Understanding the Strategies of Late-movers in International Manufacturing

The aim of this paper is the study of the Brazilian enterprises which are establishing manufacturing plants in foreign countries. It departs from the assumption that the context in which late-movers are emerging is different from the one in which the internationalisation of traditional multinationals took place. Thus, a critical assessment of the existing theoretical approaches was recommendable. The literature review involved International Manufacturing, International Business and International Management. It provided the basis for the development of an analytical framework that was applied to Brazilian late-movers. An extensive process for gathering secondary information provided the background for the realisation of four in-depth case studies. The preliminary conclusions indicate that success in international late-moving requires systemic innovation competences. Manufacturing, in particular, is expected to be agile and efficient in what concerns learning