•A model of returnee entrepreneurial firms internationalization is proposed.•We anchor the model theoretically in an entrepreneurial and knowledge-based view.•Returnee entrepreneurs international ...experience nurtures returnee firms market knowledge.•Market knowledge drives returnee firms market commitment and internationalization.•Market knowledge, transferred by the returnees, explains initial international expansion.
This study aims to answer whether and how returnee entrepreneurs’ international experience and returnee entrepreneurial firms’ international market knowledge influence these firms’ internationalization. Anchored in a framework combining an entrepreneurial and knowledge-based view, we develop a model and four hypotheses on the relations between returnee entrepreneurs’ international experience, international market knowledge, international market commitment, and level of internationalization of the returnee entrepreneurial firm. Empirical evidence of the proposed model is derived from a recent sample of Chinese returnee SMEs in knowledge-intensive and high-technology industries. The main finding is that returnee entrepreneurs’ international experience nurtures international market knowledge of returnee entrepreneurial firms, which in turn has a positive effect on these firms’ international market commitment and level of internationalization. In terms of theory, the study extends our understanding of returnee entrepreneurial firms by uncovering the role of returnee entrepreneurs’ international experience and returnee firms’ international market knowledge during their initial and early international expansion.
O tema da internacionalização da educação superior tem ganhado destaque em pesquisas acadêmicas e na prática de gestão universitária desde os anos 1990. No Brasil, muitos setores de relações ...internacionais (SRIs) foram criados ou expandidos em instituições de educação superior (IESs) no início do século XXI. Este artigo busca entender quais as razões das IESs brasileiras para se internacionalizar na perspectiva dos gestores dos SRIs. Para isso, foi elaborado um questionário com base em uma tipologia que aponta seis grupos de razões motivadoras do processo de internacionalização da educação superior: sociais ou culturais; políticas; econômicas; acadêmicas; institucionais e nacionais. A pesquisa contou com a participação de 90 IESs vinculadas à principal associação brasileira de educação internacional, a FAUBAI. Os resultados apontam que as razões motivadoras do processo de internacionalização no conjunto de IESs estudadas são múltiplas, mas são priorizadas as razões acadêmicas, com destaque para a melhoria da qualidade do ensino e da pesquisa.
•We examine the antecedents of early internationalization for small firms based in a small economy.•We focus on entrepreneurs’ attitudes and cognition as main explanatory factors.•Fuzzy set ...qualitative comparative analysis is used to explore configurations.•The results show three configurations of antecedents for early internationalization.
The literature on international business and international entrepreneurship provides multiple explanations for early internationalization. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, this study examines the antecedents of early internationalization for small firms based in a small economy, focusing on entrepreneurs’ attitudes toward the economic opportunities available in their domestic market, the risk of internationalizing, and the profitability of entering foreign markets. Three additional antecedents are examined: unsolicited orders, existence of underutilized capacity, and the behavior of competitors. The study uncovers three distinct combinations of antecedents that are equifinally linked to the early internationalization of small enterprises, and contributes to the literature through a multi-causal, configurational approach.
•We compared the learning processes of four firms that internationalized incrementally and four that internationalized rapidly.•The rapidly internationalizing firms relied mostly on congenital ...learning during the pre-internationalization stage.•Experience was the dominant learning mode during the pre-internationalization phase for incrementally internationalizing firms.•Experiential learning dominated during early and later internationalization phases for both types of firm.Use of learning modes was contingent on resources, thus more systematic approaches were used during the later phase.•Use of learning modes was contingent on resources, thus more systematic approaches were used during the later phase.
How firms learn about foreign markets and internationalization processes is an important theme in the literature on SME internationalization, evidenced by the Uppsala model’s emphasis on experiential learning as an explanation for incremental internationalization, and attempts to explain how early and rapid internationalization can be facilitated by alternative modes of learning, especially congenital learning. Yet, the learning processes used, and the content and source of learning, have not been compared systematically, especially with respect to how these evolve as firms become increasingly internationalized. This paper reports the findings of a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the learning processes, sources and foci of four New Zealand-based SMEs that internationalized incrementally, and four that internationalized rapidly. The findings demonstrate that while experiential learning is important, both incrementally and rapidly internationalizing firms use other learning modes at different stages of their internationalization, and that there are differences in the content and source of learning. Thus, the relationship between internationalization and learning processes may be more complex than the literature currently suggests, inviting further exploration of the multiple ways that SMEs learn, and the contingent factors that might influence this.
