Internationalising in the Transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe. A Systematic Literature Review Approach.

The purpose of this paper is to organise in a systematic approach the understudied topic of the internationalisation processes undergone by firms from the transition economies of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Internationalisation is a topic largely inquired for firms of the large and developed economies, but smaller transitional economies are not always adequately represented in the scientific discussion, and thus we contribute to such debate. After a scrupulous screening, we analysed 30 relevant papers identifying three different clusters of research. Internationalisation Behaviour cluster contains comparative studies focused on specific approaches adopted by local firms in the process of internationalisation. Internationalisation Performance cluster aims to explain the reasons of success or failure of internationalisation processes and strategies. Finally, Internationalisation Benefit cluster assumes a reverse approach in terms of effects that the internationalisation may have on firms. Our findings may develop future research directions and contribute to build an agenda for the subject.