, despite the influence of path dependence, strategically renew themselves and disrupt their path dependence to survive in international markets. For this purpose, the subject is analyzed from within its own context: an emerging market (Brazilian) company, with almost 20 years of international operations, operating in about 20 countries. We have selected a Brazilian firm named Carmen Steffens, with a path that includes operations in different continents and that, despite having to withdrawn its operations from some countries along its trajectory, managed to strategically renew itself and survive internationally. This makes the case relevant and of scientific potential, as it enables the exploration of new theoretical insights (CUERVO-CAZURRA et al., 2016CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; ANDERSSON, U.; BRANNEN, M. Y.; NIELSEN, B. B.; REUBER, A. R. From the editors: Can I trust your findings? Ruling out alternative explanations in international business research. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 47, p. 881-897, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Accessed on: April 5, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-...
), that is, the strategic renewal through path dependence disruption and its association with long-term survival in the context of an emerging market firm.

As stated in the IB literature, despite emerging market firms being able to develop capabilities to deal with the uncertainties of the original market (CUERVO-CAZURRA et al., 2018CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; CIRAVEGNA, L.; MELGAREJO, M.; LOPEZ, L. Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability. Journal of World Business, v. 53, n. 2, p. 209-221, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.002. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090951617308398. Accessed on: April 5, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.00...
), which is important to face the challenges of internationalization, these firms also suffer with technological delay and weak stocks of intangible assets (RAMAMURTI; WILLIAMSON, 2019RAMAMURTI, R.; WILLIAMSON, P. J. Rivalry between emerging-market MNEs and developed-country MNEs: Capability holes and the race to the future. Business Horizons, v. 62, n. 2, p. 157-169, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11.001. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0007681318301861. Accessed on: April 6, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11...
). Thus, emerging market firms must deal with resources and capabilities restriction while having to strategically renew in order to disrupt path dependence aiming at the maintenance of long term activities in foreign markets.

We seek to contribute to the research in IB literature by discussing how firms strategic renew themselves to disrupt path dependence and ensure long-term survival. From an analysis of the internationalization process of an emerging market firm, our results reveal a path dependence transition, that is, a path dependence that occurs right after firm’s internationalization. During this transition, firms are not relaying exclusively on what they’ve learned from the domestic market, since they have already acquired experience from operations in foreign markets, but that does not mean they do not face the restrictions of their limited capabilities. Path dependence transition lasts until the firm is able to strategically renew discontinuously. Once the firm achieves discontinuous strategic renewal, it disrupts with path dependence transition and ensures international survival.

Besides the introduction, this article is organized in other four sections. In section 2, we provide a literature review of the discussion on path dependence, and strategic renewal and international survival. Section 3 describes the methodology used to assess our objectives and research question. Finally, we present our results and discussion, by suggesting several theoretical propositions and conclude with study’s contributions and limitations.

1 PATH DEPENDENCE

Assuming history matters, path dependence is the influence of past events on firms' present results (DAVID, 1985DAVID, P. A. Clio and the Economics of QWERTY. The American economic review, v. 75, n. 2, p. 332-337, 1985. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1805621. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1805621...
; VERGNE; DURAND, 2010VERGNE, J.P.; DURAND, R. The Missing Link Between the Theory and Empirics of Path Dependence: Conceptual Clarification, Testability Issue, and Methodological Implications. Journal of Management Studies, v. 47, n. 4, p. 736-759, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00913.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00913.x. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009...
). Path dependence defines firm's future strategy (COLLIS, 1991COLLIS, D.J. A resource-based analysis of global competition: the case of the bearings industry. Strategic Management Journal, v. 12, p. 49-68, 1991. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250120906. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smj.4250120906. Accessed on: May 23, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250120906...
); following a relatively deterministic pattern (MAHONEY, 2000MAHONEY, J.T. Path dependence in historical sociology. Theory and Society, v. 29, n. 4, p. 507-548, 2000. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3108585. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3108585...
). In this sense, Sydow, Schreyögg and Koch (2009)SYDOW, J.; SCHREYÖGG, G.; KOCH, J. Organizational path dependence: Opening the black box. Academy of management review, v. 34, n. 4, p. 689-709, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689...
present a three-phase model of what makes an organization dependent on trajectory. The first phase is the result of a critical event leading to a critical junction. The second phase consists of a regimen of positive, self-reinforcing feedback. At this stage there are still stock options, but more restricted and the initial choice becomes difficult to change. The last phase is the lock-in, in which actions become limited, strategically inefficient. As a consequence of path dependence, organizations deal with the inflexibility of their own routines and strategies (SCHREYÖGG; SYDOW, 2011SCHREYÖGG, G.; SYDOW, J. Organizational Path Dependence: A Process View. Organization Studies, v. 32, n. 3, p. 321-335, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840610397481. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0170840610397481?journalCode=ossa. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840610397481...
).

Furthermore, path dependence may be linked to knowledge networks that, associated to internal organization affairs, influence the development of firms (BELSO-MARTINEZ; DIEZ-VIAL, 2018BELSO-MARTINEZ, J.A.; DIEZ-VIAL, I. Firm’s strategic choices and network knowledge dynamics: how do they affect innovation? Journal of Knowledge Management, v. 22, n. 1, p. 1-20, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-12-2016-0524. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JKM-12-2016-0524/full/html. Accessed on: May 23, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-12-2016-0524...
). Future internationalization behavior is, thus, the result of the travelled path (JOHANSON; VAHLNE, 1977JOHANSON, J.; VAHLNE, J. The internationalization process of the firm: a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitment. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 8, p. 23-32, 1977. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Accessed on: May 10, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.84...
), in which capacities that exist on both individual and organizational levels influence the construction of knowledge from a cumulative process, depending on the path (LETEN; BELDERBOS; LOOY, 2016LETEN, B.; BELDERBOS, R.; LOOY, B. V. Entry and Technological Performance in New Technology Domains: Technological Opportunities, Technology Competition and Technological Relatedness. Journal of Management Studies, v. 53, n. 8, p. 1257-1291, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.12215. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215...
). Deng, Delios and Peng (2020)DENG, P.; DELIOS, A.; PENG, M. W. A geographic relational perspective on the internationalization of emerging market firms. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 51, n. 1, p. 50-71, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00276-y. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41267-019-00276-y. Accessed on: April 4, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00276...
state that not only internationalization is influenced by path dependence, it is in fact rooted within context (comprising social and institutional relations) as well as practice.

Despite path dependence, firms must face the challenges that come up in the business environment, which may demand changes and the consequent disruption of path dependence. Accordingly, Bohnsack, Kurtz and Hanelt (2021)BOHNSACK, R.; KURTZ, H.; HANELT, A. Re-examining path dependence in the digital age: The evolution of connected car business models. Research Policy, v. 50, n. 9, p. 104328, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104328. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733321001281. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.10...
state the integration of digital technology into business models may help breaking path dependence. Digital technologies allow firms to develop, offer, and adapt new value proposals, increasing their flexibility and triggering the bifurcation of paths (BOHNSACK; KURTZ; HANELT, 2021BOHNSACK, R.; KURTZ, H.; HANELT, A. Re-examining path dependence in the digital age: The evolution of connected car business models. Research Policy, v. 50, n. 9, p. 104328, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104328. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733321001281. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.10...
).