The Added Value of Study Abroad Tarrant, Michael A; Rubin, Donald L; Stoner, Lee
Journal of studies in international education,
05/2014, Volume:
18, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Few studies have employed experimental designs adequate for documenting the value added of studying abroad; that is, learning outcomes above and beyond that which may be achieved in domestic or ...traditional campus-based courses. Using a pre-/posttest, two-by-two factor design of course location (study abroad vs. home campus) by course subject matter (sustainability vs. nonsustainability), we found significant highest order interactions for three dependent measures of global citizenry. Results suggest that it is the combination of location (abroad) and academic focus that yields the greatest increases in specified learning outcomes for study abroad. Implications for political agendas, academic initiatives, and research directions are discussed. (HoF/text adopted).
In today's highly competitive global environment, even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to make product and process innovations in order to outperform the competition and satisfy global ...customers. Investigating the success factors of innovation performance has become critical for the survival and competitiveness of SMEs. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the degree of internationalization (DoI) on innovation performance through the mediating factors of market and entrepreneurial orientation in the context of emerging-market SMEs. We tested our model and hypotheses with 235 SMEs in the United Arab Emirates, which is an emerging market. The results obtained from partial least squares estimates indicate that the degree of internationalization positively affects innovation performance and, more importantly, that this relationship is indirect and fully mediated by market and entrepreneurial orientation for SMEs. These results shed light on the mechanism of the effect of DoI on innovation performance in the emerging-market SME context.
•This is the first study that analyze the link between internationalization and innovation performance through mediators.•A theoretical model is developed where MO and EO act as mediating factors between internationalization and innovation performance.•The proposed model is tested with a sample of 235 SMEs in the United Arab Emirates.•The findings of the study show that the influence of internationalization on innovation is indirect and fully mediated by market and entrepreneurial orientation.•This model has been tested in an under researched context which is emerging-market SMEs.
This study empirically examines the relationships among CEOs’ dark triad personality (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism), ambidexterity, and firms’ internationalization behavior. Dark ...triad personality traits have attracted growing attention in the fields of psychology and organizational behavior due to their influence on individual decision-making, particularly by individuals in executive leadership roles. We extend research on dark triad personality to international business (IB) and examine the link between IB decision-makers’ personality traits and firms’ IB outcomes. Our research highlights the complex dynamics shaping firm internationalization, with both the CEO’s dark triad personality and ambidexterity playing significant roles in driving firm internationalization outcomes. An analysis of 405 firms from the United Kingdom and the United States reveals that ambidexterity partially mediates the relationship between dark triad personality and the degree of internationalization and that firms pursuing internationalization may benefit from CEOs with a dark triad personality.
•CEO's Dark Triad (DT) personality linked to firm internationalization.•Integration of Upper Echelon Theory and Dynamic Capabilities View.•Synergistic effects of dark triad traits on strategic preferences.•DT CEOs utilizing ambidexterity experience high internationalization.•CEO's DT personality predicts ambidextrous activities in small firms.
Competing theories explain the timing of internationalization and its implications. In this study, we propose that the timing stems from complex combinations of drivers, and provide a typology of ...strategic types of internationalization in relation to these drivers: entrepreneurial, serendipitous, and strategic internationalization. We discuss how these strategic types affect the subsequent outcomes of internationalization. Strategic internationalizers choose markets and entry modes using economic rationale, often becoming multinational enterprises. Entrepreneurial internationalizers expand in ways that mirror entrepreneurial features, which may lead them to become multinationals, change business models, or continue expanding within their region. Serendipitous internationalizers may not be ready for international expansion, and may de-internationalize after an initial spurt, or continue a learning process and grow as exporters. We study the internationalization strategy of information technology exporters from Costa Rica.
Sharing economy firms have been able to achieve global levels of success at an unprecedented pace. In this study, we focus specifically on internet-based firms that allow rent appropriation from ...temporary utilization of underutilized assets. By looking at these firms' main characteristics and the current dynamics revolving around their internationalization process, we develop a framework to guide future research drawing from a business ecosystems perspective. The business ecosystem approach is a promising theoretical lens to assess this phenomenon due to its more holistic view of multisided network effects and multiple stakeholders' participation that can vary across nations. We note that the sharing economy phenomenon has spurred worldwide adoption of platform businesses which, in turn, creates a great opportunity for future research to extend current theories by exploring why, when, and how these firms expand into new countries. We argue that further research on sharing economy firms and its interactions with different national ecosystem configurations can provide important insights to theory as well as relevant information to managers and policymakers.
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