International Strategies of Non-Dominant Firms

Abstract

There has been a growing interest in how follower firms can compete with industry leaders. This article documents the use of international strategies by some non-dominant firms to avoid direct competition with industry leaders. Twenty-five cases of international strategies used by non-dominant firms in a variety of industries were cluster analyzed to identify common strategies. Seven different strategies were identified together with their attendant firm characteristics, stage of industry internationalization, and underlying competitive logic.