Despite an increasing number of studies identifying factors that influence the internationalization process for early internationalizing firms (EIFs), it remains unclear which of these numerous factors could play a strategic role and, more specifically, when. This paper develops a new conceptual framework anchored in the resource-based view to identify strategic resources that can explain EIFs’ internationalization process accurately over time. Building on a systematic literature review based on 102 papers covering a period of 29 years, we methodically present a phase-by-phase observation of EIFs’ internationalization process to identify the strategic relevance of different influential resources. The results highlight the importance of the shift from individual to organizational resources, which occurs at a critical phase of transition from the entry to the post-entry phase. Studying the evolution of strategic resources along four phases allows us to determine that the progress of EIFs through the phases of their internationalization process is closely linked to their resources’ development process. This study suggests some promising research avenues, at theoretical and methodological levels, and results in a series of concrete recommendations intended for entrepreneurs and/or managers of EIFs.

尽管越来越多的研究确定了影响早期国际化公司 (EIF) 国际化进程的因素，但仍不清楚这些众多因素中的哪些可以发挥战略作用，更具体地说，何时发挥战略作用。本文开发了一个以资源为基础的新概念框架，以识别能够随着时间的推移准确解释 EIF 国际化进程的战略资源。在基于 29 年的 102 篇论文的系统文献回顾的基础上，我们有条不紊地分阶段观察 EIF 的国际化过程，以确定不同影响资源的战略相关性。结果强调了从个人资源向组织资源转变的重要性，这发生在从进入阶段到进入后阶段的关键过渡阶段。通过研究战略资源沿四个阶段的演变，我们可以确定，EIF 在其国际化过程中的各个阶段的进展与其资源的开发过程密切相关。这项研究在理论和方法层面提出了一些有前途的研究途径，并为 EIF 的企业家和/或管理者提出了一系列具体建议。