Under the lenses of organizational change, Stache and Sydow (2022)STACHE, F.; SYDOW, J. Breaking a path by creating a new one: How organizational change boosts children’s cancer care. Organization Studies, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406221103965. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01708406221103965. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840622110396...
state an external shock opens an opportunity for change. This, however, is not enough. In order to occur path dependence disruption it is necessary to promote a recombination of knowledge, which in turn triggers self reinforcement mechanisms that work against the current organizational trajectory (through convincing to participate) and, at last, transparency among the ones involved in the change (STACHE; SYDOW, 2022STACHE, F.; SYDOW, J. Breaking a path by creating a new one: How organizational change boosts children’s cancer care. Organization Studies, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406221103965. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01708406221103965. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840622110396...
).

The internationalization strategy can also be related to path creation. Garud, Kumaraswamy and Karnøe (2010)GARUD, R.; KUMARASWAMY, A.; KARNØE, P. Path Dependence or Path Creation? Journal of Management Studies, v. 47, n. 4, p. 760-774, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00914.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00914.x. Accessed on: May 16, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009...
argue that the past may represent a restrictive force on the present, where future visions shape what emerges from the past. Kwee, Van Den Bosch and Volberda (2011)KWEE, Z.; VAN DEN BOSCH, F.A.J.; VOLBERDA, H. W. The influence of top management team’s corporate governance orientation on strategic renewal trajectories: a longitudinal analysis of Royal Dutch Shell plc, 1907-2004. Journal of Management Studies, v. 48, n. 5, p. 984-1014, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010...
, on the other hand, agree with both path dependence and path creation. The authors discuss strategic renewal by addressing exploitation and exploration actions. Within this context, they advocate that while strategic renewal exploitation actions relate to path dependence, strategic renewal exploration actions are related to path creation.

Dasí, Iborra and Safón (2015)DASÍ, A.; IBORRA, M.; SAFÓN, V. Beyond path dependence: Explorative orientation, slack resources, and managerial intentionality to internationalize in SMEs. International Business Review, v. 24, n. 1, p. 77-88, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2014.06.003. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593114000791. Accessed on: May 30, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2014.0...
corroborate that the firm's exploration - exploitation orientation can affect its internationalization strategy, being considered an organizational antecedent. According to the authors, the firm's exploration orientation has a positive effect on internationalization, i.e., companies seek to seize opportunities, evading organizational myopia that ignores the long run, new areas, or failures committed.

Drawing from these core ideas, we consider that path dependence may influence the antecedents of strategic renewal. These include location strategy, time strategy, venture mode decisions (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
), internationalization knowledge (RIVIERE; SUDER; BASS, 2018RIVIERE, M., SUDER, G., & BASS, A. E. Exploring the role of internationalization knowledge in fostering strategic renewal: A dynamic capabilities perspective. International Business Review, v. 27, n. 1, p. 66-77, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.05.006. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593117303578. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.0...
), dynamic capabilities, and resource base (INIGO; ALBAREDA, 2019INIGO, E. A.; ALBAREDA, L. Sustainability oriented innovation dynamics: Levels of dynamic capabilities and their path-dependent and self-reinforcing logics. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, v. 139, p. 334-351, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.023. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162518303561. Accessed on: March 5, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018....
). However, in this paper we recognize that when firms operate in international markets, for the adaptation in different contexts and competitiveness, new capabilities and strategies are needed. Thus, strategic renewal can alter path dependence (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
).

2 STRATEGIC RENEWAL AND INTERNATIONAL SURVIVAL

Whereas Schmitt et al. (2016)SCHMITT, A.; BARKER III, V. L.; RAISCH, S.; WHETTEN, D. Strategic renewal in times of environmental scarcity. Long Range Planning, v. 49, n. 3, p. 361-376, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2015.08.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024630115000473. Accessed on: May 2, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2015.08.00...
state strategic renewal is a managerial process of modification or substitution of a firm’s business model aimed at organizational survival and prosperity in the long term, Agarwal and Helfat (2009)AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
argue there are two types of strategic renewal: discontinuous and incremental. While discontinuous renewal entices changes in various parts of the organization, including business model, technological base, organizational structure, resources and capabilities, and organizational mindset, incremental strategic renewal allows firms to deal with changes in the external environment as they occur (AGARWAL; HELFAT, 2009AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
).

Firms that manage to renew and grow present elements of both discontinuous and incremental renewal (KHAN et al., 2021KHAN, S. H.; MAJID, A.; YASIR, M.; JAVED, A.; SHAH, H. A. The role of social capital in augmenting strategic renewal of SMEs: does entrepreneurial orientation and organizational flexibility really matter? World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, v. 17, n. 2, p. 227-245, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0029. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0029/full/html. Accessed on: July 11, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-04-2020-0...
). But regarding what leads to strategic renewal, the evolutionary perspective encompasses strategic renewal brought up by dynamic capabilities (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
). Of strategic nature, dynamic capabilities lead to organizational change (ZAHRA; GEORGE, 2002ZAHRA, S. A.; GEORGE, G. Absorptive capacity: A review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of management review, v. 27, n. 2, p. 185-203, 2002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2002.6587995. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMR.2002.6587995. Accessed on: May 12, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2002.6587995...
).

Dynamic capabilities include the ability to exploit, that requires activities such as refinement, choice, production, efficiency, selection, implementation, and execution (MARCH, 1991MARCH, J. G. Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning. Organization Science, v. 2, n. 1, p. 71-87, 1991. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71...
), and the ability to explore, that requires activities such as search, variation, risk taking, experimentation, play, flexibility, discovery, and innovation (MARCH, 1991MARCH, J. G. Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning. Organization Science, v. 2, n. 1, p. 71-87, 1991. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71...
), generating new ideas and new resources (PRANGE; VALDIER, 2011). Sousa, Li and He (2020)SOUSA, C. M.; LI, R. Y.; HE, X. The impact of exploitation and exploration on export sales growth: The Moderating Role of Domestic and International Collaborations. Journal of International Marketing, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X20963617. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1069031X20963617?journalCode=jiga. Accessed on: July 13, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X20963617...
state those capabilities can implicate in different results in the short and long terms: whereas exploitation generates results in the short term, exploration takes longer to be achieved due to the complexity in the adoption of new techniques. When exploitation and exploration can be balanced, capabilities are called, in this case, international ambidexterity (PRANGE; VERDIER, 2011PRANGE, C.; VERDIER, S. Dynamic Capabilities, Internationalization Processes and Performance. Journal of World Business, v. 46, n. 1, p. 126-133, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2010.05.024. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090951610000398. Accessed on: May 10, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2010.05.02...
; PRANGE, 2012PRANGE, C. Ambidextrous Internationaization Strategies: The Case of Chinese Firms Entering the World Market. Organizatonal Dynamics, v. 41, n. 3, p. 245-253, 2012. Available in: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christiane-Prange/publication/256924013_Ambidextrous_Internationalization_Strategies_The_Case_of_Chinese_Firms_Entering_the_World_Market/links/5a57d07845851529a2ee53e1/Ambidextrous-Internationalization-Strategies-The-Case-of-Chinese-Firms-Entering-the-World-Market.pdf. Accessed on: May 11, 2018.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chr...
; VAHLNE; JONSSON, 2017VAHLNE; J.E.; JONSSON, A. Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability in the globalization of the multinational business enterprise (MBE): Case studies of AB Volvo and IKEA. International Business Review, v. 26, n. 1, p. 57-70, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2016.05.006. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593116300671. Accessed on: May 19, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2016.0...
), which has a positive effect in strategic renewal (JAKA; WAHYUNI; SUTYARJOKO, 2022JAKA, H.; WAHYUNI, S.; SUTYARJOKO, M. Impact of organizational resilience, ambidexterity capability, and strategic renewal during Covid-19 on firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Business and Emerging Markets, p. 37-48, 2022. Available in: https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications/impact-of-organizational-resilience-ambidexterity-capability-and-. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications...
).

