International Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intention and Internationalization of Engineer-Entrepreneur Start-ups

While application of entrepreneurship concept is gaining traction in engineering and the entrepreneurship courses embedded in engineering programs increase swiftly, there is a lack of study focusing on how engineering programs enable entrepreneurial experiences in their programmes. The influence of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurship education on achievement entrepreneurial goals of engineers in Sri Lanka remains understudied and uncertain in many circumstances. This necessitates a thorough examination of the mechanisms by which entrepreneurial orientation and education influences entrepreneurial intention. Further, as per international entrepreneurship theory, entrepreneurial intent leads to internationalization intent when facilitated by conducive environment factors. The objective of research is to investigate the influence of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention and internationalization intent of engineer entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. Three hypotheses related to above links were tested using a validated questionnaire through a survey of 92 engineer-entrepreneurs. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention and internationalization intent of engineer entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. The variable entrepreneurial intention explained 40% variance of internationalization intention. This research gives valuable inputs and suggestions with respect to entrepreneurship education and promotion of entrepreneurship orientation of engineers in Sri Lanka for policy makers.

Using Classroom-Run Virtual Startup Incubator to Facilitate Experiential Learning Experiences and Global Marketing Alliances

The purpose of this study was to fill the gaps in the literature in terms of understanding how marketing and international entrepreneurship educators have responded to the impact of the pandemic on experiential learning pedagogy in developing countries. To address these gaps in the literature, this article conceptualizes a Classroom-run Virtual Startup Incubator (CVSI) program as a virtual learning space for seamless collaboration, networking and relationship building among multiple stakeholders across borders to inspire students to create startups and marketing alliances in marginalized communities. This article extends the KNOW-DO-BE model to include the OPERATE dimension to encourage innovation, experimentation, failure, and collaboration opportunities among the participants on the CVSI platform. Also, the study shows that relational/network approaches such as the resource dependence theory are important lenses for understanding participants’ experiences on the CVSI platform. These theoretical contributions are based on the analysis of the qualitative case studies gathered from the experiential learning experiences of students and mentors who participated in the CVSI program.

Financial performance and global start-ups: the impact of knowledge management practices

This paper investigates how knowledge management (KM) practices improve the financial performance of global start-ups (GSs). Using a database of 114 global innovative Italian start-ups, this study is based on the principal component analysis – data envelopment analysis (PCA-DEA) method. In particular, a survey was conducted to investigate KM practices and secondary data was used to evaluate financial performance. This research highlights that the adoption of different knowledge management practices (i.e., acquisition, documentation, creation, transfer and application) has a positive impact on the financial performance of global start-ups. The study contributes to the literature on international entrepreneurship, shedding light on the consequences of KM practices for global start-ups' financial performance, and provides guidelines for business owners, enabling them to understand better how knowledge management can facilitate the achievement of high levels of financial efficiency.

Towards an integrated and longitudinal life-cycle framework of international entrepreneurship: Exploring entrepreneurial orientation, capabilities, and network advantages overcoming barriers to internationalization

Towards an integrated and longitudinal life-cycle framework of international entrepreneurship: Exploring entrepreneurial orientation, capabilities, and network advantages overcoming barriers to internationalization

When does Improvisational Capability Matter to International Entrepreneurship? The Contingent Role of Home-Based Network Ties and the Boundary Condition of Competitive Turbulence

When does Improvisational Capability Matter to International Entrepreneurship? The Contingent Role of Home-Based Network Ties and the Boundary Condition of Competitive Turbulence

Enhancing export intensity of entrepreneurial firms through bricolage and international opportunity recognition: The differential roles of explorative and exploitative learning

This study proposes and tests a framework relating to the effect of entrepreneurial bricolage on international opportunity recognition (IOR) and the influence of the latter on export intensity. Survey data from 193 export-oriented entrepreneurial firms operating in Ghana indicates that entrepreneurial bricolage has an inverted U-shaped relationship with IOR – and that IOR has a positive effect on export intensity. A further analysis reveals that explorative learning enhances the inverted U-shaped relationship between bricolage and IOR, while exploitative learning improves the IOR–export intensity relationship. Our findings present important implications for international entrepreneurship research and the management of export-oriented entrepreneurial firms in developing economies.

