As u i, No ika Cand a
A icle
In e na ionalisa ion o bo n-digi al en e p ises using an
e ec ua ion lens: case s udies in he games indus y
Cogen Business & Managemen
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using an e ec ua ion lens: case s udies in he games indus y, Cogen Business & Managemen ,
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In e na ionalisa ion o bo n-digi al en e p ises
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2024, VoL. 11, no. 1
In e na ionalisa ion o bo n-digi al en e p ises using an e ec ua ion
lens: case s udies in he games indus y
no ika cand a as u i
Facul y o economics and Business, Widya ama uni e si y, Bandung, indonesia
ABSTRACT
Due o ad anced echnologies and widesp ead in e ne usage wo ldwide, many small
and young s a -ups ha e had a chance o explo e in e na ional ma ke s. Games
companies om eme ging ma ke s, wi hou excep ion, ha e used digi al echnologies
o c ea e and exploi in e na ional ma ke s since hei ounding. howe e , we s ill do
no ully unde s and he in e na ionalisa ion p ocess o bo n-digi al companies, which
ely on digi al pla o ms and in as uc u e. his s udy seeks o unde s and how
bo n-digi al en ep eneu s om eme ging ma ke s decide and beha e when pu suing
in e na ional oppo uni ies. he da a we e ob ained om wo case s udies conduc ed
on game companies in indonesia. he cases demons a ed he applica ion o e ec ua ion
logic in he ea ly phase and subsequen in e na ionalisa ion. Despi e encoun e ing
a ious obs acles, such as limi ed esou ces encompassing insu icien business acumen,
in e na ional connec ions, p io in e na ional exposu e, go e nmen al backing, and
cons ained inancial esou ces, en ep eneu s elied upon hei passion o gaming,
cou age, expe ise in game de elopmen , and assis ance om hei amily and pee s o
ini ia e a digi al en e p ise. Expe imen a ion h ough de eloping di e se games and
selling hem o a ious dis ibu o s, coupled wi h es ablishing commi men s wi h hem,
demons a es a obus s a egic app oach ha enables i ms o accele a e hei business
o e seas. his s udy also e ealed ha u ilising digi al pla o ms, such as c owd unding,
helps en ep eneu s acqui e inancing and collabo a e wi h po en ial cus ome s o gain
insigh s in o hei desi es and sa e expenses associa ed wi h ma ke alida ion. his
s udy con ibu es o he exis ing body o knowledge by examining he adop ion o
e ec ua ion by bo n-digi al i ms in eme ging ma ke s.
1. In oduc ion
he games indus y is expe iencing mo e apid g ow h compa ed o o he en e ainmen sec o s, includ-
ing , ideo, music, mo ies, and li e a u e (Goh e al., 2023). his indus y is ie cely compe i i e and
cons an ly changing due o echnological de elopmen and digi al ans o ma ion (Felzensz ein &
e iako , 2023; ajpu , 2023). he gaming business is subjec o con inuous e olu ion and expansion,
pa icula ly in eme ging coun ies and egions, whe e he eme gence o new playe s, pla o ms, and
as es shapes he dynamics o game gen es in e ms o demand and supply (hewish, 2023). he online
gaming sphe e has e ol ed in o a space whe e en e ainmen and echnology inno a ion in e sec ,
a ac ing millions o en husias ic use s. he expanding gaming sec o encompasses a ange o pla o ms,
including mobile apps, console games like plays a ion o Xbox, and desk op games on high-end pcs
(liao, 2021). Digi al p oduc s, p ocesses, and business models can enable small digi al i ms o expand
globally (Monaghan e al., 2020). howe e , in e na ionalising digi al en e p ises would be mo e complex
since i equi es speci ic skills and alen s (Gab ielsson e al., 2022). in addi ion, hey encoun e chal-
lenges ela ed o a lack o capi al, human esou ces, in e na ional ma ke expe ise, and apid
© 2024 he au ho (s). Published by in o ma uK Limi ed, ading as aylo & F ancis g oup.
CONTACT no ika Cand a as u i [email p o ec ed] Facul y o economic and Business, Widya ama uni e si y, Bandung,
indonesia
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2361866
his is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons a ibu ion License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which
pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. he e ms on which his a icle has been
published allow he pos ing o he accep ed Manusc ip in a eposi o y by he au ho (s) o wi h hei consen .