As in the case of organizational ambidexterity, Kwee, Van Den Bosch and Volberda (2011)KWEE, Z.; VAN DEN BOSCH, F.A.J.; VOLBERDA, H. W. The influence of top management team’s corporate governance orientation on strategic renewal trajectories: a longitudinal analysis of Royal Dutch Shell plc, 1907-2004. Journal of Management Studies, v. 48, n. 5, p. 984-1014, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010...
claim strategic renewal requires the exploitation of competencies, which are associated with path dependence, and the exploration of new competencies, which involve creating the path. From the changes in the external environment (TEECE, 2007TEECE, D. J. Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic management journal, v. 28, n. 13, p. 1319-1350, 2007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smj.640. Accessed on: May 19, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640...
), dynamic capabilities promote exploration of opportunities (KEEN; WU, 2011KEEN, C.; WU, Y. An ambidextrous learning model for the internationalization of firms from emerging economies. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, v. 9, n. 4, p. 316-339, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-011-0081-2. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10843-011-0081-2. Accessed on: May 9, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-011-0081-...
), strengthening the firm's competitive advantages (TEECE, 2018TEECE, D. J. Business models and dynamic capabilities. Long Range Planning, v. 51, n. 1, p. 40-49, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.007. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024630117302868. Accessed on: January 15, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.00...
). Thus, exploration and exploitation capabilities are part of the strategic renewal process (CROSSAN; LANE; WHITE, 1999CROSSAN, M.M.; LANE, H.W.; WHITE, R.E. An organizational learning framework: from intuition to institution. Academy of Management Review, v. 24, n. 3, p. 522-537, 1999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.2202135. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMR.1999.2202135. Accessed on: May 30, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.2202135...
). Friesl, Garreau and Heracleous (2019)FRIESL, M.; GARREAU, L.; HERACLEOUS, L. When the parent imitates the child: Strategic renewal through separation and reintegration of subsidiaries. Strategic Organization, v. 17, n. 1, p. 62-94, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127018794850. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1476127018794850. Accessed on: July 10, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127018794850...
take the same direction, drawing on the study of a traditional market firm: path disruption on parent level may be the result of units that, although structurally separated, are integrated (proximate isomorphism), and stimulate explorative activities at the parental level, resulting in strategic renewal on the corporate level.

Strategic renewal, besides helping to create competitive advantage (GUO; JIANG; YANG, 2014GUO, C.; JIANG, C. X.; YANG, Q. The development of organizational capabilities and corporate entrepreneurial processes: the case of Chinese automobile firms. Thunderbird International Business Review, v. 56, n. 6, p. 483-500, 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21651. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tie.21651. Accessed on: February 2, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21651...
), involves organizational transformation of decisions that lead to the disruption of path dependence and increase the prospect of future success (RIVIERE; SUDER; BASS, 2018RIVIERE, M., SUDER, G., & BASS, A. E. Exploring the role of internationalization knowledge in fostering strategic renewal: A dynamic capabilities perspective. International Business Review, v. 27, n. 1, p. 66-77, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.05.006. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593117303578. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.0...
). This process includes all levels of the firm, thus causing a new path to be built, resulting in the long-term survival of organizations (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
). The selection of appropriate modes of capability delivery promotes the renewal of capabilities and, hence, survival (CAPRON; MITCHELL, 2009CAPRON, L.; MITCHELL, W. Selection Capability: How Capability Gaps and Internal Social Frictions Affect Internal and External Strategic Renewal. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 294-312, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328. Accessed on: May 21, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328...
). Therefore, Kwee, Van Den Bosch and Volberda (2011)KWEE, Z.; VAN DEN BOSCH, F.A.J.; VOLBERDA, H. W. The influence of top management team’s corporate governance orientation on strategic renewal trajectories: a longitudinal analysis of Royal Dutch Shell plc, 1907-2004. Journal of Management Studies, v. 48, n. 5, p. 984-1014, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00961.x. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010...
argue that international ambidexterity, combined with strategic renewal, influences corporate longevity.

In addition, an important factor for international survival is the entry time, which is endogenous and depends on business capabilities (HAWK; ALMEIDA; YEUNG, 2013HAWK, A.; ALMEIDA, G.P.; YEUNG, B. Fast-mover advantages: Speed capabilities and entry into the emerging submarket of atlantic basin LNG. Strategic Management Journal, v. 34, p. 1531-1550, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2085. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smj.2085. Accessed on: May 14, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2085...
). Meschi, Ricard and Moore (2017)MESCHI, P.X.; RICARD, A.; MOORE, E. T. Fast and Furious or Slow and Cautious? The Joint Impact of Age at Internationalization, Speed, and Risk Diversity on the Survival of Exporting Firms. Journal of International Management, v. 23, n. 3, p. 279-291, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2017.01.001. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075425316300084. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2017.01...
recommend firms to adopt a late, slow, and cautious sequential expansion approach, which is significantly less error-prone than the adoption of other paths for internationalization.

The future internationalization behavior of firms is created by the trajectory of past accumulated knowledge (ERIKSSON; MAJKGARD; SHARMA, 2000ERIKSSON, K.; MAJKGÅRD, A.; SHARMA, D. D. Path dependence and knowledge development in the internationalization process. MIR: Management International Review, p. 307-328, 2000. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150...
). In this sense, if, on the one hand, learning influences the firm's performance and its survival (LÉVESQUE; MINNITI; SHEPHERD, 2009LÉVESQUE, M.; MINNITI, M.; SHEPHERD, D. Entrepreneurs' decisions on timing of entry: learning from participation and from the experiences of others. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, v. 33, p. 547-570, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00303.x. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00303.x?journalCode=etpb. Accessed on: May 24, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009...
), on the other hand, the company needs to strategically renew itself to disrupt its path dependence and achieve long term survival (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
). In Figure 1, we present our main theoretical framework, in which we establish the connections between path dependence, strategic renewal, path dependence disrupt, and international survival.

Figure 1
Theoretical framework

Although periods of stability are necessary to establish organizational routines, firms must also implement changes (KLARNER; RAISCH, 2013KLARNER, P.; RAISCH, S. Move to the beat - Rhythms of change and firm performance. Academy of Management Journal, v. 56, n. 1, p. 160-184, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0767. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amj.2010.0767. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0767...
). Strategic renewal efforts aim to lead the way and avoid imprisonment (EDWARDS; MOLZ, 2020EDWARDS, G.; MOLZ, R. Stickiness, Dissonance, and Strategic Renewal: A Temporal Perspective. Academy of Management, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Accessed on: July 10, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22...
). To achieve superior performance in high-speed environments, companies need to renew their strategic activities more frequently (SHIN; PÉREZ-NORDTVEDT, 2020SHIN, K.; PÉREZ-NORDTVEDT, L. Knowledge acquisition efficiency, strategic renewal frequency and firm performance in high velocity environments. Journal of Knowledge Management, v. 24, n. 9, p. 2035-2055, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-04-2020-0287. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JKM-04-2020-0287/full/html. Accessed on: July 11, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-04-2020-0287...
). The strategic renewal is driven by both internal factors, such as poor financial management, resource depletion, and lack of qualified personnel, as well as external factors, as changes in consumer behavior, new sources of competition, and changes in government industrial policies (AMANKWAH-AMOAH; KHAN; OSABUTEY, 2021AMANKWAH-AMOAH, J.; KHAN, Z.; OSABUTEY, E. L.C. COVID-19 and business renewal: Lessons and insights from the global airline industry. International Business Review, v. 30, n. 3, p. 101802, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101802. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593121000093. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.1...
). Thus, although international survival is associated with the knowledge accumulated throughout the company's trajectory (ERIKSSON; MAJKGARD; SHARMA, 2000ERIKSSON, K.; MAJKGÅRD, A.; SHARMA, D. D. Path dependence and knowledge development in the internationalization process. MIR: Management International Review, p. 307-328, 2000. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150...
), under changing conditions, strategic renewal can become fundamental, requiring the disrupt of path dependence to ensure international survival.

