This study highlights a digitally-enabled springboard strategy employed by emerging market firms (EMFs). We develop a temporal-scope framework for understanding internationalization strategies among EMFs and propose that digitalization fosters their rapid and broad international expansion. To empirically test this proposition, we undertake a panel data analysis comprising 9,279 observations from China's A-share listed companies over the period 2007–2022, applying text-mining techniques. Our findings support the hypothesized distinctive trajectory of EMFs driven by digitalization. Furthermore, we identify and disentangle the boundary conditions that influence the magnitude of this outcome, emphasizing the role of firms’ absorptive and financing capabilities. By addressing the emerging debate on internationalization strategies adopted by EMFs in the digital age, our research advances the development of springboard theory and offers valuable insights into the digital transformation of global business strategies.