ARTICLE HISTORY
ecei ed 4 Janua y 2024
e ised 19 May 2024
accep ed 27 May 2024
KEYWORDS
Bo n globals; e ec ua ion;
in e na ional
en ep eneu ship; bo n
digi als; games; indonesia
REVIEWING EDITOR
Je ey Muldoon, Empo ia
s a e uni e si y, uni ed
s a es
SUBJECTS
Business, Managemen
and accoun ing;
in e na ional Business;
En ep eneu ship and
small Business
Managemen
2 n. c. as u i
ad ancemen s in esea ch and de elopmen echnologies, which con ibu e o demand and echnologi-
cal unce ain y ( adana e al., 2021).
his esea ch examines explici ly bo n-digi al en e p ises, such as game companies, whe e all aspec s
o he alue chain, including c ea ion, p oduc ion, deli e y, ma ke ing, and sales, a e ex ensi ely digi al-
ised om he beginning o sho ly a e . he inc easing ascina ion wi h he ea ly and quick expansion
o young and small businesses in o o eign ma ke s since hei incep ions, known as ‘bo n globals’ (BGs)
(ca usgil & Knigh , 2015), is linked o he eme gence o ‘in e na ional en ep eneu ship’ (iE) as a no el
ield o academic in es iga ion (o ia & McDougall, 2005). BGs use hei unique esou ces (e.g.
echnology-based, knowledge-in ensi e p oduc s o high alue and quali y), o exploi oppo uni ies in
global ma ke s wi hou being hinde ed by hei es ic ed angible and inancial asse s (Øyna, 2023).
ne e heless, many s udies on BGs a e ca ied ou in de eloped coun ies wi h supe io ins i u ional
condi ions, mode n in as uc u e, g ea e accessibili y o inancial esou ces, and s able poli ical and eco-
nomic condi ions (Falaha e al., 2018).
he impac o digi al pla o ms (e.g. and oid), a e ac s (e.g. mobile apps), and in as uc u e (e.g.
in e ne backbone) on he pu sui o in e na ional oppo uni ies and beha io s is signi ican
(Gab ielsson e al., 2022). he exis ing body o in e na ional business li e a u e has inc easingly
acknowledged he impac o digi alisa ion on a ious aspec s o a i m’s ope a ions, pa icula ly con-
ce ning i s in e na ionalisa ion p ocess (B iege e al., 2022). Monaghan e al. (2020) used he e m
bo n digi als as BGs exhibi ing wo key cha ac e is ics: i s , es ablishing and u ilising digi al in as uc-
u e om he s a . a digi al i m’s second key ea u e is i s dependence on digi al in as uc u e o
enhance communica ion, collabo a ion, and compu ing capabili ies. hese capabili ies enable he i m
o de elop and ma ke i s p oduc s online using a digi al business model (nambisan, 2017). al hough
p io s udies ha e examined he ac o s ha d i e i ms o be BGs, limi ed s udies explo e how en e-
p eneu s om eme ging ma ke s make decisions and beha e wi h he suppo o digi al echnology
(E emad, 2022). he examina ion o how ounde s and en ep eneu ial eams o game companies ha e
adjus ed o he dynamic echnological ad ancemen s and digi al ans o ma ions wi hin he gaming
indus y is o pa amoun impo ance, gi en i s signi ican impac on he wo ldwide economy. his
s udy aims o comp ehend he decision-making and beha iou o bo n-digi al en ep eneu s om
eme ging coun ies in ela ion o quickly expanding in e na ionally and pu suing in e na ional
p ospec s.
