Chapter 14: Serial Nonlinear Internationalization before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study Evidence from Estonia

This chapter aimed to find out which factors affected three Estonian case firms’ serial nonlinear internationalization before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also studied how these firms responded to the pandemic and what they learned from their previous business experience. It contributed to the literature on serial nonlinear internationalization and to studies on the (potential) impacts of Covid-19 on firms’ local and international activities by showing that these case firms exited and re-entered foreign markets and experienced considerable export fluctuations before 2020, during and after it. Thus, serial nonlinear internationalization should be perceived as something normal, and it can be expected to occur both during stable and unstable times: it does not only characterize economic crises, and it should not be seen as a failure sign. The pandemic affected the case firms’ internationalization considerably – for instance, via demand fluctuations and travel restrictions – but it also created some additional business opportunities: for example, by creating demand for some additional products and by increasing some customer groups’ interest for some existing products. These firms’ (international) business experience acquired before Covid-19 was also useful during the pandemic as they continued with some previous expansion activities. On the other hand, they also tried something new. As a result, all firms’ total turnover increased in 2020, and it might also increase in 2021, despite some problems in the first quarter.