An Integrative Review of Export Development Process Models: History, Impact, and the Way Forward

The selection of our article “The Export Development Process: An Integrative Review of Empirical Models” (Leonidou and Katsikeas 1996) for inclusion in this volume is an honor for both of us. This mark of distinction underpins our duty and motivation to undertake a retrospective examination of our work, consider how it has influenced knowledge development in international business (IB) and in the general field of firm internationalization, and identify ideas for future investigation in light of present-day realities and current thinking in the literature. Following an overview of the article, along with its aims and history, factors motivating the project, and key contributions, we pinpoint broad themes or areas of research that have drawn from, and have been influenced by, our work, as well as strands of studies within these thematic areas that have contributed significantly to current knowledge. Subsequently, we discuss avenues for future work that can guide research and provide a better understanding of the dynamics of firms’ export development processes.