The Context Sensitivity of International Entrepreneurial Orientation and the Role of Process and Product Innovation Capabilities

AbstractDrawing on a contingency perspective of the resource‐based view of the firm, we test the thesis that a relationship between international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) and the international performance of export‐manufacturing firms is context‐sensitive and contingent on innovation capabilities. Using time‐lagged survey data from 369 Bangladeshi export‐manufacturing firms in a least developed country (LDC) as an extreme empirical context, we predict that process and product innovation capabilities are essential to the relationship between IEO and international performance among export‐manufacturing firms. We find that the effect of IEO on international performance is not positive; however, the relationship becomes positive when moderated by process and product innovation capabilities. International entrepreneurial firms in an LDC succeed when they can better align IEO‐driven efforts with these capabilities. Our study advances knowledge on the context sensitivity of IEO and embellishes a resource‐based theory of IEO.

Explorers of the twenty-first century? A systematic literature review of the scholarship on international entrepreneurs from developed economies

Throughout history, expeditionists and explorers have discovered foreign countries and new worlds, markedly influencing the lives of succeeding generations. However, as multinational enterprises have come to drive globalisation, the existence of entrepreneurial individuals without the resources of large corporations is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although research on migrant entrepreneurs demonstrates the positive impact that foreign entrepreneurial activity can have on job creation and innovation, a clear perspective on entrepreneurs from developed economies venturing abroad is lacking. The study aggregates evidence from 33 articles to establish a unifying framework that describes the foreign entrepreneurial process originating in developed economies. The framework proposes categorising foreign entrepreneurial activity according to social and economic dimensions and introduces four archetypes of foreign entrepreneurs, helping us understand the dynamics of the institutional context and the motivations for venturing into foreign environments. Finally, the study discusses the implications for foreign entrepreneurs and considers future research avenues.

Early internationalization and subsequent geographic expansion: An extended Penrosean perspective

Internationalization is, by nature, a dynamic and continuous process that unfolds over time. However, the extant literature on international entrepreneurship primarily focuses on the antecedents that influence the initiation of internationalization and downplays its post-entry process. Specifically, little research has examined how early internationalization relates to subsequent geographic expansion. To bridge this gap, we draw upon Penrose’s theory of firm growth and a judgment-based view of entrepreneurship. We posit that earlier resource commitment to foreign countries enables entrepreneurs to quickly start managerial learning based on their experience of experimentation activities in foreign markets, facilitating entry into new foreign markets. Especially, we hypothesize that the operational experience acquired through earlier foreign direct investment is positively associated with subsequent geographic expansion, and the location where to accumulate operational experience moderates the association. The results of our longitudinal 19-year (2000–2018) study on 75 Japanese early internationalizing firms provide evidence for our hypotheses.

The Roles of Unique Product Development and Global Technological Competence in the Effect of International Entrepreneurial Orientation on Company Performance in International Markets: A Study on Born Global Companies

The Roles of Unique Product Development and Global Technological Competence in the Effect of International Entrepreneurial Orientation on Company Performance in International Markets: A Study on Born Global Companies

Influential dynamic capabilities and small and medium enterprises' internationalization success: mediating role of international entrepreneurial orientation

PurposeThis study aims to analyze how international entrepreneurial orientation mediates the relationship between influential dynamic capabilities and the internationalization success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachAdopting a quantitative approach, the researchers designed a questionnaire based on an extensive literature review and used structural equation modeling to ascertain the mediating role of international entrepreneurial orientation in the relationship between influential dynamic capabilities and SMEs' internationalization success.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that international entrepreneurship orientation mediates the relationship between dynamic capabilities and internationalization success, as the indirect impact value is greater than the direct effect value for the relationship. Because the existence of the mediator in the model has no significant impact on the model's direct effects, full mediation is the most appropriate mediation type.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. One of the major limitations of this study relates to the limited finances of the incumbent, as the questionnaires were delivered to the respondents via email, but the incumbent had to follow up with phone calls and reminders. Second, this study mainly relied upon primary data and analysis based on the use of qualitative techniques; in future, researchers can incorporate qualitative aspects using interviews and other qualitative analysis tools and techniques. Third, limitation relates to sample size, as the sample size of research was above 500 but was limited to just UAE. Future researchers can conduct a cross-sectional analysis to determine the mediating role of different factors for the promotion of internationalization.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the fundamental factors affecting the internationalization of SMEs in the UAE context, which has rarely been discussed. This study broadens the scope of internationalization by discussing its impact on SMEs' financial and non-financial performance.Social implicationsThis study will contribute to the advancement of current information about the elements that impact the internationalization of SMEs and develop a new framework for analyzing SMEs' internationalization in the UAE.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by developing and testing a framework based on a comprehensive literature review to include different factors and their constructs that impact the potential internationalization of SMEs in developing economies. This study identifies and addresses a research gap regarding the relationship between internationalization and company performance among UAE SMEs.

