  The objective of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature on
internationalization, in relation to the absence of objective and measurable
performance indicators on the process of how firms sequentially enter external
markets. To that end, this research develops a quantitative tool that can be
used as a performance indicator of gradualness for firms entering external
markets at a sectoral level. The performance indicator is based on firms'
export volume, number of years of exporting, geographic areas targeted for
export, and when exports were initiated for each area. Additionally, the
indicator is tested empirically in the Spanish wine sector. The main
contribution of this study is the creation of an international priority index
which serves as a valuable and reliable tool because of its potential use in
other industry sectors and geographic areas, allowing us to analyze how
geographically differentiated internationalization strategies develop.
