Field Of International Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Micro-multinational or not? International entrepreneurship, networking and learning effects

Micro-multinational enterprises (mMNEs) represent a new breed of smaller firms in the field of international entrepreneurship. This study investigates the effects of the three sets of variables, namely international entrepreneurship (which encompasses innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking propensity), networking and learning on the probability that a firm will become a MNE. Drawing upon a survey of the activities of 116 Chilean internationalized small- and medium-sized firms and utilizing a logistic regression analysis, this study suggests that risk-taking propensity and networking with domestic and international partners increase the likelihood that the firm will become a mMNE. Our findings confirm the predictive validity of the international entrepreneurship and networking perspectives. Because of the positive association between mMNEs and international performance, the suggestions for management of internationalized firms are to nurture a risk-taking propensity and cultivate a networking orientation.

The Concept of International Opportunity in International Entrepreneurship: A Review and a Research Agenda

Recent research in the field of international entrepreneurship (IE) has emphasized the concept of international opportunity. The entrepreneurial behaviors focused on international opportunities have been found to be critical in IE. International opportunities, however, are often depicted in rather abstract and unspecified ways, and the research suffers from narrow theoretical discussion in relation to the concept of opportunity. To address these issues, the authors draw from entrepreneurship research and present alternative conceptualizations of opportunities as a basis for more in‐depth study of international opportunities in IE. To further articulate a future research agenda, the authors review the state of knowledge on opportunities in the IE field by content‐analyzing articles published between 1989 and 2012. All the analyzed articles incorporate the concept of opportunity into their studies. It is found that, although the IE research has investigated many relevant elements, it is rather limited in the articulation of the conceptual features of international opportunities and opportunity‐focused behaviors. Building on these observations, the authors propose a definition of international opportunity and research questions and strategies to advance IE research on international opportunities.

On the Frontiers: The Implications of Social Entrepreneurship for International Entrepreneurship

We explore how social entrepreneurship (SE) research extends the field of International Entrepreneurship (IE) to affect global sustainable well-being. Well-being is a multidimensional concept that includes financial, social and environmental wealth creation. Much of IE research thus far has been based primarily on assumptions of economic opportunity recognition, evaluation and exploitation. We use the SE perspectives of blended value and international governance to revise the definition, assumptions and boundaries of IE at the firm and international policy levels. We propose a broader vision for the IE field based on an expanded set of assumptions beyond traditional economic thinking.

Research fronts of international entrepreneurship education in the visual threshold of knowmetrics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct qualitative research for research fronts of international entrepreneurship education, based on quantitative analysis for visualization mapping in a new research perspective, to make a study platform in the field of international entrepreneurship education.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 2,000 bibliographic data in the field of international entrepreneurship education were retrieved from Science Citation Index‐Expanded (SCI‐E) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), which are Journal Citation Index databases in Web of Science (WOS), for the period 1945 to 2010. Having combined quantitative analysis with qualitative thinking, the international emerging CiteSpace software and visualization method were adopted for processing bibliographic data and drawing knowledge mapping.Findings – The authors conclude that for more than half a century, the research fronts of international entrepreneurship education have focused on Holland theory; entrepreneurial s...

International New Ventures' Internationalisation Strategies: A Configuration Approach

International new ventures (INVs) and born globals, companies that internationalise from inception, have existed for centuries, but they gained popularity only about 20 years ago. Since then the international entrepreneurship field has been well developed from the entrepreneurship and international marketing perspectives, but the strategic management perspective still lacks attention. Our work develops a framework for the INV internationalisation strategy formulation using existent international entrepreneurship and international business models. We conduct a phenomenological study employing a qualitative multiple case study research method. We sample 12 INVs from the Baltic States to test the framework and identify 4 viable INV internationalisation strategy configurations. Then we detect a link between business models, which we proxy by universal internationalisation goals, and INVs' internationalisation strategy configurations. The INVs that employ simpler business models and internationalise only to increase sales choose limited geographical scope and easier to implement strategy configurations, namely export start-ups and geographically focused start-ups. More complex business models that require internationalisation to survive impose more demanding global strategies – multinational traders or global start-ups. The framework employs a configuration approach, but is prescriptive in nature and is practically applicable in the INV's strategy formulation process to help founders develop and formalise cohesive viable international strategies.

Entrepreneurial Orientation: Reviewing Three Papers and Implications for Further Theoretical and Methodological Development

We evaluate the contributions to entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in three articles: Wales, Monsen, and McKelvie; Wiklund and Shepherd; and Morris, Webb, and Franklin, commenting on key findings and their implications for further development of EO. We outline the potential for a multiplicative construct of EO and future directions for research in the field of international entrepreneurship: cross–border internationalizing firms and comparative studies.