p e ious s udies ha e examined he decision-making p ocesses o BGs in en ep eneu ship using
e ec ua ion logic (Gab ielsson e al., 2022). By using a means-based app oach and showing dedica ion
o in e na ional digi al communi y s akeholde s, a mobile game c ea o can expand wo ldwide apidly
and e icien ly wi hou p io expe ise, knowledge, o ne wo ks. in a compa able in es iga ion, issak
e al. (2020) looked a he applica ion o e ec ua ion heo y in he con ex o BGs. his s udy employed
a single punc ua ed longi udinal case s udy and e ealed ha e ec ua ion is employed du ing he ini ial
in e na ionalisa ion phase. Du ing his s age, he ood company, lacking su icien knowledge, seeks cus-
ome s h ough weak ies, ade ai s, and unsolici ed expo o de s. he company’s decision-making
logic shi ed owa ds a mo e causal app oach as i acqui ed mo e knowledge and es ablished s onge
connec ions. Bo h s udies ha e explained he decision-making logic BGs apply in he in e na ionalisa ion
p ocess. ne e heless, ou unde s anding o he decision-making p ocess o en ep eneu s in digi al i ms
om eme ging ma ke s as hey seek in e na ional oppo uni ies in unce ain game business en i on-
men s, in luenced by he apid ad ancemen o digi al echnology and he demand o upda ed p od-
uc s and se ices om highly desi able cus ome s, emains limi ed.
his s udy uses indonesia as a speci ic case o u he esea ch on bo n digi als om eme ging ma -
ke s wi hin he pa icula con ex o he game indus y. he e is a lack o esea ch on he in e na ional-
isa ion p ocess o bo n digi als om indonesia, a signi ican economy in sou heas asia. his wo k
esponds o calls om se e al schola s o a mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o he decision-making
p ocess o bo n digi als in ea ing and exploi ing in e na ional oppo uni ies, om ea ly s age un il la e
s age o in e na ionalisa ion (Monaghan e al., 2020; adana e al., 2021). he p ima y esea ch inqui y
ha his s udy aims o add ess is as ollows: ‘How do bo n-digi al en ep eneu s make decisions and beha e
ega ding he pu sui o in e na ional oppo uni ies? wha kind o decision-making logic is applied o accel-
e a ed in e na ionalisa ion?’
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 3
By using he lens o e ec ua ion heo y (sa as a hy, 2001), his s udy aims o close a s udy gap in he
iE ield abou he beha io s and decision-making logic o bo n-digi al en ep eneu s who employ digi al
ools o explo e in e na ional oppo uni ies. his s udy posi s ha he use o e ec ua ion heo y is sui -
able o unde s anding he en ep eneu ial le el o indi iduals when con on ed wi h unce ain y and
di icul ies in he p ocess o in e na ionalising p oduc s and se ices wi hin he games indus y (Kalinic
e al., 2014). E ec ua ion is a aluable ool o explaining he p ocess o in e na ionalisa ion o small
en e p ises, which equen ly encoun e challenges ela ed o c oss-bo de unce ain y, esou ce con-
s ain s, and ne wo k dynamics (sa as a hy e al., 2014). Digi al en e p ises equen ly encoun e an
unp edic able business en i onmen and limi ed esou ces (Ghezzi, 2019). consequen ly, he e ec ua ion
logic con ibu es o ou comp ehension o how bo n-digi al companies make decisions ega ding o eign
expansion in such ci cums ances.
acco ding o he 2021/2022 ou ism & c ea i e Economy ou look, he applica ions and games sec o
con ibu ed a GDp o iD 31.25 illion in 2021 (Kemenpa ek a , 2023). his sec o has he second-highes
g ow h a e (a 9.17%) a e he ele ision and adio subsec o (9.48%) (Kemenpa ek a , 2023). Based on
da a om i ualsEa, indonesia has been named he la ges con ibu o o games on he s eam pla o m
in sou heas asia in ea ly 2024 (Muhamad, 2024). howe e , indonesia’s gaming indus y lags behind ha
o china, sou h Ko ea, and Japan by en yea s (cnn indonesia, 2020). Fo eign game de elope s s ill con ol
99.50% o he na ional games indus y, and he go e nmen is p esen ly ini ia ing assis ance o domes ic
game de elope s o os e company g ow h, including o e ing aining, unding access, and in e na ional
p omo ions (ind aini, 2023). cu en ly, mos o he income o local gaming indus y playe s comes om
expo ac i i ies o des ina ion coun ies, namely Eu ope and he uni ed s a es (K is ian i, 2022). Based on
da a om he indonesia Game a ing sys em (iG s), un il 2022, he e a e 85 game de elope s om
indonesia in he indonesian games indus y (aGi, 2024). limi ed empi ical s udies in es iga e he in e na-
ionalisa ion decision-making p ocess o bo n digi als in he games indus y om indonesia.
