Timing in internationalisation: Automobile component suppliers entering emerging markets.

This research focuses on researching the variables that impact on time in internationalisation processes within the automotive supply industry, and thus for companies further down the supply chain. This is regarded as important, since time is a critical success factor when doing international business in that specific industry (keeping milestones, being ready on time for new vehicle launches in a small window of opportunity etc.). The theories around internationalisation are out-dated, while the global environment is changing ever more rapidly. This supports the idea that a gap in knowledge exists, and explains the wish of the researcher to take a fresh look at internationalisation, specifically at the timing aspects involved. Following an interpretive inductive analytical approach from a neo-empiricist standpoint, the researcher conducted 12 interviews with 5 companies within the industry. The companies comprised all the companies in that sector of industry, listed by the Federal Reserve Bank of North Germany. The outcome of the triangulated data collection and thematic analysis is the BIDS-L-Model (Brand, Information, Direct, Speed, Learning), symbolizing the variables that influence time in the internationalisation process, in chronological order. This model not only fills the gap in knowledge but also, when applied in practice, it will fundamentally change the way suppliers further down the supply chain architecture their internationalisation process, thus leading to massive improvements. The next step is to apply the model using 4 pillars. Firstly, the researcher will teach the model in his role as associate university lecturer. Secondly, he will publish it, e.g. in the Newsletter of the German Association of Automotive Industry, which reaches 600 member companies; and thirdly, he will offer consultancy to small and medium enterprises to help them to achieve successful timing of their internationalisation process. Finally, the researcher will apply the model in his leading Marketing role for Asia in the strategy planning process.