Institutional support for entrepreneurship and new venture internationalization: Evidence from small firms in Ghana

Drawing on institutional theory, we propose that emerging market new venture internationalization is impacted by the entrepreneur-institution fit (the compatibility between home institutional support for entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial alertness, and political ties). Using two sets of primary data from 203 and 194 Ghanaian new ventures respectively, we tested our three-way interaction model. Our results show home country institutional support for entrepreneurship has a positive relationship with new venture internationalization. This relationship appears the strongest for founders with higher levels of entrepreneurial alertness and weaker political ties. This paper enriches the literature of international entrepreneurship and institutional theory by (1) introducing an overlooked entrepreneurship factor, entrepreneurial alertness, to the international entrepreneurship literature; (2) context-theorizing the construct of emerging market new venture internationalization; and (3) drawing upon the context-relevant formal institution (institutional profile for entrepreneurship) and connecting it with the informal institution (political ties) to investigate their impacts on new venture internationalization.

Open strategizing and accelerated internationalization process in different contexts

PurposeDue to the changes in organizational, social, cultural and technological factors, companies from different contexts are shifting towards open forms of strategy-making with more widened inclusion of internal and external actors and greater transparency regarding their strategic issues, including their internationalization processes. The purpose of this paper is to understand how Open Strategizing occurs in the accelerated process of internationalization considering different contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a qualitative comparative case study in Brazilian and English technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which rapidly internationalized. Furthermore, data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and documental analysis.FindingsThe authors suggest that openness contributes to the accelerated process of internationalization. Additionally, the authors show that the home-country and the national cultural contexts affect openness. The authors also disclose openness as crucial and inherent to the accelerated process of internationalization, while context is relevant but not determinant in the Open Strategizing.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to Open Strategy (OS) literature by presenting how Open Strategizing unfolds daily during the internationalization process and by evidencing the role of home-country and national cultural contexts in the configuration and dynamics of Open Strategizing. The authors also contribute to the international entrepreneurship (IE) literature by advancing the understanding of the strategies and drivers adopted by technology-based SMEs internationalizing in an accelerated way.

Momentum for entrepreneurial internationalization: Friction at the interface between international and domestic institutions

In response to profound and emerging challenges arising from changes in the international order that affect international entrepreneurship, we address a gap in explanations for how the system for international relations shapes entrepreneurial internationalization. To do so, we develop a model that further explains the role of institutions in supporting international new ventures. We focus on how frictions in the interface between international and domestic institutions can influence momentum for entrepreneurial internationalization. We theorize how institutional work on the international-domestic interface can facilitate entrepreneurial internationalization that occurs in that interface. As such we provide additional understanding regarding factors that influence entrepreneurial internationalization.

