Degree

Master of Science in Management

Faculty / School

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Department

Department of Management

Date of Submission

Summer 2025-8-31

Supervisor

Dr. Ashar Saleem, Assistant Professor and Director Graduate Programs SBS

Committee Member 1

Abdul Rehman Malik, Examiner-I, Associate Professor, LUMS, Lahore, Pakistan

Committee Member 2

Shuaib Ahmed Soomro, Examiner-II, Professor-(HRM) IAE Aix-Marseille/CERGAM, France

Project Type

MS Management Research Project

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Business Groups, Emerging Markets, Internationalization, Uppsala Model

Abstract

This study uses scholarship on business groups and firm internationalization to examine internationalization patterns of Pakistan Business groups. By using qualitative case study methodology, including in-depth interviews with BG owners, senior executives and policy makers the study examines how various context specific factors shape their internationalization trajectories. Deep and embedded influences such as family control, political connections, risk aversion and formal and informal network embeddedness influence global expansion decisions. The study maps Uppsala model on Pakistani BGs and finds that certain mechanisms such as experiential learning and network leverage, remain relevant, others including: gradual market commitment and systematic knowledge acquisition, are either circumvented or exhibit limited applicability. Pakistani BGs predominantly favor low-commitment strategies, such as participation in global value chains (GVCs) and expatriate-driven market entry, while avoiding full-scale brand globalization and overseas production. This mainly happened due to perceived risks, weak institutional support, and a lack of long-term strategic vision. The study provides a framework to illustrate how deficient global market knowledge and weak strategic commitment impede scalability.

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