Field Of International Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Patent uncertainty and survival: a longitudinal study of a Chinese knowledge-based international new venture

PurposeUnlike well-documented market or behavioral uncertainty, patent uncertainty has been significantly under-explored in the field of international entrepreneurship. Drawing on an institution-based view of strategy, this study investigated Netac, a Chinese knowledge-based international new venture (KINV), which was facing uncertainty over patents in China and the US. The aim was to address two questions: (1) how does patent uncertainty emerge in the context of KINVs? And (2) how can KINVs navigate patent hazards by interacting with national patent institutions?Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal single-case study approach was adopted as the most appropriate method for exploring novel business phenomena and dynamic processes.FindingsResults suggested that a KINV can adopt strategies to build a unique identity and so better conform to the expectations of institutions that ultimately decide on patent validity. Strategies may involve building institutional awareness, amplifying mass media effects, and strategically managing the intellectual property and socio-emotional tensions between China and the US.Originality/valueThis study introduced the notion of patent uncertainty into research around international new ventures, highlighting how this type of uncertainty in the advanced technology sector can affect the end-product and patent licensing opportunities of KINVs. It also explored the institution-based view of company strategy in the internationalization process by emphasizing interactive institutional mechanisms, and the role of an organization’s identity when interacting with institutions. The study enriches the literature on institutional theory and organizational identity, and also suggests solutions for firms dealing with efforts by competitors to invalidate patents.

Home Peers, Business Owners’ Gender, and the Export Intensity of SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can improve their export performance by co-locating with export firms from the same industry and country. However, the export implications are yet to be addressed systematically. This study investigates when and how women-owned SMEs convert their geographic proximity to home peers through social proximity and cognitive proximity into high export intensity. We develop a nuanced knowledge spillover perspective incorporating gender mechanisms to clarify the relationship between home peers and SMEs’ export intensity at the regional and national levels. To test our hypotheses, we designed quantitative research using a survey database from Statistics Canada, Survey on Financing and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SFGSME), with a sample of 9,977 Canadian SMEs. Our study shows that, among other things, home peers’ positive impact on SMEs’ export intensity is more significant when their owners are exposed to a larger number of relatively close same-gender home peers (i.e., same-gender regional home peers). Moreover, we show that such positive home-peer effects on SMEs’ export intensity are even stronger for women business owners than men business owners. We clarify our contributions by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings. By demonstrating the significance of same-gender regional home peers for women owners, we contribute to the knowledge spillover perspective on exporting, emerging research streams on home peers, and women entrepreneurship research in the international entrepreneurship field. Our findings also suggest that women entrepreneurs can particularly benefit from government-funded export promotion programs when the programs are appropriately designed and promoted to women entrepreneurs.

Why Are There So Few Schumpeterian Entrepreneurs from China? Understanding the Factors That Influence Entrepreneurial Opportunity Evaluation from a Comparative Culture Perspective

Opportunity evaluation is a very important part of entrepreneurial activity; however, entrepreneurs’ individual differences in evaluating opportunities have been neglected in prior research. To address this gap, we apply institutional theory and stereotype threat theory to explain how some institutional factors differentiate entrepreneurs’ opportunity evaluation process. More specifically, we explore how external institutional factors, such as political and social factors, along with personal institutional factors, such as family influences, affect the opportunity evaluation of entrepreneurs under various cultural backgrounds, specifically China and the United States. The Schumpeterian entrepreneur, in which radical innovation and the desire to significantly upend market equilibria, frames our discussion. This paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of the factors influencing entrepreneurial opportunity evaluation from a comparative culture perspective and to the comparative international entrepreneurship field by building a comparative evaluation framework that summarizes institutional factors influencing Chinese and American entrepreneurs’ opportunity evaluation. We propose that policy, social value, and belief as well as family will have significant impacts on entrepreneurs’opportunity evaluation. We further propose several cultural constructs such as individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and Confucian work dynamism will moderate the relationship with institutional factors in influencing an entrepreneur’s opportunity evaluation process. We discuss our implications with attention given to how our comparative evaluation framework provides insights into why China and the United States differ in terms of developing Schumpeterian entrepreneurs. We then discuss the framework’s limitations.

