Regularly Submitted Papers Internationalisation and firm performance: state of empirical research efforts and need for improved approaches

Despite the fact that the theories of internationalisation view crossborder activities of firms as a driver of their performance, empirical research trying to test the respective relationship has until now left us with heterogeneous results. The discussion on those studies and their results offers two approaches to deal with the contradictory research outcomes: Some researchers argue that there might be no systematic internationalisationperformance relationship at all. Others find the 3-Stage Theory of Internationalisation to be a general theory. However, due to conceptual and methodological problems both approaches are up to now not satisfying. Based on a review of 38 empirical studies this paper attempts to introduce some critical considerations into the discussion and to define some new research avenues.