The strategic renewal benefits from international diversity (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
) and it is stimulating from the exploration and exploitation capabilities developed by the firm, leading to changes in its trajectory. Observing aspects approached by literature, some studies discuss these capabilities and their implications in the short and long terms (SOUSA; LI; HE, 2020SOUSA, C. M.; LI, R. Y.; HE, X. The impact of exploitation and exploration on export sales growth: The Moderating Role of Domestic and International Collaborations. Journal of International Marketing, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X20963617. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1069031X20963617?journalCode=jiga. Accessed on: July 13, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031X20963617...
). If strategic renewal is necessary for the long-term survival of companies, international survival also depends on path dependence. Hence, since strategic renewal is a process that unfolds over time (EDWARDS; MOLZ, 2020EDWARDS, G.; MOLZ, R. Stickiness, Dissonance, and Strategic Renewal: A Temporal Perspective. Academy of Management, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Accessed on: July 10, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22...
), in this paper we adopt a processual perspective (LANGLEY et al., 2013LANGLEY, A. N. N.; SMALLMAN, C.; TSOUKAS, H.; VAN DE VEN, A. H. Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow. Academy of management journal, v. 56, n. 1, p. 1-13, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Accessed on: May 17, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001...
) to analyze strategic renewal movements throughout the internationalization process.

3 METHODOLOGY

Strategic renewal creates new momentum for organizations while driving firms to rethink their path and the direction of the organization. Thus, the question under this perspective is how firms can keep operating in foreign markets in the long run, with higher performance, serving more customers and operating in a larger number of foreign markets? Therefore, from this perspective, we believe that to answer such a question, there is a need to provide more in depth rational framework on how firms strategically renew themselves to disrupt path dependence, and generating more effective conditions for their international survival. In this study, we used a qualitative approach, which we consider the most suitable to address and interpret the process of strategic renewal and path dependence disrupt (LANGLEY et al., 2013LANGLEY, A. N. N.; SMALLMAN, C.; TSOUKAS, H.; VAN DE VEN, A. H. Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow. Academy of management journal, v. 56, n. 1, p. 1-13, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Accessed on: May 17, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001...
). For this, we adopted a historical perspective, which “provides a way towards progress for a fuller understanding of the IB phenomena” (BUCKLEY, 2016BUCKLEY, P.J. Historical Research Approaches to the Analysis of Internationalisation. Management International Review, v. 56, p. 879-900, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-016-0300-0. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11575-016-0300-0. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-016-0300-...
, p.896). Finally, we have adopted the single-case study methodology (SIGGELKOW, 2007SIGGELKOW, N. Persuasion with Case Studies. Academy of Management Journal, v. 50, n. 1, p. 20-24, 2007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.24160882. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMJ.2007.24160882. Accessed on: March 3, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.2416088...
; YIN, 2017YIN, R. K. Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications, 2017.), motivated by the need to dig deeper into the field and to gain better quality access and the confidence of individuals.” (BANDEIRA-DE-MELLO et al., 2016BANDEIRA-DE-MELLO, R.; FLEURY, M. T. L.; AVELINE, C. E. S.; GAMA, M. A. B. Unpacking the ambidexterity implementation process in the internationalization of emerging market multinationals. Journal of Business Research, v. 69, n. 6, p. 2005-2017, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.146. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296315005858. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.1...
, p. 2007).

3.1 The setting and case selection

To select our case study, we have followed several criteria: a) emerging market firm - emerging markets companies suffer from instable environments (MEYER; PENG, 2016MEYER, K. E.; PENG, M. W. Theoretical foundations of emerging economy business research. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 47, n. 1, p. 3-22, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2015.34. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/jibs.2015.34. Accessed on: April 5, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2015.34...
), technological delay, and weak stocks of intangible assets (RAMAMURTI; WILLIAMSON, 2019RAMAMURTI, R.; WILLIAMSON, P. J. Rivalry between emerging-market MNEs and developed-country MNEs: Capability holes and the race to the future. Business Horizons, v. 62, n. 2, p. 157-169, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11.001. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0007681318301861. Accessed on: April 6, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.11...
). Hence, it is important to understand the influence of context in internationalization and maintenance of overseas activities; b) strategic changes adopted along the firm’s path - considering the research efforts to analyze how and when strategic renewal disrupts path dependence and how this is related to international survival; c) operation in different countries - in an attempt to point out firm's path to enter and exit markets in order to identify moments of development of strategic renewal capabilities and disruption in the trajectory; d) a firm operating more than 10 years in the market, given the importance of collecting processes and historical data - the historical approach, by providing a longitudinal perspective, contributes with evidence to the theory, enabling a deeper study of the concept of resource accumulation, going beyond path dependence to address organizational structure issues (COLLI, 2012COLLI, A. Contextualizing Performances of Family Firms: The Perspective of Business History. Family Business Review, v. 25, n. 3, p. 243-257, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0894486511426872. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0894486511426872?journalCode=fbra. Accessed on: May 21, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0894486511426872...
); and e) that the founder is still active in the firm - so as to understand the path of the firm and the experience of the founder who lead the construction of the firm.

Based on the aforementioned criteria, we have selected as subject for this study one of the largest franchisors in Brazil, founded in 1993, currently with 560 stores: Carmen Steffens. The company started working the international market in 2002 and is now present in 20 countries. By entering and exiting foreign markets along its path, the case made possible to identify the disruption of path dependence while renewing strategy, and also its international survival, that is, to explore the theoretical foundations used in the study (YIN, 2017YIN, R. K. Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications, 2017.), making room for theoretical insights (CUERVO-CAZURRA et al., 2016CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; ANDERSSON, U.; BRANNEN, M. Y.; NIELSEN, B. B.; REUBER, A. R. From the editors: Can I trust your findings? Ruling out alternative explanations in international business research. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 47, p. 881-897, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Accessed on: April 5, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-...
).

Finally, Carmen Steffens contemplates an emerging market firm that has been present in five continents (America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania), making possible to study a single and complex case (HOSKISSON et al., 1999HOSKISSON, R. E.; HITT, M. A.; WAN, W. P.; DAPHNE, Y. Theory and Research in Strategic management: swings of a pendulum. Journal of Management, v. 25, n. 3, p. 417-456, 1999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639902500307. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/014920639902500307?journalCode=joma. Accessed on: May 11, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206399025003...
) from a franchise that not only went international for emerging countries (MELO; BORINI; OGASAVARA, 2019MELO, P. L. D. R.; BORINI, F. M.; OGASAVARA, M. H. Latin American franchise internationalization: The impact of institutional environment. Thunderbird International Business Review, v. 61, n. 2, p. 217-228, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21975. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tie.21975. Accessed on: February 2, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21975...
), but also for developed countries.

