Learning Through Imports in the Internationalization Process

Imports are seldom viewed as an integral part of the firm's internationalization process. Yet competitiveness in the 21st century demands that firms seek out ways to lower their costs, gain access to products, services, and knowledge not available domestically, and generally to take advantage of import opportunities just as they explore domestic supply opportunities. Imports thus provide an opportunity for organizational learning in the process of supply chain management, as well as in the process of internationalization, for firms today. This paper explores how imports fit into the strategies of a sample of 138 US-based companies.