New IE articles
Entrepreneurship & Regional Development (2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-05580-8
Exploring the nexuses between international entrepreneurship and sustainable development of organizational goals: mediating role of artificial intelligence technologies
Muhammad Khalid Anser, Muhammad Farrukh Shahzad & Shuo Xu
International entrepreneurship is key to creating business value and advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) globally at the crossroads of business acumen, innovative thinking, and the ever-growing reach of technology. This study examines how different factors of international entrepreneurship influence the sustainable development of organizational goals, focusing specifically on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and a global mindset. The young entrepreneurs of China are an important target group for such interventions, as they are technologically savvy and highly interested in sustainable entrepreneurship. A survey will be conducted on 448 young entrepreneurs who started businesses in different sectors. This study uses a questionnaire with structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses and assess the proposed relationships between the variables. The findings of this study reveal that factors of international entrepreneurship, such as entrepreneurial orientation, international market capabilities, and entrepreneurial innovation, significantly impact SDGs. Artificial intelligence technologies mediate the relationship between factors of international entrepreneurship and SDGs. Furthermore, the global mindset significantly moderates the relationship between AI technologies and SDGs. This study underscores the importance of cultivating a global mindset and embracing AI technologies as strategic backgrounds of international entrepreneurship, offering valuable insights for organizations aiming to foster sustainable development in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research (2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40497-026-00525-z
The use of partial least squares structural equation modeling and complementary methods in international entrepreneurship research
Fitouri Mohamed & Samia Karoui Zaouaoui
Research in international entrepreneurship (IE) is inherently complex, spanning cross-border opportunity recognition, international new ventures, born global firms, and the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems across institutional environments (Oviatt & McDougall, 1994; Knight & Cavusgil, 2004; Autio et al., 2011; Reuber et al., 2018). These characteristics demand the application of methodologically sophisticated research designs capable of capturing the multilevel, contextual, and dynamic causal structures that distinguish IE phenomena. This editorial clarifies whether and how researchers using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) can address key challenges in IE research. We explain how researchers can benefit from the advanced capabilities of PLS-SEM—either as a stand-alone method or in triangulation efforts that leverage complementary approaches including qualitative data analyses, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses (QCA), and necessary condition analyses (NCA). We review the IE literature for PLS-SEM applications and identify considerable room for improvement in the application of advanced capabilities and the triangulation of PLS-SEM with asymmetric and necessity-based techniques. Our seven-point research agenda provides a roadmap for bridging the methodological gap in IE research.