Exploring social cognition in an international context: insights from the social representations perspective on legitimacy among French entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT In the field of international entrepreneurship, there are increasing calls for the study of cognition in its social context. In this regard, this article draws on social representations theory to explore and better understand the cognition of entrepreneurs. The objective of the present study is to explore the social representation of legitimacy among different social groups and show how these collective images vary depending on the context in which entrepreneurs operate. By applying social representations theory to data gathered from a sample of 150 French entrepreneurs, we construct a framework that elucidates social development and the changes that influence entrepreneurs’ decision-making. In addition, this article reveals a new avenue of study in relation to legitimacy from a collective perspective.

Entrepreneurial Decision-Making of Born-Digital Companies Using An Effectuation Lens

In order to examine how born globals in developing economies create global possibilities in a digital global business environment, this paper will reply to requests for papers in the field of international entrepreneurship. This study's goal is to use effectuation theory to analyze how digital businesses develop prospects in international marketplaces. This study is based on numerous case studies from two Indonesian game firms and qualitative data. By offering insights into the decision-making logic utilized by international entrepreneurs in born-digital enterprises, this study contributes theoretically to the literature on IE. The results also support further study in this field and improve our understanding of born globals.

The role of entrepreneurial networks in overcoming export barriers of small and medium-sized enterprises from developing economies

The role of entrepreneurial networks in overcoming export barriers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) varies depending on the development level of the domestic institutional environment. So far relevant literature has been dominantly focused on the effects of participation of SMEs from developed economies in different forms of domestic and international entrepreneurial networks. However, in the last two decades, the SMEs from post-transition economies (PTE), namely developing economies, have become more involved in international business which is an important challenge for them because of resource scarcity and a long period of international isolation. Starting from the entrepreneurial perspective of internationalization based on accelerated internationalization models, the paper considers modes, motives, benefits, and obstacles of establishing alternative management structures - SME entrepreneurial networks in institutional discontinuity conditions. The research aim is to indicate the importance of establishing network connections as a modus for overcoming resource and institutional export barriers of SMEs from PTE. The research is based on the analysis and synthesis of relevant literature in the field of international entrepreneurship and network approach to the internationalization of SMEs in the context of PTE. Based on conceptual analysis and the results based on previous research, pragmatic recommendations for export SMEs from PTE regarding the choice of appropriate participation modality in entrepreneurial networks are stated.

Global Mindset and Adaptive Marketing Capabilities in the Internationalization of Mature Chinese SMEs: International Opportunity Perspective

Despite the centrality of international opportunity concept in international entrepreneurship field, SMEs’ internationalization literature has focused mainly on SMEs’ international performance with limited attention paid by researchers to understanding the factors influencing the identification of international opportunities especially among mature internationalized SMEs. To this end, the current study examined the impact of SMEs managers’ global mindset (GM) and adaptive marketing capabilities (AMCs) on international opportunity identification (IOI) among mature Chinese SMEs with emphasis on the moderating impact of export market dynamism (EMD). Initial exploratory study using interviews with five managers of exporting SMEs was conducted to figure the relevance of GM and AMC in explaining IOI; and the presence of EMD. Later, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from founders/managers of 217 exporting SMEs. Findings showed that IOI is positively influenced by SME manager’s GM and AMCs. Despite the presence of EMD, it had no significant moderating impact on the relationship between GM and AMCs; and IOI. In the respondents’ characteristics analysis, it was revealed that no significant statistical impact of SME’s size, SME’s age, and SME manager’s international experience on IOI. This paper ends with drawing a set of implications and future research avenues.