he s udy o e s mo e de ailed insigh s in o he na u al o ces behind he accele a ed in e na ionali-
sa ion o bo n digi al i ms, which heo e ically ad ances iE esea ch. speci ically, his s udy aims o
explo e he decision-making and beha iou o success ul game en ep eneu s in indonesia as hey pu -
sue in e na ional oppo uni ies. speci ically, i explo es how hese en ep eneu s a e able o en e in e -
na ional ma ke s quickly and p o i ably despi e acing obs acles om weak ins i u ional en i onmen s.
his wo k con ibu es o unde s anding bo n globals in digi al i ms by empi ically ad ancing e ec ua-
ion heo y, a c ucial bu unde - esea ched a ea o in e na ional en ep eneu ship.
2.Theo e ical amewo k
2.1. In e na ional en ep eneu ship and bo n-digi al i ms
he phenomenon o new en u es engaging in in e na ional business ac i i ies om an ea ly s age o
g ow h has been he subjec o s udy in he ield o in e na ional en ep eneu ship (iE) since he ea ly
1990s (o ia & McDougall, 2005). a pa icula ly no ewo hy end was he g owing p e alence o new,
en e p ising s a -ups ha p omp ly engage in wo ldwide business, o en h ough expo ing, sho ly
a e hei es ablishmen , called bo n globals (BGs) (Knigh , 2015). BGs a e de ined as ‘en ep eneu ial
s a -ups ha , om o nea hei ounding, seek o de i e a subs an ial p opo ion o hei e enue om he
sale o p oduc s in in e na ional ma ke s’ (Knigh & ca usgil, 2004). acco ding o he li e a u e on BGs, i
is widely acknowledged ha he p og ess o digi al echnology has made i easie o hem o engage
in in e na ional comme ce (B iege e al., 2022). Digi al echnologies educe he obs acles o ob aining
ma ke in o ma ion and communica ing ac oss bo de s (au io e al., 2021). BGs le e age hei dis inc i e
asse s, such as echnology-d i en, knowledge-in ensi e p oduc s o supe io alue and quali y, o capi-
alise on oppo uni ies in in e na ional ma ke s, de oid o cons ain s like esou ce sca ci y (Øyna & alon,
2018). howe e , s udies on Wes e n cul u es and de eloped economies ha e domina ed he li e a u e on
iE BGs (pelleg ino & Mcnaugh on, 2023), wi h li le ocus on s udying bo n-digi al en e p ises, such as
hose om indonesia.
his s udy examines speci ically en e p ises ha a e conside ed bo n-digi al, meaning ha all aspec s
o hei alue chain, such as ma ke ing, selling, de eloping, p oducing, and cus ome se ice, a e hea ily
4 n. c. as u i
digi alized ei he om he beginning o sho ly he ea e (Benjamin & Gimmon, 2023; Monaghan e al.,
2020). in he ea ly s ages o hei li e cycle, bo n- digi al i ms o e hei p oduc s and se ices o clien s
h ough he u ilisa ion o he in e ne and o he echnological pla o ms, such as big da a, cloud com-
pu ing, and a i icial in elligence (nambisan, 2017). he use o bo n-digi als o in e na ionalisa ion has
been discussed in cu en esea ch, al hough hese s udies we e conduc ed expe imen ally in indus i-
alised na ions wi h solid local en i onmen s ha can acili a e digi alisa ion. adana e al. (2021) disco -
e ed, h ough he applica ion o b icolage heo y, ha he digi isa ion o alue chain ope a ions makes
i easie o combine and euse a ailable esou ces in o de o o e come obs acles, come up wi h c ea i e
solu ions, o open up new a enues o global expansion. Gab ielsson e al. (2022) disco e ed ha no ice
business owne s u ilised e ec ua ion heo y o expand hei ma ke in e na ionally h ough h ee heo-
e ical channels: a new mindse -based s a egy, a means-based s a egy in ol ing a commi men o
global s akeholde s, and ongoing dedica ion o in e na ional ade. he applica ion o e ec ua ion and
b icolage heo y has shed ligh on ou comp ehension o how he in e na ionalisa ion o BGs and he
s a egies employed acili a e en e p ises in achie ing ea ly and apid in e na ionalisa ion. howe e , he e
is limi ed knowledge ega ding he impac o en ep eneu ial decision-making on digi al en e p ises
s i ing o apid in e na ionalisa ion, pa icula ly in he games indus y inside eme ging ma ke s, cha -
ac e ised by high le els o unce ain y and inadequa e domes ic ins i u ional amewo ks (B iege e al.,
2022). Fo example, handoyo e al. (2021) conduc ed a s udy o examine he c i ical success ac o s
indonesian sMEs mus possess o access in e na ional ma ke s e ec i ely. he s udy’s indings indica ed
ha impo an ac o s o he in e na ionalisa ion o sMEs in indonesia include in e na ional ma ke
knowledge, p oduc inno a ion knowledge, and ins i u ional ne wo king. he e is a sho age o empi ical
in o ma ion ega ding he abili y o indonesian sMEs, especially hose in digi al en e p ises, o accele a e
hei business o e seas wi hin h ee yea s o s a ing ope a ions. Yang and o kkeli (2023) sugges s ha
o hcoming esea ch opics in he iE ield should p io i ise examining en ep eneu ial i ms’ in e na ional
digi al ma ke ing s a egy.