3.2 Data collection

Data triangulation was used to increase the validity and reliability of the study (YIN, 2017YIN, R. K. Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications, 2017.), making it more substantial and accurate (DUBÉ; PARÉ, 2003DUBÉ, L.; PARÉ, G. Rigor in Information System Positivist Case Research: Current Practices, Trends, and Recommendations. MIS Quarterly, v. 27, n. 4, p. 597-635, 2003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/30036550. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036550. Accessed on: May 19, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.2307/30036550...
). Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews (YIN, 2017YIN, R. K. Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications, 2017.) that allowed acquiring information from people who were involved with studied phenomenon (GIOIA; CORLEY; HAMILTON, 2013GIOIA, D. A.; CORLEY, K. G.; HAMILTON, A. L. Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research: Notes on the Gioia methodology. Organizational research methods, v. 16, n. 1, p. 15-3, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428112452151. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1094428112452151?journalCode=orma. Accessed on: March 2, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428112452151...
). However, to minimize attribution errors, we have not asked any specific questions regarding strategic renewal nor international survival, allowing for the subject to naturally come up. From process (LANGLEY et al., 2013LANGLEY, A. N. N.; SMALLMAN, C.; TSOUKAS, H.; VAN DE VEN, A. H. Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow. Academy of management journal, v. 56, n. 1, p. 1-13, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2013.4001. Accessed on: May 17, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4001...
) and historical analysis it was possible to use both real time and retrospective data (PETTIGREW, 1990PETTIGREW, A. M. Longitudinal field research on change: Theory and practice. Organization science, v. 1, n. 3, p. 267-292, 1990. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1.3.267. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.1.3.267. Accessed on: March 3, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1.3.267...
), exploring timeline aspects versus strategic renewal.

Interviewed subjects are employees who operate or are familiar with the decision making and, through their historical involvement in the organization, are aware of firm’s path. We interviewed the founder and chief executive officer of the firm (CEO); the executive responsible for international expansion (InternExpan); the director of marketing and e-commerce (DirectorMrkEcom); and the firm's first international franchisee (FrancParag), who continues to be a franchisee today. Thus, it was possible to collect data from different perspectives, capturing the evolution of the firm over the different periods it went through.

The interviews were carried out between December 2018 and April 2019, recorded with the approval of the interviewees. The interview with the person responsible for the expansion of the firm had to occur by telephone due to subject’s availability. The interview with the CEO was done by Skype. The interviews with the director of marketing and e-commerce and with the first international franchisee took place in person, the first in Brazil, the second in Paraguay. Table 1 summarizes interviewee profiles, data, and duration of interviews, and, with proof quotes, activities conducted by the interviewees in the case study.

Table 1
Interviewee profiles and proof quotes

Secondary data were important for the triangulation of information with primary data, as well as for the preparation of interviews, enriching questions (YIN, 2017YIN, R. K. Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications, 2017.). Information about the firm and its international performance was collected from news articles, magazines and newspapers, videos on the firm’s website, YouTube videos, and recording and transcription of a 60-minute lecture by the CEO of the firm in a Brazilian conference about entrepreneurship, in September 2018. These data were important to confirm information or clarifying any incongruence or ambiguity resulting from the interviews. Hence, it was possible to identify that much of the information obtained from news articles, magazines, and newspapers presented misapprehensions. In those cases, information was not used. It is also worth mentioning a great deal of data used in the research emerged from the interviews, which allowed a reconstruction of firm’s international path, through a historic perspective. We also used articles published in national and international Journals to add more theoretical insights about our case study. By using the different sources of data (firm data, but also external reports and scientific articles), we were able to run a more accurate triangulation of information, which contributed to the validity of the present qualitative study (CUERVO-CAZURRA et al., 2016CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; ANDERSSON, U.; BRANNEN, M. Y.; NIELSEN, B. B.; REUBER, A. R. From the editors: Can I trust your findings? Ruling out alternative explanations in international business research. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 47, p. 881-897, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-4. Accessed on: April 5, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-016-0005-...
).

Data was treated using the NVivo software, which, regardless of the source of information, enables it to be organized into a single platform. Categories of analysis were created for path dependence and strategic renewal, with subcategories for exploration and exploitation, and international survival, which we captured using references to performance, number of foreign markets, and how long the firm is operating abroad. In Table 2 we report all categories of analysis, with the corresponding definitions and references.

Table 2
Categories of analysis and definition

3.3 Data analysis

For data analysis and interpretation, we used content analysis (GAUR; KUMAR, 2018GAUR, A.; KUMAR, M. A systematic approach to conducting review studies: An assessment of content analysis in 25 years of IB research. Journal of World Business, v. 53, n. 2, p. 280-289, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.003. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090951617308386. Accessed on: May 18, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.00...
), and drew several propositions developed inductively through case study (EISENHARDT, 1989EISENHARDT, K. M. Building theories from case study research. Academy of management review, v. 14, n. 4, p. 532-550, 1989. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMR.1989.4308385. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385...
).

We coded our material, interviews, and secondary data according to the previously established theoretical categories: path dependence; strategic renewal (with exploration and exploitation capabilities as subcategories); and international survival (in which we considered time abroad, performance, and number of international markets). This allowed for the reconstruction of the history and processes of internationalization of the firm from the rich empirical description based on collected data. This description was fundamental for us to chronologically identify strategic renewal processes and path disruption, exploring international survival. Besides, it was possible to observe the movement of entrance and exit of international markets throughout firm’s path.

Finally, outcomes from the interviews were triangulated with secondary data and literature, as well as the different interviews that covered different sides of the trajectory, as in the case of the CEO of the firm and the first international franchisee, which followed the company's entire international path. Throughout this process, the NVivo software assisted in the analysis and interpretation of data, generating greater reliability.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Our case study provided strong evidences of how the company that has entered and exited foreign markets has managed to strategically renew itself, building strength while trying to rethink its trajectory. This process of renewal strategy seems to have influenced significantly the international survival of the firm. In Table 3 we reported the most representative quotes of our analytical categories from the interviews. In the next, we present our main findings and discuss their implication for international survival.

Table 3
Categories of analysis and evidences

4.1 Path, dependence, and learning

The importance of the individual capabilities built by the founder of the company, as well as his organizational experience at Couroquímica, the entrepreneur's leather company, is evident in the case of Carmen Steffens. The individual and organizational capabilities influenced the construction and development of the brand, emphasizing a cumulative path dependence process (LETEN; BELDERBOS; LOOY, 2016LETEN, B.; BELDERBOS, R.; LOOY, B. V. Entry and Technological Performance in New Technology Domains: Technological Opportunities, Technology Competition and Technological Relatedness. Journal of Management Studies, v. 53, n. 8, p. 1257-1291, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.12215. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12215...
). The brand's Director of Marketing and E-commerce ascribes the company's knowledge to Couroquímica, which was also important in providing material and financial resources for the initial brand development.

In the domestic market path, the case reveals how the entrepreneur himself has sought to learn from the market. With the opening of the first two stores in 1996, the contact with retail customers made it possible to learn again: “I learned a lot about how the female consumer thinks, how she acts… and that was a major factor in making the company’s right decisions.” (CEO, 2018 - SEC).

Two years later, with the increasing demand of the industrial unit, the company envisioned a path through franchises. In the following year, the number of franchised stores in Brazil totaled 8 and, four years later, 60. Thus, resources and capabilities were developed as the path was built, defining the company's franchising strategy.

