STRATEGIC INTERNATIONALIZATION STARTS AT HOME: THE CASE OF CAPACITY CREATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

Abstract

The 2016 outbursts of nationalism in Europe and in the US have left
globalization moribund. Investing domestically is becoming a strategy to
remain competitive globally. We wonder how the creation of capacity for
transportation infrastructure, leveraging internationalization, affects
economic development. We nurture our reflections through the field
observations of a US expert whose expertise was requested by DRC
leaders. Our inductive approach is rigorously based on the case study
methodology. We find that the lack of capacity to perform infrastructure
development can be addressed by Western and local institutions,
generating relationships that can lead to greater internationalization. This
paper explores the needs of programs and methods through which
Western Universities and local organizations can provide such capacity,
even in one of the most challenging business environments on Earth.
While our research cannot be generalized, it is applicable to organizations
that seek to remain competitive domestically by capitalizing on
internationalization.

Keywords: Africa, internationalization, professional capacity, workforce
development, project management, strategy.