International enterprises: influence of standardization on competitiveness

Purpose This paper aims to reveal the impact pathway of international standardization on the international competitiveness of enterprises in developing countries, verify the strategic value of international standardization as dynamic capability from an exogenous perspective and resolve the paradox of standardization’s influence. Design/methodology/approach This paper focuses on China’s communications industry, constructing a 2010–2022 panel dataset from the International Telecommunication Union and A-share listed companies. It employs fixed/random/mixed effect models for benchmark regression, confirms the fixed effect model via robustness tests and uses hierarchical regression to examine market power and resource acquisition as mediating factors. Findings Firstly, this research demonstrates that international standardization significantly enhances international competitiveness of developing-country firms, with short technology cycles and strong network externalities in telecommunications reinforcing this effect. Secondly, it reveals market power’s mediating role whereby latecomers disrupt value chain hierarchies and gain market influence through standard-setting participation. Thirdly, resource acquisition is verified as another mediator, where collaborations – particularly with pioneers – facilitate resource integration and complementary advantages to alleviate asymmetries. Originality/value By integrating institutional theory and resource-based view, this study first verifies an analytical framework in the context of developing economies, where international standardization affects competitiveness through dual pathways of market power and resource acquisition, providing a new theoretical perspective for the internationalization of latecomer enterprises.