A systematic literature review on SME internationalization: a personality lens

The importance of the individual decision-maker within the internationalization process of SMEs has extensively been acknowledged in the International Entrepreneurship field. Yet, despite this, the current discourse is mainly limited to socio-demographics, and social and human capital, and does not seem to advance towards the influence and role of, e.g., deeper-level personality aspects on the SME’s internationalization process. Findings are scattered across different fields of research and disciplines, making it difficult to build upon existing knowledge. To address this, we execute a Systematic Literature Review focusing on internationalization, SMEs, and personality, with specific attention for deeper-level personality aspects. Our findings reveal a rather young body of literature which uses a behavioral perspective, and can be subdivided into three overarching research themes: Internationalization Behaviors, Internationalization Initiation, and Internationalization Performance. Our thematic analysis and cross-thematic discussion provide a fertile ground for further studies on the entrepreneur’s deeper-level personality aspects in relation to SME internationalization. In the future research section, we recommend the exploration of alternative behavioral theories, and multi-level and holistic approaches to further explore this promising sub-domain.

Management of international business development based on innovative technologies

Introduction. Recent research in the field of international entrepreneurship suggests that the introduction of e-commerce can contribute to further growth for businesses by gaining opportunities to enter new markets and providing access to new customer segments. The purpose of the paper is to consider the possibility of managing the international activities of the enterprise on the basis of innovative technologies. Results. An important stage in the development of the enterprise is the introduction of innovative technologies for the sale of goods on the international market. There are five key areas to enter the international market through global e-commerce. Choosing the right market is an important issue that needs to be researched for the development of international business. When a company conducts its business abroad or enters new markets, the evaluation and selection of tools that can automate any aspect of internationalization will increase the chances of a quick return on investment. Localization of the site is not only the basis for acquiring and building long-term relationships with foreign customers, it is also the basis for expecting success at all levels of enterprise development in the international arena. When entering the international market, you need to determine whether you need to create your own store or use the special services for online sales. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Conclusion. Domestic companies have a huge potential to develop international markets through online technology. Creating your own online store on an international platform will significantly expand the range of consumers and generate significant profits, which in turn will develop the company's international activities. But it is necessary to approach this issue carefully and calculate all possible risks, as not many companies in Ukraine have such experience and it will be difficult to learn from the mistakes of others.

АНАЛИЗ МАСШТАБОВ И СТРУКТУР КИТАЙСКО-РОССИЙСКОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА В СФЕРЕ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСТВА

The article analyzes the trade and economic prerequisites and the state of cooperation between China and Russia in the field of international entrepreneurship. Based on the study of the official statistics of international trade and investment, conclusions are drawn about the trends and structure of trade, economic and investment relations between China and Russia. The analysis of the leading directions, sectors, industries and segments of cooperation between enterprises of China and Russia in the field of international entrepreneurship. Trends in the structure of priority areas of cooperation between countries in the field of international entrepreneurship have been identified. The promising areas of cooperation between China and Russia in the field of international entrepreneurship are highlighted.

The development of international e-commerce in retail SMEs: An effectuation perspective

There is an urgent need in the field of international entrepreneurship to elucidate how SMEs can pursue new opportunities in a digital international business environment. The purpose of this study is to examine, by using effectuation theory, the processes by which retail SMEs develop international e-commerce in foreign markets. This research is based upon qualitative data from three Swedish retail-SMEs. This study makes a theoretical contribution to international entrepreneurship research by providing more granular insights into the actual drivers of e-commerce internationalisation. In particular, this study illustrates how capabilities underlie the processes of international e-commerce development.

How do cultural values influence entrepreneurial behavior of nations? A behavioral reasoning approach

Despite an abundance of research, still there is a gap in understanding the underlying cultural mechanisms behind entrepreneurial behavior of nations in the literature. This study contributes to the debate through a new perspective of analysis based on behavioral reasoning theory (BRT). Specifically, this research analyses the role cultural values play in formation of the reasoning behind entrepreneurial behavior. The data and variables are taken from the GLOBE project and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for a multiple regression analysis spanning from 2007 to 2017 for 50 countries. The results show that, with the exception of Institutional Collectivism, all of GLOBE’s cultural dimensions affect the reasoning justifications behind entrepreneurial intentions in various countries. Thus, the novel contribution of the present research is the application of BRT in explaining entrepreneurial intentions. This contribution is substantial to the international entrepreneurship field through clarification of the role of cultural values in the reasoning processes behind entrepreneurial activities of nations. Some findings are surprising with regard to the conventional understandings. These findings are fully discussed in the concluding sections.