Linking entrepreneurial orientation with export performance: mediation effects of multiple differentiation strategies

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on the export performance of apparel small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the role of multiple differentiation strategy as a mediation effect between their relationships. It has also investigated the moderation impact of export market category between EO and performance relationship. The multiple differentiation strategy comprises the product (PDD), customer (CTD), service (SVD) and brand (BDD) differentiations.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was carried out by providing a questionnaire to senior managers and owners of the apparel SMEs from the developed and developing markets exporters. The primary data of 550 was treated by the partial least squares-structural equation modelling) technique for final analysis.FindingsThe study revealed EO’s positive and significant effect on SMEs’ export performance. The study has found the mediation effect of product, customer and brand differentiation strategies between EO and export performance relationships from the mediation analysis. In contrast, service differentiation has found no mediation effect. However, the moderation effect (export market category) has revealed an insignificant effect between EO and performance association.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study are based on one country data analysis. This study has been conducted in the SMEs of the apparel industry in Bangladesh, considering only owners and senior-level managers of the firms.Originality/valueThis research has drawn the attention of managers/owners to EO and multiple differentiation strategies enhancing export performance from the developing country context, such as Bangladesh. Multiple differentiation as a competitive strategy is the pioneer application of mediating effect between EO and export performance relationships. Moreover, this research has investigated the effect of the export market category as a moderator. Dearth research has applied the export market category to investigate the moderation effect between EO-performance models. Therefore, current research has theoretical and practical contributions to the international entrepreneurship and strategic management literature.

Management Scholarship and the Russia–Ukraine War

AbstractThe Russia–Ukraine war requires management scholars to reflect on the interconnectedness of research themes across countries, and across management disciplines. This paper introduces the papers in this mini special section and discusses the interdisciplinary implications of the Russia–Ukraine war on themes that include – but are not limited to – management theory, banking, energy, culture, psychology and international entrepreneurship and innovation.

Embeddedness in internationalization: Knowledge map and research agenda proposal

This study conducted a bibliometric review of the literature on the importance of embeddedness in internationalization processes in order to map the research on this topic, identify its main trends, and propose future lines of investigation. The review covered articles published in academic journals listed in the Web of Science database. The analysis of the data obtained relied on the functions offered by IRaMuTeQ software. The results confirm internationalization is important in current business contexts in terms of the development of companies’ activities and these firms’ local relationship networks. Four clusters of articles were identified as major trends in the literature: international strategic management, networking through international joint ventures, international entrepreneurship, and trade and international relations. The findings contribute to mapping the existing literature on the importance of embeddedness to the development of companies’ international activities, as well as identifying potential new lines of investigation.

International competitiveness readiness, home country institutions and early internationalisation

PurposeSynthesising an individual–opportunity nexus model, this research aims to develop a model of early internationalisation by integrating international competitiveness readiness, entrepreneurial motives and home country institutions and empirically assesses this model using a multi-level estimate design.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon a global context comprising 79,402 entrepreneurs from 87 countries, this research applies a Heckman 2-step model together with a multi-level approach that allows to deal with self-selection bias and to take the hierarchical nature of the data into account.FindingsThe findings show that early internationalisation is significantly affected by entrepreneurs' international competitiveness readiness and this association is moderated by entrepreneurial motives. In addition, the findings demonstrate that the individual-level effects are further modified by the quality of country-level governance.Practical implicationsThe research findings have significant implications and value for policy-makers who are aiming to stimulate the rate of early internationalisation by influencing the quality of governance.Originality/valueThe results contribute to the development of knowledge and theoretical bases in international entrepreneurship (IE). The results provide a multi-level view on the relationships between entrepreneurs and the internationalisation of entrepreneurs' firms from an integrative perspective, thereby complementing the perspective of international competitiveness readiness that primarily focuses on the effects of inherent resources and capabilities.

Entrepreneurial Internationalization of Science-based Innovation: A Theory-based Case Study

Entrepreneurial Internationalization of Science-based Innovation: A Theory-based Case Study

Entrepreneurial alertness and business model innovation in dynamic markets: international performance implications for SMEs

A significant yet rarely probed question in the international entrepreneurship literature is to what extent and when entrepreneurial alertness (EA) manifests into international performance for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Using survey data from 214 SMEs in the United Arab Emirates, this study investigates the relationships between EA, business model innovation (BMI), domestic market dynamism and internationalisation scope of SMEs. The study finds that BMI (i.e., entrepreneurial action) significantly mediates the relationship between EA (i.e., entrepreneurial capability) and SMEs' internationalisation scope (i.e., international performance). Furthermore, when domestic market dynamism is high, the effect of BMI on internationalisation scope is strengthened. These findings provide theoretical and practical implications for international entrepreneurship research in the SME context.