The impact of connectivity on internationalization: the case of multilatinas

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of different connectivity levels of Global Cities (GCs) in the international expansion of Multilatinas. The authors propose a taxonomy of Multilatinas’ international expansion that accounts for the connectivity levels of their home and host GCs. Design/methodology/approach Using crosstabulation analyses supplemented by chi-squared and Fisher Exact tests, the authors analyzed the internationalization expansion efforts of the 100 largest multilatinas in 395 internationalization moves that occurred between 2000 and 2024. Findings This manuscript makes a significant theoretical contribution to the existing literature, as the research demonstrates that full acquisitions are the preferred entry mode of multilatinas in GCs, sectoral preferences impact the connectivity level of GCs, differences in home vs host connectivity levels impact the internationalization of Multilatinas and the country of origin impacts the selection of the Host GCs Research limitations/implications This manuscript analyzes foreign direct investment (FDI)-intensive internationalization decisions, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and Greenfield Investments, leaving unstudied FDI-light entry modes, such as licensing, franchising and export. Practical implications The authors uncover differences in countries’ preferences for various levels of GC connectivity and develop a taxonomy for multilatinas’ international expansion to GCs. Originality/value The research’s originality stems from using GCs as the location unit for the internationalization of multilatinas, as country-based analysis obscures microlevel drivers that better explain multilatinas’ entry-mode choices. Moreover, the authors developed a novel taxonomy for multilatinas’ internationalization based on connectivity differentials between home and host GCs, providing a nuanced framework for understanding their international expansion strategies.