Intention as a cognitive antecedent to international entrepreneurship—understanding the moderating roles of knowledge and experience

While International Entrepreneurship has attracted scholars’ attention during the last two decades, the impact cognitive aspects exert has been studied on cursory level only. The purpose of this paper was to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to the very field of International Entrepreneurship in order to examine whether this theory contributes to clarify what influences Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SME) decision-makers’ intention—an important cognitive antecedent to behavior—to play an active part in internationalization. In particular, it had to be clarified whether or not International Entrepreneurship—due to its contextual specificities—deserves to be extended by further elements, i.e. experience and knowledge. Based on more than 100 responses from German SME executives, the study yielded several interesting results. First, TPB indeed helps explain how intentions to actively participate in international business are built. Second, an extension of the theory’s basic model seems to make sense, probably due to the specificities of international entrepreneurial behavior. As for the extensions, direct and moderating effects have been observed. Furthermore, cognitive elements seem to be key entrepreneurial resources which serve as sort of enablers. From these results several conclusions can be drawn. Cognitive aspects are a promising starting point for understanding decision-making in SME. Thus, the intersection of international entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial cognition deserves further attention—several examples for possible future studies are presented. Policies supporting SME should be extended: pure resource-based approaches seem to be insufficient. Furthermore, entrepreneurship courses and curricula should reflect the relevance of cognitive aspects.

Entrepreneurship training for new ventures

Several studies in the field of international entrepreneurship have indicated the inadequacy of public policy support for new ventures and called for more tailored training programs. This paper introduces a training program created for new ventures in Central Finland and analyzes its benefits and shortcomings using a qualitative case study. The findings reveal that the training program provided useful knowledge on how to develop a business further and how to make it understandable and attractive to a funder. However, the findings also indicate that there is a need for cultural adaptation: the training program developed originally for U.S. new ventures was not fully adapted for the needs of Finnish entrepreneurs. The program mainly focused on risk taking, raising funds from capital markets in the U.S., and entering into the U.S market soon after the establishment. This was in contrast to the Finnish entrepreneurs’ strategies: they preferred to grow their business in a more controlled and profitable manner. Thus, although knowledge-intensive new ventures operate in global environments, the training provided for them should take into account the cultural differences and the local way of doing business.

The Past and the Future of International Entrepreneurship: A Review and Suggestions for Developing the Field

In this article, the authors analyze the field of international entrepreneurship (IE), which is in desperate need of further theory development. They study the field of IE since its inception by offering a comprehensive review of 179 articles on IE published in 16 journals over 14 years, covering the academic disciplines of strategic management, international business, entrepreneurship, and technology and innovation management. From a systematic content analysis of this literature, the authors develop an organizing framework to analyze the field's current status. On the basis of this analysis, the authors can identify theoretical inconsistencies, conflicting predictions, and knowledge gaps that all forestall the further development of IE research. They then develop directions for future research that can help to overcome these obstacles and promote future theory development.

Entrepreneurship in an international context: expanding the concept

The traditional literature on International Entrepreneurship (IE) focuses on the phenomenon of international firm formation and on the process of adjustment of the international firm to its environment. This view is not comprehensive and does not treat extensively the barriers to IE and the possible remedial policies to counter them. This article addresses these issues, taking into account the inevitable limits encountered in such an endeavour. This research is an initial attempt at integrating the public policy discipline into the already interdisciplinary field of IE.

International entrepreneurship: research priorities for the future

An interactive Delphi process was employed to synthesise the opinions of a panel of experts on the research priorities for the emerging field of International Entrepreneurship (IE). The content analysis of the results identifies broad directions for future research in the field. Moreover, the compilation of the recommendations received from the panelists provides a wealth of ideas and guidelines for specific research projects.

“A roasted duck can still fly away”: A case study of technology, nationality, culture and the rapid and early internationalization of the firm

The possession of key international technical standards in some technology-based sectors can provide considerable advantages for firms wishing to internationalize rapidly and early. Avaro, a start-up Korean company, developed and owned a critical standard in the emerging international mobile payments industry. The company also enjoyed many of the other conditions conducive to successful internationalization, such as supportive international networks, encouraging government policy, attractive international market and financing opportunities and a munificent national technological and business home base. Yet the company's efforts at rapid and early internationalization failed. A multiplicity of factors explains how, despite its advantages, the company did not internationalize successfully. The paper highlights the importance of specific national and cultural factors constraining rapid and early internationalization. It argues that the nascent research field of international entrepreneurship has fully to account for the particular characteristics of technology products and markets, national business systems, and enduring cultural influences as it develops theoretical understanding of, and guides management practices in, emerging global technology markets.

