The purpose of this study is to analyze the process of internationalization of Brazilian firms, including the motivations for the internationalization, the modes of entry and the difficulties faced during this process. This research is relevant due to the importance of international management for Brazilian firms at the current global scenario. Firstly, it was developed a theoretical basis and, afterwards, an empirical qualitative and exploratory research was carried out. The data were

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... from in depth interviews with the representatives of ten Brazilian franchisors that became international, which are associated to the Brazilian Association of Franchising (ABF), who gave support to the research. The analytical procedure adopted was the content analysis. Franchising was chosen because Brazil is one of the most developed countries in this field and franchising is recognized as an important booster of the globalization process. The interviews were conducted with either the owner of the firm or the marketing or international executive officers. The results of the empirical research show that, although Brazilian firms are late movers, the firms analyzed do not seem handicapped in terms of managerial capacity or technological competences. It is clear, nevertheless, that they are late movers because they have a huge internal market to explore. Adopting a global vision is very important, even if they prefer a gradual approach towards internationalization.