Entrepreneurial decision-making in internationalization: Propositions from mid-size firms

Keith J. Perks and Mathew Hughes

International Business Review, 2008, vol. 17, issue 3, 310-330

Abstract: Research into international entrepreneurship tends to focus on new ventures rather than larger established firms. Few studies have considered why an entrepreneurial manager in an established firm is motivated to undertake international market entry. Propositions relating to factors motivating the international market entry decision of entrepreneurial managers in mid-sized firms are created and evaluated through in-depth interviews with entrepreneurial managers. We find contrary to extant theory that cultural context, industry environment and resource constraints do not motivate or hinder an entrepreneurial manager's decision to internationalize. Rather, the entrepreneurial manager's connection with the customer, tacit knowledge and vision and product-service complexity are the strongest influences on the decision to internationalize, which is moderated by the strength of the business case and resource-based risk tolerance. This implies a much greater strategic approach by entrepreneurial managers than typically portrayed in current literature. Our research provides researchers with grounded propositions for further empirical testing.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial; managers; International; entrepreneurship; Market; entry; Opportunity; Risk; tolerance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593107001412
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:iburev:v:17:y:2008:i:3:p:310-330

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... me/133/bibliographic

Access Statistics for this article

International Business Review is currently edited by P. Ghauri

More articles in International Business Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().