The creation of foreign market knowledge across the growth phases of born globals

Internationalization research has long been dominated by stage theories, until two decades ago academics noted the existence of firms able to internationalize soon after their foundation. Labelled "born globals", these companies achieve early and rapid internationalization. To date, scholars have mainly analysed the entryinternationalization phase of these companies, while post-entry stages, growth and maturity have been little explored. Through a multiple case study approach, the authors analyse the processes of foreign market knowledge creation of four Italian manufacturing firms during the early international entry phase, and the international growth and consolidation phase. The results highlight that entrepreneurs develop international entrepreneurial opportunities through which they build foreign market knowledge during the early initial entry phase. As born globals enter international growth and consolidation phase, the process of foreign market knowledge creation occurs within the organization in a systematic way and is aimed at developing new international opportunities.