Digitalization, Sustainability, and Internationalization Nexus: Insights from Portuguese Entrepreneurs

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

"digitalization, sustainability, and internationalization" this sentence mixes new technology, a strategic vision, and a global trend in value chains on one level without explaining these levels, please comment

a driving force of internationalisation was cheap labour and externalisation of dirty processes, this does not show from your reflections, please comment

the introductions sounds very scholarly, not considering realities, please comment

Any observations regarding the very small return rate of questionnaires? Any analysis who turned in answers and who did not? any bias?

any comments on the selection of the variables? They all sound really generic, please comment

"Modelo de regressão logística múltipla" needs translation

 

"“Information about potential partner674 ships”, “Access to new technologies or resources”, “Autonomy in decision-making”, and 675 “Counselling”" all these are organisational/soft factors, how are they related to technology, you link it to "emphasis placed on factors such as access to new technologies and resources, which can 678 enable companies to adopt more sustainable practices." which does not sound consistent

What type of digitalisation would you expect, as apparently you note resistance of managers and budget needs (sensors, connectivity, advanced software, ....), please explain

the conclusion section sounds very superficial and not really linked to the analysis you did

 

where is sustainability in your conclusions?

 

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

need to complete translate and fix typos, please spellcheck

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

   The convergence of digitalization, sustainability, and internationalization represents a fundamental paradigm shift in today's world of global business. The manuscript delves into the intricate relationship among these three pillars and their transformative impact on businesses, economies, and societies worldwide. This is meaningful research. But as a reader, I still have some questions to discuss with authors.

1.In Introduction, “Internationalization can holistically be defined as a growth strategy that firms implement when they follow a process to expand their operations across country borders.” By leveraging digital technologies, firms can over-come traditional barriers to entry, such as geographical distance and cultural differences, and establish a stronger presence in international markets. However, it has also been shown that internationalization process has negatively impacted on biodiversity, and environment. Do authors consider the heterogeneous relationship within internationalization impact on sustainable development?

2.In Background and related works, the bibliometric approach is excellent in reflecting the current state of research. However, the large section presenting relevant studies and the lack of author's review is puzzling. As a reader, I would like to read a clearer and more concise description of current research and theoretical mechanism.

3.In 4.1. Modelo de regressão logística múltipla, “a non-significant p-407 value=0.301 was obtained for the variable “Information on the macroeconomic and fiscal framework” for the usual levels of significance, so it was decided to remove this variable from the model.” But as a reader I consider whether it is appropriate to remove this variable. How can I exclude the possibility that it was an inappropriate model choice that led to an underestimation of variable significance? Can the strength of forecasting ability be equated with the appropriateness of indicator set selection. Is it possible that indicators with insufficient forecasting capacity have a significant impact on outcome in condition combination.

4. The authors have done a thorough research on this issue. But how will the research result guide Portugal's future internationalization and digitalization practice. This needs to be presented.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The expression of the manuscript is appropriate。After critically revised it will be accepted by readers.

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this way the study was significantly improved by author's revision, and I recommend acceptance of this study.