The relationship between internationalisation and firm performance in the global automotive industry: who benefits? Who not?

This article explores the effect of internationalisation on automakers financial performance. Data on 42 automakers from 13 countries, over the 2002-2008 time period, shows that the relationship between internationalisation and automakers performance is non-linear, with the slope positive at low levels of internationalisation, negative at moderate levels of internationalisation, and positive at high levels of internationalisation. Based on these findings, implications and directions for future research are provided. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.