New IE Articles – June 2022

Management International Review – Volume 62, pg. 137–168.

Accelerated Internationalization Among Inexperienced Digital Entrepreneurs: Toward a Holistic Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Model. 

Gabrielsson, M., Raatikainen, M. & Julkunen, S.

This study explores accelerated internationalization among inexperienced digital entrepreneurs who lack resources such as prior experience, knowledge, and networks, which previous research regards as prerequisites for such growth. Following an in-depth qualitative research methodology, the findings reveal three theoretical mechanisms through which inexperienced entrepreneurs can make international commitment decisions with regard to the internationalization of their digital firms. The first is a novel mindset-based approach through which an entrepreneur can make an affective commitment to the international stakeholders within a digital community. Entrepreneurs do that by applying pull-based tools in digital communication to build interest among potential network contacts. The second mechanism is a means-based approach following effectuation logic resulting in an effectual form of commitment to international stakeholders in the digital community. The mechanism relies on applying push-based tools for digital communication to facilitate interactions with known network contacts. The third mechanism is continuance commitment to international business that entrepreneurs can foster over time in tandem with accumulated international experiential knowledge. This research provides an entrepreneurial decision-making model that extends effectuation theory and integrates it with extant research. The resulting holistic entrepreneurial decision-making model explains the accelerated internationalization of digital firms.

European Journal of Marketing – Volume 56, Issue 13, pg. 1372-1397.

Exploration, exploitation, ambidexterity and the performance of international SMEs

Su, L., Cui, A.P., Samiee, S. and Zou, S. 

This study aims to examine how international small and medium-sized enterprises (ISMEs) improve adaptive marketing capabilities (AMCs) through exploration, exploitation and ambidexterity (EEA) and thereby increase exporting performance. In addition, the present study attempts to examine conditions under which EEA can more effectively improve AMCs. The theoretical model was tested by using survey data collected from 119 ISMEs based in the U.S. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was deployed to analyze the data. The results show that exploration increases ISMEs’ performance through improving AMCs while ambidexterity reduces ISMEs’ performance through weakening AMCs. However, the negative influence of ambidexterity on AMCs attenuates in a dissimilar host country where ISMEs can conveniently learn new information. Finally, when ISMEs pursue exploitation in an either similar or dissimilar host country, their AMCs do not improve.

International Small Business Journal – Volume 56, Issue 4, pg. 477-506.

The drivers of the post-entry internationalisation commitment of small and medium-sized enterprises

Nadia Zahoor, Yong Kyu Lew

By integrating relational embeddedness in international strategic alliance networks (ISANs) and the dynamic capability perspective, this article presents an examination of the drivers of the post-entry internationalisation commitment of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, we investigated the mediating effect of opportunity-sensing capabilities (OSCs) on the relationship between ISAN relational embeddedness and the post-entry internationalisation commitment of SMEs. We also examined the moderating impact of strategic adaptiveness on the relationship between OSCs and post-entry internationalisation commitment. An analysis of 320 UK-based SMEs, performed using structural equation modelling, revealed that OSCs are an important mechanism through which the ISAN relational embeddedness leads to increased post-entry internationalisation commitment. Furthermore, strategic adaptiveness strengthens the positive relationship between OSCs and post-entry commitment to foreign markets. This article extends the existing SME venturing and internationalisation literature to the domain of SME post-entry internationalisation commitment.