Scaling and digital Internationalization: Theoretical foundations and state of current research
Time and place: December 2-4, 2025, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio campus
Learning goal and objectives: This intensive three-day course focuses on the understanding of international scaling and digital internationalization and the critical assessment of current research in these areas. The emphasis of this course will be on identifying theoretical perspectives relevant for studying scaling and digital internationalization, and on critical assessment of conceptual differences between scaling, digital internationalization, and existing internationalization theories. The course will enable participants to learn how to theorize about these topical phenomena and how to identify important areas requiring further development. After the course, participants will have the knowledge and skills to:
– Apply relevant theoretical perspectives to examine scaling and digital internationalization
– Understand conceptual differences between different types of internationalization: scaling, international growth, digital internationalization, and born-global internationalization
– Understand firm, managerial, and entrepreneurial level perspectives on scaling and digital internationalization
– Develop high-quality research in the fields of international business, entrepreneurship and strategy
– Grasp insights about scaling and digital internationalization from less studied settings such as cultural and creative sectors.
Instruction and examination: Prior to the course, participants will submit a pre-assignment, in which they will briefly present their knowledge of prior research on and specific interest in the topics of the course. The course will consist of three days of in-class interactive lectures and workshops. Full engagement and active participation in all sessions will be expected. To facilitate such active involvement, participants will be expected to be familiar with the course reading material consisting of a selection of articles and book chapters. After the course, participants will write a post-assignment, in which they will reflect on their learning from the course.
Credits: 4 (ECTS)
Grading: Evaluation will be conducted based on the assessment of pre-course and in-class assignments. Grading scale for both assignments is ‘Pass/Fail’. Both assignments must be passed to pass the course.
Prerequisites: The course is intended for junior academic scholars and PhD students in international business, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship studies. Participants are expected to have experience in academic writing, and/or have started thesis writing process (PhD students).
Admittance: 25 participants are admitted to the course. The applicants are to enrol to the course by emailing the course coordinator by October 10, 2025. After that, participants will be sent an eLearn key and instructions for writing the pre-assignment. The deadline for the pre-assignment is on November 5, 2025, and a notification of acceptance to the course along with the reading package list will be sent by Nov 15, 2025. The deadline for the post-assignment is on Dec 22, 2025.
Application deadline: October 10, 2025
Instructors: Irina Mihailova, Associate Professor of International Business, University of Eastern Finland, and Dorota Piaskowska, Associate Professor, University College Dublin, Ireland
Irina Mihailova is an Associate Professor of International Business at the University of Eastern Finland. She has earned her PhD in 2010 from Aalto University. Irina’s research interests include digital international scaling, business models and internationalization strategies of digital firms, institutional development in emerging markets, and qualitative research methods. Irina’s work has appeared in Academy of Management Review, Organization Studies, Journal of World Business, Journal of Business Research, Management and Organization Review, Management International Review, and Thunderbird International Business Review, amongst others.
Dorota Piaskowska is an Associate Professor in Strategy and International Business at University College Dublin, Ireland. She has earned her PhD from Tilburg University in the Netherlands and has also been a visiting scholar at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. Dorota’s research focuses on antecedents and outcomes of strategic decisions concerning firm growth, such as decisions regarding internationalization and scaling. Her work has been published in Journal of Product Innovation Management, Journal of Business Research, Long Range Planning, British Journal of Management, and European Management Review, among others. Dorota is an award winning educator with a teaching portfolio that spans all levels of higher education and multiple countries. Previously, she served as Director of UCD Programs in Singapore and as Academic Director of the UCD CEMS MSc in International Management.
Course coordinator and contact information: Irina Mihailova, irina.mihailova@uef.fi