2.2. E ec ua ion heo y
sa as a hy (2001) in oduced he e ec ua ion heo y as a heo e ical amewo k o en ep eneu ship,
which p esen ed a depa u e om con en ional pe spec i es on en ep eneu ial decision-making and
beha iou . he adi ional en ep eneu ship amewo k p ima ily elies on economic p inciples o eluci-
da e how an indi idual o o ganisa ion engages in en ep eneu ial ac i i ies by iden i ying a eas whe e
he demand o a pa icula p oduc o se ice su passes he a ailable supply (casson, 2003). sa as a hy
(2001) sough o comp ehend he decision-making p ocess wi hin an unclea ope a ional con ex o in
a scena io whe e he ma ke has ye been es ablished. E ec ua ion elucida es he easons o indi iduals’
decision o es ablish new business en u es, e en i i was no hei o iginal in en ion when hey ini ia ed
hei ope a ions (Juhani Ma alamaki, 2017). an inc easing numbe o s udies in he iE ield ha e ocused
on analysing he in e na ionalisa ion p ocess o sMEs om an e ec ua ion lens (che y e al., 2015;
Galkina & che y, 2015). howe e , he e is cu en ly a sca ci y o s udies ha app oach he in e na ion-
alisa ion o bo n digi als om an e ec ua ion iewpoin .
in he a icle, sa as a hy (2001) compa es wo decision-making logics, e ec ua ion and causa ion.
causal logic assumes a speci ic ou come and emphasises employing chosen app oaches o p oduce he
ou come. i assumes exis ing ma ke s, whe e en ep eneu s analyse he en i onmen o choose he mos
app op ia e ac ion o accomplish p ede e mined objec i es. he sub-cons uc s in causa ion a e as ol-
lows ( ead e al., 2009): (1) s a ing wi h a p ede e mined objec i e; (2) emphasising expec ed e u ns;
(3) emphasising compe i i e analysis; (4) u ilising p io knowledge; and (5) a emp ing o p edic a isky
u u e. When someone u ilises causal easoning, hey s a wi h a p ede e mined objec i e, concen a e
on p ojec ed ewa ds, p io i ise compe i i e analyses, ake ad an age o known in o ma ion, and a emp
o o ecas an unknown u u e.
con e sely, e ec ua ion logic assumes speci ic means and con empla es he po en ial ou comes en e-
p eneu s may gene a e (Fishe , 2012). sa as a hy e al. (2008) posi ha i e p inciples can cha ac e ise
e ec ua ion. he i e concep s a e as ollows: (1) bi d-in-hand, (2) a o dable loss, (3) lemonade, (4) c azy
quil , and (5) pilo -in- he-plane. Based on he bi d-in-hand p inciple, en ep eneu s who ollow he
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 5
p inciples o e ec ua ion begin wi h h ee se s o esou ces: who hey a e, wha hey know, and who hey
know. a o dable loss is he second e ec ua ion p inciple. En ep eneu s a e ad ised by e ec ua ion logic
o concen a e on wha hey can a o d o lose a he han o ecas ing po en ial gains. he hi d p inciple
is he c azy quil , a concep ha encou ages en ep eneu s o wo k wi h a a ie y o acquain ances as well
as b and-new con ac s. he ou h p inciple, he ‘lemonade p inciple’, ad ises businesspeople o iew shocks
as chances a he han as hings o s ay away om in o de o main ain con ol o e a luid si ua ion.
