This work was supported by Shandong Provincial Social Science Planning Programme (No. 25CRWJ43).
Abstract
Against the background of global value chain restructuring and domestic
industrial upgrading, resource constraints have become the core obstacle
restricting Chinese private enterprises from moving from product export to
brand internationalization. Drawing on the OLI paradigm and the LLL model, this
study takes private enterprises in Shandong Province as the research subject,
builds a “motivation–behavior–capability” analysis framework, and verifies the
framework through a case study of Haier Group’s internationalization practice.
The study finds that, through market-seeking cross-border mergers and
acquisitions (M&A), Haier has systematically opened up a progressive path
of “connection–leverage–learning”: through M&A, Haier first established
overseas channel and brand connections. It then leveraged synergistic effects
through management output and channel reuse. Ultimately, it upgraded its
capabilities through the internalization of tacit knowledge, thereby completing
the leap from OEM export to a global brand. However, Haier’s “leapfrog” model
depends heavily on its ownership advantage and financing capability, which
makes it difficult to directly replicate among the broader population of small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Accordingly, this study proposes a tiered
approach: leading enterprises can draw on Haier’s experience to carry out
strategic-asset M&A, whereas small and medium-sized private enterprises
should prioritize leveraging cluster ecosystems and platform channels to expand
overseas in a gradual manner and accumulate specialized advantages in niche
segments. The thesis enriches the application of the LLL model in the context
of late-developing enterprises and provides a theoretical basis for Shandong
Province to formulate differentiated policies supporting the
internationalization of private enterprises.
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How to cite this paper
Study on the Internationalization Path of Private Enterprises in Shandong Province: A Case Study of Haier
How to cite this paper: Xinyuan Wang, Le Ning. (2026) Study on the Internationalization Path of Private Enterprises in Shandong Province: A Case Study of Haier. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(9), 1073-1077.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.09.008