Factors that support Born Globals’ longevity: A qualitative analysis

This qualitative multiple case study research is aimed to investigate what factors support born global firms’ longevity, at time of consolidation and maturity. Its purpose is thus to gain a deeper understanding of how born global firms (BGFs) can enhance their sustainability by incorporating principles of diversity and risk assessment. It further explores the hypothesis that culturally diverse BGFs are better equipped to sustain long-term organizational growth, achieve commercial success, and secure financial profitability. Getting globally exposed from inception, has become a first nature for many entrepreneurs when establishing new businesses, helped in it by the lowering of trade barriers, the needs for global expansion, the necessity to optimize the value chains and monetary transactions. Born global firms are frequently found in highly technical operations and often created by globally exposed, middle-aged and risk prone entrepreneurs who are chasing global market niches, across countries, cultures and amid diversities. Their leaders, while pursuing opportunistic development dynamics, aim at optimizing the use of their key tangible and intangible assets. This research demonstrates that engineering an organizational development or consolidation roadmap may not count among the chief priorities of the BGFs leaders, as it may require too much attention, their preference going for astutely seizing growth opportunities. Furthermore, it shows that their company’s capacity to link business agility and growth pursuit, allows the unfolding of strategic decisions, on the condition of firsthand data consolidation and flexible approach in their implementing. Some founders drive their firms in a start-up forever mode, in philosophy and acts, while aiming to remain open, opportunistic, and accessible. Yet, when BGFs face financial growth, quick expansion, opportunistic development while also dealing with scarcity of human resources, managing to engage their organizations for the long-term, focuses on (selectively) enrolling a very disparate workforce, in a known form of organizational ambidexterity. The findings and recommendations of this research emphasize how workplace diversity and organizational ambidexterity contribute to sustaining BGFs' business performance by fostering the shaping of a mosaic, culturally disparate organization, bolstering an outstanding capacity to manage significant disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic, paradoxically, provided an opportunity for these organizations to revitalize their resources, critically assess the relevance of their business models in their respective markets, and comprehensively reconfigure their impactful accomplishments. Additionally, it also facilitated stronger connections with stakeholders, encouraged operations within a more purpose-driven organizational framework, increased collaborative efforts, and prioritized alignment with business partners.