Finally, he pilo in he plane is a concep o e ec ua ion ha posi s ha en ep eneu s assume au ho i y
and engage in ac ions o in luence he ma ke in alignmen wi h hei speci ic equi emen s.
a cu en s udy by Gab ielsson e al. (2022) shows ha he u ilisa ion o e ec ua ion can be ad an a-
geous in suppo ing sMEs in accele a ing hei wo ldwide expansion e o s by le e aging social ne -
wo ks and engaging in collabo a ions wi h he in e na ional digi al communi y since hei ope a ions
began. some s udies ound ha e ec ua ion and causa ion a e applied simul aneously du ing he in e -
na ionalisa ion p ocess (che y e al., 2015; ciszewska-Mlina ic e al., 2016). nummela e al. (2014) cap-
u ed he dynamics o he pos -en y in e na ional g ow h p ocess o BGs, as well as he pi o al e en s
ha se e as decision-making ca alys s, using longi udinal case s udies. i appea s ha he decision-making
p ocesses o bo n global en e p ises al e na e be ween logics based on causa ion and e ec ua ion. he
s udy conduc ed by ols oy e al. (2021) in es iga es he mechanisms ia which sMEs es ablish wo ld-
wide e-comme ce ope a ions in o eign ma ke places, employing e ec ua ion heo y. he e idence om
he case indica es ha in e na ional e-comme ce mos ly ollows he cha ac e is ics and p inciples o
e ec ua ion logic, especially du ing he la e s ages o en u e de elopmen . Empi ical s udy on bo n
digi als is limi ed due o he dis inc cha ac e is ics o hei indus y and business s a egy compa ed o
con en ional companies ha ha e no unde gone digi al ans o ma ion since hei es ablishmen .
he e o e, i is c ucial o do u he in es iga ion in his a ea (Monaghan e al., 2020). Fu he mo e, schol-
a s ha e explici ly ad oca ed o in es iga ions ha employ he e ec ua ion heo y in o de o enhance
ou comp ehension o in e na ional oppo uni y wi hin he ield o iE esea ch (Mainela e al., 2014;
aba es e al., 2020).
3. Resea ch me hodology
his s udy included a mul iple case s udy and an abduc i e quali a i e me hodology. he decision-making
logic o in e na ional en ep eneu s in he con ex o in e na ionalisa ion in eme ging ma ke s was he
subjec o in-dep h in es iga ion using he mul iple case s udy app oach (Muzychenko & liesch, 2015).
addi ionally, his me hod is help ul when he e is a blu ing o he lines be ween con ex and phenom-
enon (Yin, 2003) and when he e a e a lo o desc ip ions and in o ma ion a ailable abou he iE p ocess
in eme ging ma ke s (Eisenha d & G aebne , 2007).
he ollowing ou selec ion c i e ia o case s udies o he case selec ion p ocess: 1) sMEs we e
ounded in indonesia; 2) sMEs me he de ini ion o a bo n global i m: wi hin h ee yea s o i s es ab-
lishmen , BG en ep eneu s had begun o eign business ac i i ies a leas 25% o hei ea nings came
om in e na ional ma ke s; 3) hei companies had a ully digi alized alue chain and we e based a ound
exclusi e online pla o ms; and 4) ounde s/co- ounde s o sMEs we e willing o discuss hei expe iences
in making decisions ega ding ea ly in e na ionalisa ion and pu sui o in e na ional oppo uni ies.
