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This study is motivated by the need to improve the understanding of international entrepreneurship (IE) in emerging economies. Thus, the researcher conducted an in-depth case study of four Nigerian firms to investigate how divergent institutional conditions influence the processes of IE from emerging economies to developed economies. The findings of the study depict how entrepreneurial activity from emerging economies to developed economies can involve many sub-activities and processes to achieve opportunity identification, development, and exploitation. This process which appears disruptive is significantly supported through resource acquisition and development. However, this process of IE is heavily shaped by the institutional conditions of the international entrepreneur’s host and home markets. The institutional environment impeded growth and entrepreneurial aspirations while simultaneously facilitating access to resources, reducing risks and providing legitimacy to the firms. These simultaneous effects of institutions constrained strategic choices of the entrepreneurs and by so doing, shaped the means and processes by which they identify and execute international opportunities. The major contributions of this thesis include the validation of New Institutional Economics (NIE) framework for the examination of IE processes and empirical evidence demonstrating how entrepreneurial activity from emerging economies to developed economies can involve many sub-activities and processes to achieve opportunity identification, development, and exploitation. Also, the study guides emerging economy managers and entrepreneurs on ways to effectively manage their liabilities of smallness and foreignness. Lastly, the study provides some policy recommendations to facilitate the development of a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and IE to flourish in Nigeria.

Research in the international management literature has traditionally studied internationalization processes from an exploitation perspective. This exploitation-focused argument demonstrates an incremental process of international expansion with the internationalization of mature multinational corporations (MNCs). However, the situation is different for international new ventures, which may not have sufficient resources and economies of scale in their domestic countries before starting operations in other countries. After initial internationalization at a young age, international new ventures might choose to go to similar foreign markets to leverage and exploit existing knowledge for growth or they might continue experimenting with less related foreign markets. In this study, I propose that international new ventures benefit from using an ambidextrous strategy for long-term performance employing both exploitation and exploration. I use both traditional international management literature and international entrepreneur studies to develop the concept of international ambidexterity. I argue that new ventures are able to develop such a capability, defined as the capability to successfully balance international exploitation and exploration activities. This capability is founded on new ventures' initial activities but needs to be further developed and refined through international operations with both incremental and radical approaches. I also propose that the relationship between international ambidexterity and new venture growth is positively moderated by these firms' subsequent activities to explore technological knowledge. In order to theoretically develop and empirically test the concept of the international ambidexterity, I introduce arguments that support certain antecedents to developing this capability. Results from my analyses show that the benefits associated with international exploration through early internationalization are realized when a firm continues further commitment to exploitation capabilities so they can accomplish ambidexterity learning from narrower scope of international expansion. Additionally, domestic alliances and foreign alliances show significant relationships with new venture's international exploration. Therefore, inter-organizational learning can link to the social capital and network perspectives in international entrepreneurship research; mimetic learning can help investigating the social aspects of international entrepreneurship studies. Further, new ventures should be encouraged to build inter-organizational networks, domestically and internationally to pursue their growth. / Ph. D.

No / In most countries, statistics show that 99% of businesses are classified as ?small businesses?. In the UK alone, 99.8% of businesses employ less than 250 staff and these companies contribute more than a half of the UK's turnover. This new textbook goes where other strategic management texts have not and focuses on these small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), rather than focussing on large corporations and the actions of their CEOs. The authors consider how managers of small firms perceive the processes associated with strategic management, what decisions and actions they adopt to ensure competitive advantage, how business strategies are formulated and implemented in SMEs, and what the strategic role of entrepreneurship within small businesses is. They also discuss how SMEs should act for maximum competitive advantage, and consider the ?gap? between ideal theory and practice. This unique textbook will be essential for students on Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise modules at undergraduate and Masters level, and will also be useful on core modules in Strategy, Business Policy and Strategic Management at all levels.

