How do Northern non-governmental organizations (NGOs) internationalise?: a stage theory approach

Abstract

Commercial companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are internationalising at an increasing pace. Yet little is known about what influences NGOs to operate in different regions and countries, and how they manage this process. Indeed, research on the internationalisation of NGOs has been neglected in comparison to the large and growing literature on companies. This paper considers in particular how Ohmae’s stage theory of company internationalisation can be usefully extended to help understand the internationalisation of NGOs. Drawing on a survey and case study research it finds that there is qualified support for the proposition that NGOs pass through similar stages to companies as they internationalise.