Md Imtiaz Mostafiz, University of Leicester
1. What are your key areas of research?
My key research areas encompass several aspects of international business, entrepreneurship, and strategic management. These include research on entrepreneurial behaviour in early internationalizing businesses, focusing on how nascent firms engage in international markets and the decisions that drive early international expansion. I also concentrate on firm-level and individual-level dynamic capabilities essential for adapting to rapidly changing international environments, including how these capabilities are cultivated and leveraged for competitive advantage. My research also focuses on the cognitive processes and mental models that influence decision-making and strategic thinking among international entrepreneurs. I also worked in the area of innovation and creative processes within entrepreneurial ventures, particularly how these elements contribute to business success in international markets, as well as analyzing how knowledge is created and shared as a part of open innovation within an ecosystem.
2. What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on entrepreneurial imaginativeness and creativity at the team level, examining the dynamics of team interactions and collective imaginative processes. I am also exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, aiming to understand how AI technologies can influence entrepreneurial behaviours through a configurational approach to analyze patterns and outcomes. Additionally, I am leading two special issues calls for papers dedicated to AI: one in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship Behavior and Research and another in Industrial Marketing Management.
3. What are a few of your personal hobbies?
I have a keen interest in documentary films and biographical movies. Some of my recent favourites include the documentary series on the Ottoman Empire and the Roman Empire, which explores the dynamics and rise and fall of one of history’s most powerful empires. I also enjoy biographical movies such as The Theory of Everything, a film about the life of physicist Stephen Hawking, and The Man Who Knew Infinity, the story of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
4. What advice would you give to someone new to IE research?
For those who are new to IE research, some suggestions, first, consider international entrepreneurship as a discipline rather than merely a research context to appreciate its unique theoretical and practical contributions. Identify and follow the work of leading scholars in the field to understand their research trajectories and contributions, which can provide valuable guidance and inspiration for your work. Select a niche area within IE and strive to conduct meaningful, impactful research, as this focused approach can help you build expertise and contribute to the field significantly. Lastly, embrace diversity by assembling diverse research teams, as the inherently diverse nature of international entrepreneurship benefits from varied perspectives and backgrounds, enriching your research and leading to meaningful implications.