Carmen Steffens's internationalization started in 2002, after a group of entrepreneurs in Asuncion (Paraguay) manifested their interesse to open the first franchise in the country. Our data shows the process of internationalization of this company can be explained by several factors. First, the very context of emerging economy, which provides evidences of how the development of uncertainty management capabilities (CUERVO-CAZURRA et al., 2018CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; CIRAVEGNA, L.; MELGAREJO, M.; LOPEZ, L. Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability. Journal of World Business, v. 53, n. 2, p. 209-221, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.002. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090951617308398. Accessed on: April 5, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.00...
) to deal with unstable environment represents a country of origin advantage to enter into other foreign emerging markets such as Paraguay. In 2002 the country suffered from a deep economic crisis and fragile democracy (BANDEIRA, 2002BANDEIRA, L. A. M. As políticas neoliberais e a crise na América do Sul. Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional, v. 45, n. 2, p. 135-146, 2002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-73292002000200007. Available in: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbpi/a/fvD3ZxTMx79JzdCxS4rZTSt/?lang=pt&format=html. Accessed on: May 22, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-7329200200...
).

The second factor to explain the strategic commitment of the firm with internationalization is related to path dependence in the domestic market. Carmen Steffens sought to learn from its international experience, choosing to enter the international market through franchises, replicating the Brazilian operational model. In addition, we also found strong evidence that such process has been influenced by firm’s actions linked to relational process in Brazil (DENG; DELIOS; PENG, 2020DENG, P.; DELIOS, A.; PENG, M. W. A geographic relational perspective on the internationalization of emerging market firms. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 51, n. 1, p. 50-71, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00276-y. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41267-019-00276-y. Accessed on: April 4, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00276...
). This means that in the national market the company maintained a close relationship with brand’s franchisees, which included promoting meetings for knowledge exchange. Following the same path, the company sought to build its international trajectory based on the close relationship between franchisor and franchisee.

This relationship can be seen in a change that occurred shortly after the beginning of firm's internationalization. Focusing on shoes, Carmen Steffens bags were outsourced and did not match its shoe design, leading the franchisee to buy bags from other brands. On a trip to the United States, the franchisee bought some bags from other brands and showed them to the CEO: "In the following collection, I came across bags in that style." (FrancParag).

Finally, as the case shows, the company needed to change its image, insofar focused on the Brazilian market exclusively, and redesign its path, from a domestic oriented brand approach, to the internationalization of the brand: "We started with one shoe collection and about 3 months later we changed our image. For Carmen Steffens it was also all-new, the brand moved away from focusing only on Brazil to a slightly more international brand." (FrancParag).

The internationalization process was a critical event in which the company had to make decisions about the direction of its operations. The international expansion of the brand became part of Carmen Steffens' strategy of growth, which until then was exclusively focused on the domestic market.

Carmen Steffens then changed its outsourcing strategy and started to draw a new path, turning its attention to the foreign market and new products. Its future vision shaped what emerged from the past (GARUD; KUMARASWAMY; KARNØE, 2010GARUD, R.; KUMARASWAMY, A.; KARNØE, P. Path Dependence or Path Creation? Journal of Management Studies, v. 47, n. 4, p. 760-774, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00914.x. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00914.x. Accessed on: May 16, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009...
), changing its global perspective, leading to the expansion from shoes market only to handbags as well. The case reveals that even in face of changes imposed by the international market, the dynamic capabilities and the very basics of the company's resources were influenced by its path dependence (INIGO; ALBAREDA, 2019INIGO, E. A.; ALBAREDA, L. Sustainability oriented innovation dynamics: Levels of dynamic capabilities and their path-dependent and self-reinforcing logics. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, v. 139, p. 334-351, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.023. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162518303561. Accessed on: March 5, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018....
) of the domestic market model of growth.

However, the knowledge obtained from its first experience in the foreign market was accumulated and it shaped the future path of the company's evolution (ERIKSSON; MAJKGARD; SHARMA, 2000ERIKSSON, K.; MAJKGÅRD, A.; SHARMA, D. D. Path dependence and knowledge development in the internationalization process. MIR: Management International Review, p. 307-328, 2000. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150...
), by gradually building the ability to adapt to market changes (dynamic capabilities).

As a result of international experience and market knowledge the company started a more rapid process of market diversification by opening stores in different countries. In 2004, Carmen Steffens opened a store in Portugal; in 2006, in the United States and in Argentina; and in 2007 it launched more stores in Portugal, Australia, and Uruguay. Until 2014, the company was able to enter into different countries, like Spain, Angola, Bolivia, France, South Africa, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles and Orlando in the United States, Peru, Tunisia and Jordan. Nonetheless, the opening of franchises in these countries highlights once again Carmen Steffens’ dependence on the path created from its first experience in the Paraguayan market. Location strategies, entry time, and even venture mode decisions (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
) were conditions in its path dependence. This means that the company has opened international franchises in different continents mostly driven by a proactive behavior of the own interest of franchisees entrepreneurs on Carmen Steffen’s brand, as was the case, for instance, in Paraguay. This means that from 2002 to 2014, the firm’s internationalization was mostly driven by the proactiveness of their clients abroad, and less by exploring the firms’ advantages to strategically commit to international markets. This process, in our understanding, has created a path dependence, a kind of a transition path, while not very much based on domestic markets, but still constrained by the limited capabilities the firm possesses to upgrade its international expansion.

Notwithstanding, the case reveals that from 2014 onwards the company disrupted with the path it was following. It expanded predominantly to the American continent. Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Panama, Aruba, and the Caribbean were some of the destinations of the firm after 2014. We can infer that the entry in different continents had paved the road for a strategy focused on a single region. The company then sought a gradual internationalization (JOHANSON; VAHLNE, 1977JOHANSON, J.; VAHLNE, J. The internationalization process of the firm: a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitment. Journal of International Business Studies, v. 8, p. 23-32, 1977. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Available in: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490676. Accessed on: May 10, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.84...
), conquering closer markets. "Our focus is the south hemisphere due to the weather and soft weather in the northern hemisphere would be like Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Texas, California" (CEO, 2018 - SEC).

However, before drawing this new path, the firm withdrew its operations from some international markets (see Table 4). The inadequate location of the stores was one of the main reasons pointed out by the company's CEO for withdrawing from operations. Another reason was the franchisee's mismanagement: “We opened up the stores with the wrong people” (CEO).

The unsuccessful experience in the markets the company has abandoned has led Carmen Steffens to rethink the selection of franchisees. The path that the company had been following since the internationalization to Paraguay, in which the interest of franchisees determined the opening of stores, was rejected after the critical situation experienced by the company with the closing of stores abroad. Hence, the company's path regarding franchisee selection was redesigned, becoming stricter: “Previously, people got excited and had capital. Now, if they do not prove that they have the required profile, that they are committed to the business and that they will make the business work, they do not enter." (CEO).

Moreover, Carmen Steffens defined the franchise strategy while still in the domestic market. With the positive experience in Brazil, they made the decision of following through with the same model in the international market, in a self-reinforcing process.

After its first international experience in Paraguay the company started operating in several countries using the same franchise strategy. At this point the firm experienced a lock-in, for its actions were limited to its inefficient strategy (SYDOW; SCHREYÖGG; KOCH, 2009SYDOW, J.; SCHREYÖGG, G.; KOCH, J. Organizational path dependence: Opening the black box. Academy of management review, v. 34, n. 4, p. 689-709, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689. Accessed on: May 13, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.34.4.zok689...
), evident in each international market exit. Although the main reasons for international operations withdraw having been associated with the lack of franchisees’ capacity and inadequate location (Table 4), business model strategic decision was the source of obstacles faced by Carmen Steffens abroad. That way, from international operation failure, the firm managed to disrupt its path and started to operate by opening its own stores - to be franchised later: “Usually, when we enter a country, we keep the store for two years to understand it and to invest in winning customers.” (CEO, 2018 - SEC).