Opportunity-related behaviors in international entrepreneurship research: a multilevel analysis of antecedents, processes, and outcomes

The opportunity has become a central concept in International Entrepreneurship (IE) literature, and there is now a critical mass of literature focused on entrepreneurial behaviors of pursuing opportunities across national borders. However, scholars claim that research on these opportunity-related behaviors should consider a multilevel analysis where the interaction between the contexts, entrepreneurial action, and the opportunities can be clarified. From a multilevel analysis, the present study aims to understand antecedents, processes, and outcomes of opportunity-driven behaviors in the IE field. By conducting a systematic literature review, we analyze studies over the last 30 years (1989–2019). We found that the IE research around opportunities and related behaviors, far from suffering paucity and a weak conceptual basis, is abundant and is broadening its territory and boundaries. This study makes four contributions. First, we extend opportunity-related research in IE literature by considering a multilevel approach that incorporates individual, firm, and environmental aspects. Second, we offer an integrative model that outlines the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of opportunity-driven behaviors. Third, we suggest a definition of the IE field and the opportunity concept that can enrich the international opportunity debate, as well as its theoretical discussion. Fourth, we present theoretical contributions by identifying past advances and directions for future research.

The impact of ecosystem on the speedy internationalisation of born global firms in emerging markets

This study presents the ecosystem of born global firms in emerging markets by combining international entrepreneurship, born global perspective, and the forces contributing to the advancement of competitive capabilities. The qualitative approach through in-person interviews with six born global firms was employed. Thematic coding was performed to facilitate model building required for this study. Findings reveal that triggering facets of push and pull factors, government support initiatives, enabling factors of entrepreneurial characteristics, market orientation, learning orientation and networking strongly contribute to building the competitive capabilities of born global that leads to speedy internationalisation. This study extends the research agenda in the field of international entrepreneurship in emerging markets by presenting the ecosystem comprising seven triggering, supporting, and enabling forces contributing to competitive capabilities that lead to the speed of internationalisation of export-oriented enterprises in emerging markets.

An institution-based view of firms’ early internationalization

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the differential effects of national export promotion policies (EPPs) on firms’ early internationalization using the institution-based view (IBV) as our theoretical foundation. Early or speedy internationalization is an important topic for academics, executives and policy makers. However, the effect of the regulatory dimension of institutions incorporating governmental policies on firms’ early internationalization remains unexplored in the literature.Design/methodology/approachThe study was survey-based and the authors engaged in quantitative analysis using data drawn from the apparel industry in a least-developed country (LDC), i.e. Bangladesh. The authors employed 174 valid questionnaires in the analysis. To test the proposed hypotheses, an ordered-logistic regression modeling technique was used.FindingsThe findings reveal a positive effect of those national policies focusing on market development, guarantee-related and technical support schemes. Two individual elements of direct finance-related assistance, namely, bank loans and cash subsidy are also found to be influential.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature and extends the IBV by establishing that the industry-specific regulatory policies designed by home country governments can play a critical role in international expansion of new ventures from an LDC. In particular, the study established the critical role of national EPPs in driving firms’ early internationalization and thereby, contributing to the international marketing and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Least-developed countries provide different institutional environments for entrepreneurship. They thus provide an atypical context within the field of IE. By incorporating sample firms from an LDC, the authors address the knowledge gap related to those countries. The implications of the authors’ findings for national and enterprise development policies are also considered.

Impact of Digitalization on the Speed of Internationalization

Digitalization combined with globalization is the current megatrend that impacting the international business landscape and creates opportunities for new business models. Embracing digitalization enables firms for speedy internationalization. Although the phenomenon of early internationalization has received increasing attention in the field of International Entrepreneurship over the past decades, however, there is a lack of focus on the role of digitalization that allows a higher speed of internationalization. This paper proposes a model that highlights the moderating role of digitalization on international business competencies and speed of internationalization. We argue that small and medium enterprises able to enter international markets more rapidly due to the impact of digitalization. This study addresses a gap in the literature and practical development needs for better understanding the impact of digitalization on the speed of internationalization. The limitations and implications of this study will be discussed for theoretical development and future research direction.

