This article aims to build a typology for internationalization processes by combining two theoretical fields of the behavioral approach of internationalization that have evolved separately: the relational model of internationalization and the literature of subsidiary development. We developed a comparative case study with 12 British multinational firms that operate in the Brazilian market. This study was based on a vast secondary data collection coupled with 42 semi-structured interviews carried out with individuals from headquarters and subsidiaries. The individual data analysis involved the mapping of internationalization processes, which relied on the mode of operation as the critical event. In its turn, the comparative analysis involved defining the dimensions of the typology and associating its groups with the researched cases. As a result, the internationalization processes were classified into four typological groups which enabled us to delve into the spatial and temporal dimensions of firm internationalization.
Internationalization; multinationals; operation mode; typology for internationalization processes; subsidiaries
