The Balancing Act: The Role of Transnational Habitus and Social Networks in Balancing Transnational Entrepreneurial Activities

Abstract

Transnational entrepreneurship is becoming an increasingly important global phenomenon with enormous impact on economic, social, and political structures worldwide. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of practice, we assess how transnational entrepreneurs (TEs) may balance their network scope and network size in dual environments to enhance their ability to operate in both environments. Using a sample of 452 U.S. Latin American TEs, we find that balanced network size and network scope in the respective institutional settings enhance the degree of transnational venture activities. More importantly, we find that the joint effects of balancing network size with network scope are significantly greater than their individual effects.