he esea ch endea o can be deemed low isk due o i s in ol emen o human subjec s, speci ically
adul s. Engagemen in his s udy is op ional and con ingen upon ob aining in o med consen . pa icipan s
ha e he op ion o wi hd aw om he in e iew a any poin be o e he commencemen o da a collec-
ion, p o ided ha hey do so wi hin wo weeks ollowing he in e iew. he uni e si y human esea ch
E hics commi ee (uh Ec) o he Queensland uni e si y o echnology g an ed ini ial e hical app o al o
his in es iga ion, wi h he e e ence numbe Qu 1900000005. p io o he in e iew and on-si e isi s,
he pa icipan s we e issued an in e iew consen o m and in o ma ion ega ding hei pa icipa ion in
he in e iew by email. Be o e he in e iew, hey we e p o ided wi h explici in o ma ion ega ding he
objec i e o he esea ch objec i es. in addi ion, pa icipan s we e obliga ed o sign he consen o m
and we e no i ied ha he in e iew would be eco ded in audio o ma . he esea che assu ed pa ic-
ipan s ha all ema ks and esponses would be kep p i a e. in each case, in e iews we e conduc ed
wi h business owne s who we e also he ounde s/co- ounde s o sMEs. p io iE esea ch has
6 n. c. as u i
demons a ed ha en ep eneu s d i e sMEs’ decisions abou in e na ionalisa ion (che y e al., 2015). a
single in e iew, which was conduc ed in Bahasa indonesia, may las a ound 60 minu es. all we e
eco ded, and hen e ba im ansc ip s we e made based on he eco dings, wi h English ansla ions o
he o iginal Bahasa indonesian s a emen s. Main da a sou ces we e employed o ga he in o ma ion o
iangula ion, including in-dep h in e iews and si e isi s. in addi ion, a chi al da a om businesses’
eco ds, p ess announcemen s, and publica ions, as well as ield no es and memos, we e employed o
iangula e da a. he p o ile o cases comp ises loca ion, he yea he i m was ounded and he i s
o eign ma ke en y, he pe cen age o in e na ional sales, and he coun ies ha ha e been se ed
since he ini ial in e na ionalisa ion un il he cu en in e na ionalisa ion, as shown in able 1.
Following acqui ing pe inen da a sou ces, he da a we e o ganised ch onologically using he quali a-
i e analysis so wa e applica ion n i o. a e each e en , he da a sou ce and he da e o he e en we e
sys ema ically coded; o ins ance, he yea he company was ounded and i s ini ial o ay in o a o eign
ma ke was documen ed. he e en s se e as ep esen a ions o essen ial ac ions wi hin he en ep eneu -
ial ajec o y o en e p ises ope a ing in global ma ke places. se e al i e a i e s ages we e equi ed o com-
ple e he da a analysis a e he a chi al da a had been o ganised. in o de o conduc abula wi hin-case
analyses ha cen e ed on aspec s o accele a ed in e na ionalisa ion, he case his o ies we e u ilised. he
da a classi ica ion p ocess o his pape p oceeded wi h an analysis o he da a ma e ial h ough he lens
o e ec ua ion. cha ac e is ics, capabili ies, and ne wo ks comp ised he ini ial hemes de i ed om he
da a’s con en analyses. he ca ego ies we e ini ially de i ed om he da a i sel ; he da a was o ganised
acco ding o he p ocess heme. Desc ip i e iden i ie s we e induced di ec ly om he da a. By applying
e ec ua ion logic, hey we e subsequen ly classi ied in o ca ego ies o e ec ua ion p inciples, including
means-d i en, a o dable loss, c azy quil , and lemonade. he da a s uc u e is desc ibed in Figu e 1.
Table 1. P o ile o game companies.
Case Loca ion Yea i m ounded Yea i s in no. employees % in e na ional sales Fo eign coun ies se ed
a Bandung,
Wes Ja a
2009 2009 202 50% he ne he lands, no h Ko ea, he uK,
eu ope, no h ame ica, asia, and global
ma ke s
B Yogyaka a 2012 2013 8 50% Finlandia, Japan, Malaysia, and global ma ke s
Figu e 1. he da a s uc u e in bo n-digi al i ms.
