The internationalization speed of e‐commerce companies: an empirical analysis

This study aims to explain the internationalization speed of e‐commerce companies (ECCs).

Based on the archive data of the American ECCs, the study used multiple regression analysis to estimate the influences of a number of micro‐ and macro‐factors.

The results show that the speedy foreign market entry by ECCs was positively influenced by top management team's international experience, and innovative and marketing capabilities.

The study did not deal with the entry mode of ECCs inviting more future research efforts in this direction. Additionally, as established MNEs have integrated e‐commerce into existing business, future research can be devoted to examine the impact of this integration on the internationalization of firms.

Extant literature has addressed the internationalization of ECCs with a focus on the level of internationalization. This study contributes to the current literature by extending research on globalization of ECCs and incorporating both micro‐ and macro‐level factors affecting the speed of international expansion.