No / This paper investigates the international entrepreneurial behaviour of Mittelstand firms (German small and medium sized enterprises). Analysis of a survey of the international marketing strategies of Mittelstand firms revealed three clusters of firms, two that had below and one above average international activities. None of the clusters displayed born global type of internationalisation processes. However, this does not mean that they adopt passive approaches to internationalisation. The results suggest that Mittelstand firms engage in entrepreneurial behaviour that is proactive and innovative but which is cautious, sequential, and risk adverse. The implications of this analysis for future research in the area of international entrepreneurship are considered.

How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) compete over time within international networks? This thesis takes a stance in that business network relationships are essential for international SMEs as such networks can provide knowledge and learning opportunities. International network competitiveness is, in this thesis, introduced as a concept that captures SMEs long term performance, resulting from the firms being competitive within international business networks. This thesis thereafter proposes that an analytical framework of International network competitiveness, can promote the study of SMEs' long term performance within international networks. The thesis subsequently acknowledges that SMEs frequently need to develop a combination of technical- and foregin market knowledge so as to stay competitive within international networks. In fact, technical knowledge development is central for an increasingly wider selection of firms, not only high tech firms. By investigating the function of co-innovation (innovation together with network partners), for the proposed components of international network competitiveness, the thesis demonstrate that innovation has intriguing and central functions for the international network competitiveness of SMEs. / <p>Diss. Stockholm :  Stockholm School of Economics, 2014. Introduction together with 4 articles. At the time of the disputation the articles had the status accepted</p>

We have all read about the rapid development of today’s business landscape as well as the increase in globalization. Companies are forced to operate in new ways in order to stay competitive. At the same time, globalization has opened up new business opportunities for companies. This has lead to the emergence of born global companies, which carry out rapid internationalization processes from an early stage, and challenge traditional internationalization models such as the Uppsala model. According to existing literature, there are several challenges with adopting a born global strategy, and international entrepreneurship orientation becomes an important aspect in order to succeed. Finding a balance between innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness is the key in order for born global companies to succeed in their internationalization process. This study investigates how international entrepreneurship orientation affects the internationalization process of born global companies in Sweden. I have, with the help of a qualitative study, looked into how Swedish SME born global companies in the ear-and headphone industry have managed to take on several international markets in their internationalization process and in what way international entrepreneurship orientation in combination with other factors have played a crucial role. / Vi har alla läst om den snabba utvecklingen av dagens affärslandskap samt den ökade globaliseringen. Företag tvingas idag att hitta nya sätt att arbeta på för att förbli konkurrenskraftiga. Globalisering har i sin tur skapat nya möjligheter för företag, vilket har lett till uppkomsten av born global-företag. Dessa företag karaktäriseras av att genomföra snabba internationaliseringsprocesser från ett tidigt skede och utmanar på så sätt mer traditionella modeller så som Uppsalamodellen. Enligt existerande litteratur finns det ett flertal utmaningar när det kommer till att ta sig an en born global-strategi och internationell entreprenörskapsorientering blir därmed en viktig aspekt för att lyckas. Att hitta en balans mellan innovativitet, proaktivitet och risktagande är nyckeln för att ett born globalföretag ska lyckas i sin internationaliseringsprocess. Den här studien undersöker hur internationell entreprenörskapsorientering påverkar internationaliseringsprocessen hos born global-företag i Sverige. Jag har med hjälp av en kvalitativ studie undersökt hur svenska SME born global-företag inom hörlursbranschen har lyckats ta sig an flera internationella marknader i deras internationaliseringsprocess och på vilket sätt internationell entreprenörskapsorientering i kombination med andra faktorer har haft en kritisk roll i processen.

