Iranian Sustainable Building Scientific Association International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability 2538-1628 7 1 2026 05 01 Developing a Process Model for the Internationalization of Marketing in Iraqi Companies: With a Focus on Market-Entry Strategies 253 273 737572 10.22034/ijumes.2026.2091241.1371 EN Asma Gaseem Ghanem Alvahili Ph.D. Student, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabili, Iran Mohammad Bashokouh Ajirlou Professor, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabili, Iran 0000-0002-6410-6491 Hossein Rahimi Kolour Associate Professor, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabili, Iran 0000-0001-9166-1370 Naser Seifollahi Anar Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran 0000-0003-3084-256X Journal Article 2026 05 10 The main aim of this research is to develop a process model for the internationalization of marketing in Iraqi companies, with a particular focus on market-entry strategies. Despite the expansion of the internationalization literature, localized models for economies with high institutional uncertainty, such as Iraq, remain limited. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using the grounded-theory method (the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin). Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 21 marketing managers, business owners, and internationalization experts of small and medium-sized Iraqi enterprises, and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis using open, axial, and selective coding showed that the central phenomenon is “reducing uncertainty.” The extracted process model indicates that the internationalization of marketing in Iraqi companies is a gradual, network-based, risk-averse, and adaptive process. Firms mostly begin by relying on trust-based networks (kinship, tribal, diaspora, and local intermediaries), low-commitment entry (indirect and trial exports), and experiential learning, and, if successful, gradually increase their level of control and commitment. The main contextual factors include institutional–border uncertainty, financial and currency constraints, and logistical challenges. The key strategies include contingent adaptation of the marketing mix, strategic resilience (suspension, rerouting, and re-entry), and a gradual transition from intermediary-centricity to greater control. The findings show that, in the Iraqi context, internationalization is more survival-oriented than classically development-oriented. By presenting a context-based model, this research contributes to enriching the process theory of internationalization in turbulent environments and offers practical recommendations for Iraqi managers and policymakers. https://www.ijumes.com/article_737572_c6fa87159e244e2a0a0dd19cf7f9ae4a.pdf