In short, the case showed path dependence at different times. Thus, we identified three types of paths dependence: domestic path dependence; Paraguay path dependence; and regional path dependence (see Table 4).

Table 4
Characteristics of types of path dependence

In the domestic market, regarding company's resources and capabilities, path dependence was altered after internationalization. It is also possible to identify path dependence during the expansion of internationalization. The Paraguayan model was replicated in different countries, even in geographically distant countries. Without a gradual internationalization strategy, the company began opening franchises in countries that had individuals showing interest in becoming a franchisee, like in the case of Paraguay. Thus, the closing of stores abroad marked a disruption of company's path dependence.

4.2 Strategic renewal and international survival

Carmen Steffens has been renewing its strategy along the way. After the internationalization move to Paraguay, it began to learn not only from the domestic market, but also from foreign markets. After the feedback on the handbags not having a good reception by Paraguayan customers, an external factor related to consumer behavior (AMANKWAH-AMOAH; KHAN; OSABUTEY, 2021AMANKWAH-AMOAH, J.; KHAN, Z.; OSABUTEY, E. L.C. COVID-19 and business renewal: Lessons and insights from the global airline industry. International Business Review, v. 30, n. 3, p. 101802, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101802. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593121000093. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.1...
), the company stopped outsourcing them and started developing the products by its own. Market changes led Carmen Steffens to integrate, build and reconfigure its internal and external competences, changing the manufacturing of one of its products. The dynamic capabilities that drove the company to an incremental strategic renewal (AGARWAL; HELFAT, 2009AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
), have led Carmen Steffens to alter, but not disrupt its path dependence. Through its exploration and exploitation capabilities, together with the organization's resources (TEECE, 2018TEECE, D. J. Business models and dynamic capabilities. Long Range Planning, v. 51, n. 1, p. 40-49, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.007. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024630117302868. Accessed on: January 15, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.00...
), the company internalized the manufacturing of handbags, adapting the firm to changes in the external environment.

This was possible due to the company’s capability of noticing the market needs through its network (exploration capability) and developing new products internally (exploitation capability). These capabilities were part of Carmen Steffens' renewal process, where organizational learning was critical (CROSSAN; LANE; WHITE, 1999CROSSAN, M.M.; LANE, H.W.; WHITE, R.E. An organizational learning framework: from intuition to institution. Academy of Management Review, v. 24, n. 3, p. 522-537, 1999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.2202135. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMR.1999.2202135. Accessed on: May 30, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.2202135...
).

Since the beginning of the internationalization process, the firm on this case study has been learning and building its path based on the importance of listening to its franchisees, who are in direct contact with clients and the market. CEO's skills, reflected in the company, are recognized by the Paraguayan Franchisee, who perceives the company's ability to renew itself through what was learned from franchisees: “He listens to what every person has to say, listens to everyone, then he gets the best ideas of each one, interprets them and changes them.” (FrancParag).

Foreign market operation and its growth happened through new franchises, partnerships that emerged from company’s participation in fairs and the direct contact with people interested in the brand. However, the company's path was not built only by success. Exits from international markets configured critical events that led the company to change international operation. Currently, before transferring its stores to franchisees, the company runs the stores for two years in order to learn about the local market, win customers, and support the initial costs of the business. Failing to achieve international survival in some markets, the firm has strategically renewed, using its exploration and exploitation capabilities, to disrupt path dependence.

The company realized its weak points and, besides having changed its entry mode into foreign markets and selecting appropriate modes of capabilities supply (CAPRON; MITCHELL, 2009CAPRON, L.; MITCHELL, W. Selection Capability: How Capability Gaps and Internal Social Frictions Affect Internal and External Strategic Renewal. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 294-312, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328. Accessed on: May 21, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0328...
), changed franchisees’ selection criteria: "There were people who came to Brazil, liked our brand and wanted to open a store. This was a phase we had to eliminate from our life.” (CEO).

Our case study shows that the path the company was taking to enter international markets based on people interested in the brand and who had the capital to open stores was rejected. In addition, the speed of internationalization that led the company to operate at inappropriate spots no longer occurs, as the company has learned to be more cautious. This also reveals the importance of entry time in the international survival of a company (HAWK; ALMEIDA; YEUNG, 2013HAWK, A.; ALMEIDA, G.P.; YEUNG, B. Fast-mover advantages: Speed capabilities and entry into the emerging submarket of atlantic basin LNG. Strategic Management Journal, v. 34, p. 1531-1550, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2085. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smj.2085. Accessed on: May 14, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2085...
), where the adoption of late, slow and cautious sequential expansion is less error-prone (MESCHI; RICARD; MOORE, 2017MESCHI, P.X.; RICARD, A.; MOORE, E. T. Fast and Furious or Slow and Cautious? The Joint Impact of Age at Internationalization, Speed, and Risk Diversity on the Survival of Exporting Firms. Journal of International Management, v. 23, n. 3, p. 279-291, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2017.01.001. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075425316300084. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2017.01...
).

Thus, this case study reveals that the strategy of location, time, venture mode decisions (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
), internationalization knowledge (RIVIERE; SUDER; BASS, 2018RIVIERE, M., SUDER, G., & BASS, A. E. Exploring the role of internationalization knowledge in fostering strategic renewal: A dynamic capabilities perspective. International Business Review, v. 27, n. 1, p. 66-77, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.05.006. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593117303578. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.0...
), dynamic capabilities and resource base (INIGO; ALBAREDA, 2019INIGO, E. A.; ALBAREDA, L. Sustainability oriented innovation dynamics: Levels of dynamic capabilities and their path-dependent and self-reinforcing logics. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, v. 139, p. 334-351, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.023. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162518303561. Accessed on: March 5, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018....
) were at the mercy of path dependence transition, that is, the dependence that occurs right after the firm’s internationalization, and which lasts until the moment when the firm renews itself strategically, and disrupts with its path dependence. Despite our data showing strategic renewal is a process that takes place over time (EDWARDS; MOLZ, 2020EDWARDS, G.; MOLZ, R. Stickiness, Dissonance, and Strategic Renewal: A Temporal Perspective. Academy of Management, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Available in: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22. Accessed on: July 10, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.22...
), from what the firm has learned, the case also reveals it was necessary to strategically renew in a discontinuous manner (AGARWAL; HELFAT, 2009AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
) to disrupt path dependence (SCHMITT; RAISCH; VOLBERDA, 2018SCHMITT, A., RAISCH, S., & VOLBERDA, H. W. Strategic Renewal: Past Research, Theoretical Tensions and Future Challenges. International Journal of Management Reviews, v. 20, p. 81-98, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Available in: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijmr.12117. Accessed on: May 4, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12117...
), particularly path dependence transition, marked by firm’s limited capacities, still dependent on home market (emerging market). Nontheless, we can infer just the exogenous shock, caused by exits from international markets, would not be sufficient for firms to strategically renew; for that, it would require a recombination of knowledge. (STACHE; SYDOW, 2022STACHE, F.; SYDOW, J. Breaking a path by creating a new one: How organizational change boosts children’s cancer care. Organization Studies, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406221103965. Available in: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01708406221103965. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840622110396...
). Thus, the discontinuous strategic renewal was driven by the critical events and by the capabilities of exploration (new international learning) and exploitation (development of knowledge).

