Internationalisation Process: Revisiting the Uppsala Model in the Asian Context

The Uppsala model of the intemationalisation process in terms of gradual incremental steps had been widely adopted in empirical research, particularly in the context of western multinational firms. We revisited this model in the context of Asian multinational firms. Examining case studies of Asian MNEs from Taiwan and Singapore in the textile and electronics industries, we found variations in the process postulated by the Uppsala model, and seek to explain them in terms of proactive actions and absorptive capacity perspective. Future research and limitations are also indicated.