Background and Problem: The number of companies aiming at operating in the international markets right after their inception is at constant growth.  According to Knight and Cavusgil (2004), these firms, which are quite often small and technology-oriented, have the tendency to adopt a global market vision from the initial stage of company’s establishment. The vast and rapid technological change is one crucial reason behind the spread of the born global phenomenon. Born globals can reach out much earlier and faster to the international market than traditional firms. The phenomenon has been studied earlier, however with a focus on the firm-level drivers of early and rapid internationalization without giving enough importance to the role of the entrepreneur.    Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to understand the early and rapid internationalization process of born global firms based on the characteristics and the behavior of the entrepreneur managing the firm.  In addition, the research team will contribute to the existing born global literature by applying existing models from the International Business and International Entrepreneurship disciplines.   Methodology: In order to answer the research question presented in this thesis, a qualitative research approach was chosen. The research team included 5 Swedish born global Internet–based companies, namely Klarna, Sqore, the Local, Asket and 46elks.   Analysis and conclusion:  Our findings concluded that the entrepreneurs of born global firms play a significant role in the early and rapid internationalization of the firm. The entrepreneurs tend to subconsciously use effectuation logic at the early stages of the firm establishment by possessing traits of an entrepreneur such as innovativeness, proactivity and risk-taking behavior. Furthermore the educational background and prior work experience were found to be of equal importance, however international experience and entrepreneurial background were observed to be of an utmost importance. Social and business networks were also noticed to play a significant role in the early stages of a firm. Finally, it was spotted that the entrepreneurs tend to change their effectuation logic to a causation one at later stages of firm development including its expansion to international markets.

The notion of International New Ventures, or INVs, emerged in academia in the early-to-mid 1990s and generally refers to entrepreneurial firms that tend to internationalize very early in their life-cycle, and whose expansion into foreign markets occurs much more quickly than predicted by earlier theories of the incremental internationalization process. Previous literature proposes effective networking with market partners and, more recently, internationally viable business model among key distinguishing features of INVs that allow for such early and rapid entry into international markets. Nevertheless, little is yet known regarding how these younger firms develop over time and how they could sustain international growth. With the purpose of filling this gap, this doctoral dissertation scrutinizes business models and business model innovation of INVs beyond their early internationalization, with a particular emphasis on INVs’ external relationships configurations.   The dissertation consists of four self-contained essays that represent a methodological mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches and incorporate longitudinal case studies, surveys and register-based data encompassing nine years of Swedish INVs’ development. The findings highlight the importance of the business model as an initial market entry tool, and of business model innovation as a potential growth vehicle over time. Findings also display that INVs work with a broader range of external partners compared to other firms for innovative purposes, and that INVs have different business model innovation patterns compared to other types of internationalized firms. Moreover, INVs focus more heavily on value capture innovations in their business models as they mature and seek to obtain a more centralized position in their industry ecosystem by re-configuring the parameters of existing external relationships or developing new ones.   Overall, this dissertation contributes to the international entrepreneurship and business model literature by explicating how maturing INVs need to operate under different business model configurations as compared to emerging INVs, as the original business model might lack scalability after a certain point in time. Furthermore, the dissertation suggests how INVs can pursue a dynamic business model approach and utilize dynamic capabilities to design business models that put the focal firm more in control of the surrounding ecosystem, and reduce constraints that can limit the value capturing potential and thus the growth and development of INVs.