Driven by dynamic capabilities (RIVIERE; SUDER, 2016RIVIERE, M., & SUDER, G. Perspectives on strategic internationalization: Developing capabilities for renewal. International Business Review, v. 25, n.4, p. 847-858, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.10.004. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969593115300378. Accessed on: May 1, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.1...
), in our case study, strategic renewal included the ability to explore and exploit (JAKA; WAHYUNI; SUTYARJOKO, 2022JAKA, H.; WAHYUNI, S.; SUTYARJOKO, M. Impact of organizational resilience, ambidexterity capability, and strategic renewal during Covid-19 on firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Business and Emerging Markets, p. 37-48, 2022. Available in: https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications/impact-of-organizational-resilience-ambidexterity-capability-and-. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications...
). Exploration capability can be identified as the ability to innovate, be flexible and learn from operating markets and to perceive the market’s dynamic movements. The capability of exploitation relates to the ability of transferring and incorporating new forms of action, selection of franchisees, and expansion time (as in waiting for a perfect spot for the store). Bohnsack, Kurtz and Hanelt (2021)BOHNSACK, R.; KURTZ, H.; HANELT, A. Re-examining path dependence in the digital age: The evolution of connected car business models. Research Policy, v. 50, n. 9, p. 104328, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104328. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733321001281. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.10...
affirm the integration of digital technology in business models may help to break path dependence. Although innovation is part of exploration capability, our case study reveals that a discontinuous strategic renewal (AGARWAL; HELFAT, 2009AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
) led to the disruption of path dependence, which opened the way for a new international strategy, focused on expanding to a single region. Thus, despite the knowledge accumulated through company's path (ERIKSSON; MAJKGARD; SHARMA, 2000ERIKSSON, K.; MAJKGÅRD, A.; SHARMA, D. D. Path dependence and knowledge development in the internationalization process. MIR: Management International Review, p. 307-328, 2000. Available in: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150. Accessed on: May 15, 2018.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40836150...
), it was necessary to renew itself strategically to disrupt with dependence and survive internationally. Hence, we propose:

Proposition 1. The international survival of companies is positively associated with discontinuous strategic renewal, which implies the disruption of path dependence.

Despite the firm having implemented an incremental strategic renewal regarding bags manufacture, discontinuous strategic renewal was necessary in order to disrupt the transition path dependence that had formed after the process of internationalization. Discontinuous strategic renewal brought changes to the business model and organizational mentality (AGARWAL; HELFAT, 2009AGARWAL, R.; HELFAT, C. E. Strategic renewal of organizations. Organization Science, v. 20, n. 2, p. 281-293, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Available in: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423. Accessed on: May 20, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0423...
), that is, the firm changed its entrance manner during new expansions and the form through which it selected franchisees, as well as its location choices. Incremental strategic renewal was boosted not only by exploration and exploitation capabilities, but also by the critical event of international market exits. We summarize the emerging framework from our analysis of this case study in Figure 2.

Figure 2
Conceptual framework and Proposition

The emerging framework reveals that the internationalization process was influenced by domestic path dependence, revealing company's capacity constraints. However, after internationalization, the company had access to a new network and knowledge, which generated a path dependence transition. In turn, strategic renewal came to be influenced by path dependence transition. To strategically renew itself discontinuously, it was then necessary to disrupt with path dependence, which led to company's international survival (Proposition 1).

5 FINAL REMARKS

Given the ever-changing IB environment, this study provides a rationale to explain how firms, when under the influence of path dependence, manage to strategically renew themselves and disrupt their path dependence to survive in international markets. Based on a processual and historical approach, the analysis of our case study identified disruption of path dependence in association with the discontinuous strategic renewal. We have also found strong evidence about the relations and connections between international survival and discontinuous strategic renewal.

Our study contributes to the IB literature by answering a research question on how firms strategic renew themselves to disrupt path dependence in order to attain long term prosperity. Regarding path dependence in the internationalization process, our results had pointed to the existence of path dependence transition, a kind of path dependence that emerging market firms can reach soon after internationalization, influencing these firms until the moment they manage to renew in a discontinuous manner. Our study also contributes to the strategic renewal literature by providing new insights over how firms develop ambidextrous learning capabilities and deal with strategic renewal, adapting their business models to respond to external challenges (AMANKWAH-AMOAH; KHAN; OSABUTEY, 2021AMANKWAH-AMOAH, J.; KHAN, Z.; OSABUTEY, E. L.C. COVID-19 and business renewal: Lessons and insights from the global airline industry. International Business Review, v. 30, n. 3, p. 101802, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101802. Available in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593121000093. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.1...
). Finally, our case study shows discontinuous strategic renewal, driven by critical events and by exploration and exploitation capabilities, will implicate in the disruption of path dependence transition, bringing long term international survival.

During a crisis, strategic renewal is essential for organizational success (JAKA; WAHYUNI; SUTYARJOKO, 2022JAKA, H.; WAHYUNI, S.; SUTYARJOKO, M. Impact of organizational resilience, ambidexterity capability, and strategic renewal during Covid-19 on firm performance. Journal of the Academy of Business and Emerging Markets, p. 37-48, 2022. Available in: https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications/impact-of-organizational-resilience-ambidexterity-capability-and-. Accessed on: March 8, 2023.
https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications...
). However, with the accelerated changes in foreign environments, managers are constantly confronted with dynamic environments, which demand exploring new opportunities and exploiting performance (MORETTI; ALVES; BOMTEMPO, 2020MORETTI, D. M.; ALVES, F. C.; BOMTEMPO, J. V. Entrepreneurial-oriented strategic renewal in a Brazilian SME: a case study. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-07-2019-0254. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JSBED-07-2019-0254/full/html. Accessed on: July 13, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-07-2019-02...
). Hence, considering the implications for managerial practices, path dependence should be considered by managers, who need to get rid of obsolete knowledge and strengthen their exploration and exploitation capabilities in favor of strategic renewal, which, being important for international survival, should be part of firm's strategy.

Moreover, our results suggest that, especially for franchise firms, as in the case studied, managers need to carefully consider the internationalization process and the choices of their international franchisees and destination countries if they seek survival: entering and exiting foreign markets entails large costs for firms.

We recognize that despite the contribution of the study, some limitations need to be pointed out. First, our study offers the analysis of a single case, therefore, a larger sample would increase the generalization of the results and provide a better understanding of the subject under study. Second, future studies are necessary to obtain a complete understanding of international survival and its association with strategic renewal and, consequently, with the disrupt of path dependence. Third, future studies are necessary to obtain a complete understanding of path dependence transition, to investigate how this dependence influences the international expansion of companies in different contexts.

Finally, our case highlights the role of the entrepreneur in the internationalization of the firm, which is seen by the IB literature as a form of compensating the lack of resources and capabilities of the country of origin in the case of emerging market firms (CUERVO-CAZURRA; NARULA, 2015CUERVO-CAZURRA, A.; NARULA, R.; UN, C. A. (2015). Internationalization motives: sell more, buy better, upgrade and escape. The Multinational Business Review, v. 23, n. 1, p. 25-35, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MBR-02-2015-0009. Available in: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MBR-02-2015-0009/full/html. Accessed on: April 4, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1108/MBR-02-2015-0009...
). Hence, IB field studies could distinguish between firms form emerging and developed markets.

REFERENCES

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    21 Apr 2023
  • Date of issue
    Jan-Apr 2023

History

  • Received
    02 Sept 2021
  • Accepted
    12 Aug 2022
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