Karimjonova Madinabonu Obidjon qizi,
PhD student, Department of Green Economy and Sustainable Business,
Namangan State University, Namangan, Uzbekistan.
E-mail: madinabonu1106@gmail.com.
ORCID: 0009-0001-5495-4534
Abstract. Intensifying globalization has created fundamentally new conditions for enterprises’ foreign economic activity (FEA): market-access opportunities have expanded, while risks associated with global interdependence have simultaneously increased. This article examines the conceptual foundations of sustainable FEA development. The study integrates three well-established theoretical traditions: the resource-based view, institutional theory, and Dunning’s eclectic (OLI) paradigm. The analysis identifies three interrelated pillars underlying sustainable FEA development: institutional adaptability — a firm’s capacity to adapt to and shape its institutional environment; innovation capacity — the continuous development of products, processes, and business models; and export diversification — the strategic expansion of product portfolios and geographic markets. Using Uzbekistan as an example, the article shows that the concentration of exports within a narrow range of goods and markets represents a structural vulnerability that sustainable strategies must address. The analysis confirms that export diversification protects against demand shocks, innovation capacity builds the absorptive capacity firms need to benefit from technology transfer, and institutional adaptability reduces misalignment costs by adapting to the legal and cultural landscape of target markets. Enterprises that systematically embed sustainability criteria into their internationalization strategy achieve greater resilience and long-term profitability. The article concludes that sustainable FEA development is not an incidental outcome but a deliberate strategic achievement, requiring coordinated efforts between government policy and firm-level strategy. The article contributes to the literature by proposing a practical multi-pillar model for enterprises operating in emerging-market contexts.
Keywords: globalization, foreign economic activity, sustainable development, internationalization, export strategy, competitiveness.
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