Title:
Operational Dimension of Internationalization: Tangible Fixed Assets in Polish Outward FDI

Authors:
Robert Rogaczewski, Poland

Abstract:

The article examines the internationalization of Polish enterprises from the perspective of their operational involvement abroad. Unlike approaches focused solely on the value of foreign direct investment, the analysis emphasizes expenditures on tangible fixed assets, treating them as an indicator of a more durable and less mobile form of foreign market presence. The study is based on data published by Statistics Poland (GUS) covering the period 2017–2023.

The findings indicate that expenditures on tangible fixed assets generally increased over the analysed period, despite noticeable short-term fluctuations. At the same time, the geographical distribution of investments remained uneven, pointing to a concentration of operational activity in selected countries. The results suggest that the internationalization of Polish enterprises is selective rather than evenly distributed across all foreign markets.

The analysis shows that considering the structure of investments provides a broader understanding of firms’ foreign engagement than relying exclusively on aggregate FDI values. However, the adopted approach has certain limitations, as it does not capture the full composition of foreign investments. For this reason, the results should be interpreted with caution. Future research could benefit from the use of more detailed firm-level data and from extending the analysis to additional dimensions of internationalization.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2026.10605