Leaping Multinationals: A New Breed?

In this paper, we coin the term “Leaping multinationals” to denote corporations that sell their products and services internationally but not in their home countries. Typically originating in developing countries, Leaping MNCs face both pull forces from international markets and push forces from domestic markets. Based on our analyses of a few key exemplars such as Transsion Holdings and Shein from China, and Nihilent and Maser from India, we propose a four-stage model for the evolution of these firms and develop recommendations for managers of other corporations that aspire to become Leaping multinationals.