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 7
4. Findings
his sec ion desc ibes wo ins ances o digi al game co po a ions ha ha e been in e na ionalised
since hei incep ion. he esul indica es ha wo cases adhe e o e ec ua ion logic du ing he ea ly
s ages o in e na ionalisa ion. Despi e he ounde s’ absence o business expe iences, in e na ional
expe iences, o eign ne wo ks, and in e na ional knowledge, e ec ua ion logic enabled hem o accel-
e a e hei business expansion o e seas and beyond domes ic ma ke s. his s udy includes wo game
companies: one loca ed in Yogyaka a and he o he in Bandung, Wes Ja a. Bo h companies we e
ounded by young millennials who comple ed hei unde g adua e p og ams and had he same pas-
sion o games and a mission o c ea e jobs in he games indus y. Du ing ha pe iod, o eign game
de elope s domina ed he indonesian gaming indus y; indonesian game companies we e sca ce.
hus, hey decided o c ea e a new digi al en u e and exploi in e na ional ma ke s. wo digi al com-
panies, a and B, commenced hei in e na ional ope a ions concu en ly om 2009 o 2011. sma phone
applica ion g ow h has con ibu ed o he expansion o he gaming indus y by elimina ing he need
o use s o physically isi in e ne ca és in o de o access games and by allowing indi iduals o play
games om any loca ion.
4.1. Case A
in Bandung, Wes Ja a, 18 young people wi h a sha ed in e es in games (who i am) c ea ed he i m
case a. When hey we e bo h s uden s a he same uni e si y in 2008, hey ook pa in a lo o gaming
ou namen s. he digi al en e p ise was ini ia ed wi h a ocus on h ee key ac o s: who i am - he indi-
idual’s pe sonal a ibu es (such as a hobby in playing games, s ong en husiasm o games, cou age,
and a willingness o acqui e new knowledge), wha i know- hei exis ing expe ise in he ield o games
(including a deg ee in in o ma ion enginee ing and p o iciency in echnology), and whom i know - hei
social connec ions (including amily and close iends). he cEo o case a exp essed his company’s ambi-
ion o es ablish a digi al en e p ise:
I s a ed i because I like playing games since I was in elemen a y school un il I chose o lea n in o ma ion sys em
and echnology p og am a he uni e si y. I acciden ally me iends who also enjoyed games and wan ed o wo k
in he games indus y. A ha ime he e was no game company. Finally, we decided o build i , ha was he simple
eason. (CEO o i m A)
Due o he un iendly business clima e in indonesia (high unce ain y) and lack o knowledge abou
in e na ional ma ke s, he company expe imen ed by o e ing he c ea ion o hei games (web lash
games) o se e al in he o eign lash ma ke place, such as in he ne he lands and he uK, since hei
incep ion. Fi m a had a global mindse ; hence, a he han en e ing he domes ic ma ke , co- ounde a
obse ed ha he in e na ional ma ke was he i s o eign ma ke en y, which is e e ed o as as
in e na ionalisa ion: ‘Ou goal is o en e he global ma ke ; in he mean ime, we conside he domes ic ma -
ke o be only an excep ion’ (co- ounde o i m A).
he en ep eneu ial eam o i m a did an expe imen using he a o dable loss concep by making
40 lash games, demons a ing hei ha d wo k and desi e o lea n new hings. howe e , he sales o
hese games amoun ed o only 18 uni s. hey op ed o explo e se e al gaming business models by
o ming an ad e game di ision, such as B2B, B2B2c, and B2G, o p o ide inancial s abili y and adap
o unexpec ed economic condi ions. he company began de eloping ad e ising and se ice games in
2010 and 2011. plays a ion, web, and sma phones a e he pla o ms whe e hese games a e cu en ly
playable.
By using he e ec ua ion p inciple – c azy quil , en ep eneu s in case a buil collabo a ion wi h any
s akeholde s who wan o co-c ea e in e na ional oppo uni ies. Fo example, in 2012, he i m a collab-
o a ed wi h he leading ame ican ideo game publishe . in 2013, i c ea ed a game wi h a Japanese
company and es ablished he indonesian Gaming associa ion. he business mo ed in o sou heas asia
in 2014 a e wo king wi h a well-known Malaysian game de elope o c ea e a well-liked game based
on a popula d ama. in o de o g ow hei business, he en ep eneu s o i m a alked o angel
in es o s o p oduce inno a i e p oduc s, such as aining games o businesses in 2016. co- ounde o
i m a s a ed abou he collabo a ion wi h angel in es o (c azy quil p inciple):
14 n. c. as u i
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