Title: The impact of psychic and geographical distance on internationalisation strategies: a study of New Zealand born global technology firms

Authors: Ross K. McElwain; Mohammad Saud Khan; Rehan Iftikhar

Addresses: School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, 15 Lambton Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011, New Zealand ' School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, 15 Lambton Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011, New Zealand ' School of Business, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, W23 WK26, Ireland

Abstract: This study examines the influence of psychic and geographical distance on the standardisation or adaptation of the four Ps international marketing mix strategies (product, price, promotion and place) by New Zealand born global digital technology firms as they internationalise. The authors evaluate the marketing strategy formulated by these firms in a qualitative study conducted across New Zealand. A physically isolated country such as New Zealand gives a markedly different perception of what constitutes as low, medium or high scale in terms of geographical and psychic distance. It was found that born global technology firms may be less inclined to consider geographical distance as a determining factor for early internationalisation. Furthermore, the geographical distance was perceived as having little influence on international marketing mix strategy formulation whereas psychic distance was perceived as having consequential influence.

Keywords: born global firms; internationalisation; psychic distance; digital technology firms; small and medium enterprises; SMEs; geographic distance; marketing mix; New Zealand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2020.114033

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2020 Vol.14 No.4, pp.325 - 347

Received: 08 Jul 2019
Accepted: 15 Jul 2020
Published online: 07 Apr 2021 *

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