[pt] O presente estudo tem como objetivo central investigar o processo de reconhecimento de oportunidades no exterior por pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras. Este estudo se caracteriza como uma pesquisa longitudinal, que busca entender o fenômeno investigado a partir da perspectiva de processos. As teorias existentes em Negócios Internacionais assumem implicitamente que a internacionalização das firmas é precedida pelo processo de formação de oportunidades, mas apresentam pouca explicação sobre este processo, independentemente de as oportunidades serem criadas ativamente, descobertas aleatoriamente ou por meio de pesquisas Na literatura de empreendedorismo, apesar do crescente interesse pelo estudo de oportunidades, não foi encontrado nenhum modelo que descrevesse o processo de formação de oportunidades como um processo efetivamente. No campo de Empreendedorismo Internacional (EI) pouca atenção parece ter sido dispensada ao processo de reconhecimento de oportunidades internacionais desde que este subtema emergiu na literatura. Uma vez que EI deve integrar tanto as perspectivas teóricas de Negócios Internacionais quanto de Empreendedorismo, a revisão de literatura se divide em duas partes. A primeira apresenta a discussão ontológica sobre a natureza e formação das oportunidades empreendedoras, bem como o posicionamento teórico adotado. Na segunda parte busca-se identificar os fatores e os mecanismos pelos quais estes influenciariam o reconhecimento de oportunidades internacionais. O presente trabalho adotou a perspectiva teórica de Effectuation, uma vez que esta teoria, originária do campo do empreendedorismo, adota a lente de processos sobre a ação empreendedora e privilegia a lógica de controle sobre a lógica de previsão para as decisões estratégicas da firma em contextos de incerteza. De fato a teoria de Effectuation é adequada como embasamento para as teorias de internacionalização dado que a decisão de se internacionalizar é usualmente modelada como um processo e não uma decisão estratégica deliberada e orientada por metas em determinado momento do tempo. A seguinte pergunta orientou o estudo: Como empresas de porte pequeno e médio reconhecem oportunidades no mercado internacional? Observa-se que a pergunta endereçada neste trabalho busca entender como o fenômeno, reconhecimento de oportunidades internacionais, emerge, se desenvolve, cresce ou termina ao longo do tempo. Dessa forma, a perspectiva de processo parece ser a mais adequada para responder a pergunta de pesquisa. Assim sendo, conduziram-se dois estudos de casos longitudinais em empresas em fase de reconhecimento de oportunidades internacionais. Como método de coleta de dados adotou-se a observação em tempo real na qual as duas empresas foram acompanhadas por aproximadamente dois anos. A abordagem longitudinal em tempo real permitiu acompanhar os processos internos das organizações por tempo suficiente para observar como os empreendedores enxergam problemas e oportunidades no mercado externo e como reagem a eles. Os resultados permitiram traçar a evolução do processo de reconhecimento de tais empresas, identificando etapas e eventos importantes. Também foram identificados os fatores e os mecanismos que contribuíram para o reconhecimento das oportunidades no mercado internacional, sendo confrontados com a literatura sobre o tema. Por fim, os resultados obtidos adicionam conhecimento tanto sobre a internacionalização de empresas quanto para o campo do Empreendedorismo Internacional. / [en] The present study has as main objective to investigate the process of recognition of international opportunities by small and medium Brazilian firms. This study is characterized as a longitudinal research, which seeks to understand the phenomenon investigated from the perspective of processes. Existing theories in International Business implicitly assume that the internationalization of firms is preceded by the process of opportunity formation, but presents little explanation of this process, whether opportunities are actively created, discovered randomly or through research. In the entrepreneurship literature, despite the growing interest in the study of opportunities, no model was found that described the process of opportunity formation as a process effectively. In the field of International Entrepreneurship (IE) little attention seems to have been dispensed with the process of recognizing international opportunities since this theme emerged. Since IE sould integrate both the theoretical perspectives of International Business and Entrepreneurship, the literature review is organized into two parts. The first presents the ontological discussion about the nature and the formation of entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as the theoretical positioning adopted. The second part seeks to identify the factors and mechanisms by which these would influence the recognition of international opportunities. The present work adopted the theoretical perspective of Effectuation, since this theory, originating in the field of entrepreneurship, adopts the lens of processes on the entrepreneurial action and privileges the logic of control over the forecasting logic for the strategic decisions of the firm in contexts of uncertainty. In fact, Effectuation theory is adequate as a basis for internationalization theories given that the decision to internationalize is usually modeled as a process rather than a deliberate and goal-oriented strategic decision at a given point in time. The following question guided the study: How do small and medium sized companies recognize opportunities in the international market? The question addressed in this paper seeks to understand how the phenomenon, recognition of international opportunities, emerges, develops, grows or ends over time. In this way, the process perspective seems to be the most adequate to answer the research. Thus, two longitudinal case studies were conducted in companies that are recognizing international opportunities. As a method of data collection, real-time observation was used in which the two companies were monitored for approximately two years. The longitudinal real-time approach has allowed tracking the internal processes of organizations long enough to observe how entrepreneurs see problems and opportunities in the external market and how they react to them. The results allowed the observation of the evolution of the process of recognition of such companies, identifying important steps and events. The factors and mechanisms that contributed to the recognition of opportunities in the international market were also identified, being confronted with the literature on the subject. Finally, the results obtained add knowledge both to International Bussines and to the field of International Entrepreneurship.