The qualitative case research in international entrepreneurship: a state of the art and analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how qualitative case research (QCR) has been conducted in the field of international entrepreneurship (IE) in terms of onto-epistemology and methodology. QCR can serve as an umbrella approach for contextualizing and capturing the complexity of IE opportunities, events, conditions and relationships, and to illuminate and enrich the understanding of related IE processes.Design/methodology/approachA thorough literature review was conducted of IE journal articles published between 1989 and mid-2017. This paper identified and analyzed 292 journal articles in terms of theoretical purpose and research design.FindingsThe findings suggest that the “positivistic” QCR is the customary convention of QCR in IE. “Exploratory” and “theory building” are the two most commonly pursued objectives. There have also been atypical practices and increased methodological rigor in recent years. Alternative paradigmatic QCRs that depart from positivistic assumptions are in an early stage of development in IE.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research examining QCR onto-epistemology and methodology approaches in IE, providing a useful state of the art that has been hitherto lacking in the literature. Based on this paper’s findings, the authors suggest that the IE field would benefit from greater methodological transparency in the reporting and writing of QCR. Also, the breadth of knowledge and legitimacy of the IE area would be enhanced through more studies involving unconventional (beyond positivistic) QCR.

Early internationalizing firms: 2004–2018

The literature on early internationalization has evolved rapidly in the last few decades. Firms that achieve early and rapid internationalization have emerged as newcomers in the international arena. Disclosed in the late 1980s, international new ventures and born globals today are well known by academics, practitioners, and policymakers. However, the rapid evolution of literature on this topic has produced a considerable corpus of articles in just a few years, discouraging the realization of iterative and thematic analyses. Existing reviews have analyzed the first decade of research or some peculiar aspects of early internationalizing firms or have been focused on the wider international entrepreneurship domain. This article complements previous studies by reviewing the literature on early internationalizing firms over the years 2004–2018. The authors develop a systematic review of 280 studies investigating born globals, international new ventures, and early internationalizing firms that were published in leading journals in the field of international entrepreneurship. The goals of the review are as follows: to describe the state of the art of the literature on early internationalizing firms, to identify the themes that recurred during this period, and to highlight trends and future research perspectives in the field. As one of the implications, this study aims at serving as a summary and starting point for scholars and practitioners interested in early internationalization phenomenon.

International entrepreneurship: a critical review of the research field

This study provides a comprehensive review of the International Entrepreneurship (IE) literature and analyses its evolution in relation to the criticisms made by previous reviews. For this purpose, 272 articles published in 20 journals indexed in the Journal Citation Report for the 1989-2015 period were analysed in depth. The results reveal that researchers have increasingly worked to address these criticisms. Nevertheless, these efforts have not been sufficient since theoretical difficulties that prevent a better understanding of the IE field continue. Therefore, this study conducts a critical discussion of these difficulties: the disparity between IE definitions, the terminological disparity between rapidly internationalising firms, and the inclusion of studies that compare entrepreneurship at the national level between countries. Finally, to improve understanding and enable further progress in IE research, recommendations and a roadmap for future research are proposed.

International entrepreneurship: a critical review of the research field

This study provides a comprehensive review of the International Entrepreneurship (IE) literature and analyses its evolution in relation to the criticisms made by previous reviews. For this purpose, 272 articles published in 20 journals indexed in the Journal Citation Report for the 1989-2015 period were analysed in depth. The results reveal that researchers have increasingly worked to address these criticisms. Nevertheless, these efforts have not been sufficient since theoretical difficulties that prevent a better understanding of the IE field continue. Therefore, this study conducts a critical discussion of these difficulties: the disparity between IE definitions, the terminological disparity between rapidly internationalising firms, and the inclusion of studies that compare entrepreneurship at the national level between countries. Finally, to improve understanding and enable further progress in IE research, recommendations and a roadmap for future research are proposed.