The effects of entrepreneurial proclivity and foreign market knowledge on early internationalization

Recent international entrepreneurship literature suggests an apparent tension in regard to the role of foreign market knowledge between the process models of internationalization and the early internationalization of born-global firms. From an entrepreneurial learning perspective, we argue that the tension can be resolved by understanding the source of the knowledge. For early internationalizing firms, foreign market knowledge tends to emanate from the innovative and proactive pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities across national borders, rather than from incremental accumulation of experience in foreign markets. Using survey data from young international entrepreneurial firms in mainland China, we test and support a mediating mechanism of foreign market knowledge as it relates to the pace and performance of early internationalization. This study contributes to the theoretical development in the emergent field of international entrepreneurship.

Opportunities for marketing researchers in international entrepreneurship

PurposeEntrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon in world markets. In response, the past two decades have seen increasing attention given to research and theory development in the area of international entrepreneurship. However, contributions from marketing scholars have been minimal. The purpose of this paper is to define the emerging research field of international entrepreneurship and to explore opportunities for contribution to that field from marketing scholars.Design/methodology/approachAn overview of the field of entrepreneurship highlights the central notions of opportunity, human action, learning, and creativity and innovation. To this is added value exchange, a core focus of marketing theory. These concepts are then used to define international entrepreneurship and highlight opportunities for marketing researchers.FindingsThere is considerable scope for marketing academics to contribute to the nascent field of international entrepreneurship which would, in turn, advance marketing theory.Originality/valueThe paper encourages scholars in marketing to join with colleagues from other disciplines and countries to add to these international resources.

Internationalisation: conceptualising an entrepreneurial process of behaviour in time

This paper presents a three-stage process of conceptual development in response to the call for a unifying direction for research in the emergent field of international entrepreneurship. Drawing on classic approaches to internationalisation, and importing insight from entrepreneurship as a separate and distinct field of study, the paper develops three potential models of internationalisation as a time-based process of entrepreneurial behaviour. The models evolve from the simple through general to precise levels of conceptualisation. Research implications are discussed.

Micromultinationals: Some Preliminary Evidence on an Emergent ?Star? of the International Entrepreneurship Field

This paper provides some preliminary evidence on the behaviour of the micromultinational, an emergent player in the international entrepreneurship field. Using survey data from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, it found that mMNEs originate from a mixture of high and low technology sectors and employ Foreign Direct Investment as well as international contractual approaches in servicing their foreign target markets. It also concluded that micromultinationals’ overseas market selection decisions were mainly influenced by market- and knowledge-seeking factors rather than considerations of psychic proximity. The implications of these summary findings for policy, theory and future research are discussed in the paper.

The phenomenon of early internationalizing firms: what do we know after a decade (1993–2003) of scientific inquiry?

With a view to increasing knowledge within the emergent field of international entrepreneurship, we examine 38 studies from the last decade that deal with international new ventures, global start-ups and born-global firms. The methodology used for this synthetic review allow us to analyze a large number of recent, purposefully chosen studies that are compared along the following criteria: (1) main objective and type of research; (2) theoretical framework/s of reference; (3) methodological issues and (4) main findings and/or conclusions. We seek to elucidate the most relevant benefits and contributions as well as potential drawbacks, limitations or major discrepancies found in the research activities conducted to date. Finally, some suggestions and implications are provided in the form of a new research model and future research directions.

Methodological issues in international entrepreneurship research

Empirical research in the emerging field of international entrepreneurship (IE) is assessed to provide insight as to the ‘state of the art’ of IE methodologies. Fifty-five articles were systematically analyzed focusing on time frame and research context, sample characteristics, data collection/analysis procedures, and equivalence issues. Results indicate both strengths and weaknesses in IE methods. The authors present implications for developing a unifying methodological direction in the field and the evolution of a truly multidisciplinary approach. They also outline the need for dynamic research designs that integrate positivist with interpretivist methodologies and incorporate time as a key dimension. Finally, they discuss the need for better IE sampling frames and call for more effort in establishing and reporting equivalence in cross-national studies.

The Knowledge Network of International Entrepreneurship: Theory and Evidence

The knowledge network associated with the young and emerging field of International Entrepreneurship is defined through a Bolean search progression of key words on the SSCI data bases from 1992 to 2000. The knowledge network of an applied field portrays, and usually follows, the actual developmental path of its corresponding field. Some 287 articles document the early emergence of International Entrepreneureship as a field of scholarly inquiry. When a field is young and in need of theoretical foundations, the knowledge networks of other fields may provide for those early needs. This is the case of International Entrepreneurship. The rich theoretical foundations of the two fields of International Business and Entrepreneureship, among others, have nourished and accelerated the internationalization process of entrepreneurship. A detailed analysis of 7,651 citations contained in the contributions of the 287 documents reported here traces International Entrepreneurship's rich, yet young, developmental path. This analysis reveals a wealth of information, for example the lists of highly-cited books, articles, authors and their affiliated institutions presented here.