The traditional theories developed by Johanson and Vahlne (1977, 1990) and other researchers ofinternationalisation have long been questioned because of the fast-changing environment and deregulations. In particular, for Born Global firms, namely a company that has achieved a foreign sales volume of at least 25% within three years of its inception and that seeks to derive significant competitive advantage from the use of resources and the sales of outputs in multiple countries (Andersson and Wictor, 2003, p. 254), itis a question of surviving by establishing in many markets in a short period of time.This thesis summarises five papers. Paper 1 showed that the CEO´s perception and the fast changing environment push small firms to internationalise and that younger CEOs have an important role in expanding the firm. This is often because of their experiences accumulated inthe organisation over time or because the entrepreneur has been exposed to the international arena and information technologies, which can explain why some small firms continue to expandtheir international activities.The conceptual framework in paper 2 comprises four factors that influence Born Global firms:entrepreneurs, networks, industry and globalisation. To succeed in establishing a global firm it isimportant to have certain resources, such as an entrepreneur with international experience and strong networks. A Born Global entrepreneur is distinguished by his interest and motivation todo business abroad and his vision for the future.Paper 3 focuses on the importance of Born Globals’ foreign market channel strategies. The decision to establish a new market is of great importance for the long-term survival of the company. In this comparative case study, four companies that display different foreign entrymodes are compared. We found that these companies had very different market channel strategies even though they internationalised rapidly.Paper 4 is a study of four companies that indicates that their CEOs are active and involved in making strategic decisions in all parts of a Born Global firm’s value chain activities. Decisions on localisation and outsourcing are influenced by the entrepreneur’s definition of his firm’s core competencies. However, factors outside the firm are also an influence: potential suppliers,outsourcing of manufacturing and potential partners in distribution, especially relating to the riseof new emerging markets (e.g. China). The importance of coordinating value chain activities also influences the localisation of different activities. Entrepreneurs aim to arrange value-creating networks to secure their core manufacturing processes and close relations with local suppliers when they outsource products. In such a case, the entrepreneur can be seen as an orchestrator ina virtual organisation. The ‘global factory’ concept can be adjusted to fit locally for a Born Global company and its environment. Paper 5 focuses on a Born Global company’s way to grow and is a longitudinal study of acompany over 17 years (1990–2007) and its development in the different stages in the growth/life-cycle curve. From inception, the vision is already strong to go global. During thea bove period, the founder, external CEO I and CEO II were interviewed to assess whatcharacterises the different stages of growth over time compared with the growth/life-cycle model of Smallbone and Wyer (2006). The company is still growing and very entrepreneurial. The leadership has changed from a deciding style to a more coaching way of leading. Themanagement and organisation have changed to be more professionalised and team-oriented over8time. Entrepreneurial teams have also become more and more important for transferring knowledge to individuals in the organisation.The traditional models of Johanson and Vahlne (1977, 1990) point out that learning at an organisational level is a main factor in international development over time. However, a way to speed up the development of Born Global firms is entrepreneurial background with long experience and different knowledge serving his vision for the company. Nevertheless, theknowledge transfer from the entrepreneur and his team to the organisation is important. Knight and Cavusgil (2004, p. 137) find that “Born Globals pose an important new challenge to traditional views on the internationalization of the firm”.Johanson and Vahlne (2003) study what happens in companies because of rapid changes in the environment. They suggest that the Uppsala model is still valid, but that the early stage of a firm’sinternationalisation is important to study. Organisational learning is carried out at an individual and an entrepreneurial level. Johanson and Vahlne (1977) focus on the importance of the people working in a market and their learning. In their latest published article by Schweizer et al. (2010,pp. 368–369), they argue that “it is the liability of outsidership rather than the liability offoreignness that gives rise to internationalization difficulties. Outsidership implies that the firm isnot a member of relevant networks. Internationalization can be seen then as taking steps tobecome an insider in relevant networks in focal foreign markets … In their last study it emphasizes the entrepreneurial facets of a firm’s internationalization process”. The above defined background of the entrepreneur, his entrepreneurial way of working and his experience from former jobs also means that he already has the networks necessary for international expansion.The entrepreneur and his team in a Born Global company must from the beginning have the capability and knowledge of the environment and market in a country to establish in the new market as well as the understanding of how to manage the company and organisation. If they do not have this knowledge, they must have a network from which to extract this information. The entrepreneur has to be strongly involved in building and sustaining relationships with both customers and suppliers. In the organisation, he also has to build a powerful culture with decentralisation and empowered employees. The leadership in these companies is charismatic,employees are empowered in their jobs and the teams are entrepreneurial. Employees are therefore also allowed to make their own decisions within certain limits. Networks are important to overcome “perceived barriers on cultural and regulatory issues, those associated with locating partners, plus other matters deemed important to specific management teams” (Crick, 2009, p. 466). Coviello and Cox (2006) find that a company’s network is aresource when it is working with acquisitions and important recruitments. For companies growing over many years such as the Rubber Company studied herein, networks change and the chairman’s networks can be of great importance when core individuals should be recruited as an important part of the company’s strategies.

No description available.

During the last three decades, research and activity within international entrepreneurship have accelerated. The international entrepreneurial process consists of, for instance, international opportunities that are recognized as a critical function. Over time, the research view of the entrepreneur within the entrepreneurial process has shifted from being an individual to being more frequently discovered as plural, and more recent studies emphasize that the entrepreneurial team is the primary catalyst for new venture creation. However, the complexity differs for the entrepreneurial teams that internationalize since uncertainty and increased risk, which may require appropriate levels of collective cognition affecting the teams and international opportunities. This thesis aims to combine aspects of international entrepreneurship and international business with exploring to what extent the collective cognition of entrepreneurial teams determines the discovery and exploitation of international opportunities within Swedish SMEs. By investigating from the entrepreneurial team perspective, this thesis strives to present a more accurate picture of the impact of collective cognition on organizations' international opportunities. An abductive research approach combined with a qualitative method has been applied to ensure a more extensive understanding of the subject. The literature review provides definitions as well as an in-depth understanding of the thesis’ four core concepts; collective cognition, internationalization, international opportunities, and entrepreneurial teams. Finally, the theoretical framework concludes with a conceptual framework model explaining how the concepts are related. The empirical findings tie together with the theoretical framework, and the concepts are further analyzed in relation and contrast to each other. Lastly, the findings are gathered in the final chapter, concluding that entrepreneurial teams’ international opportunities are influenced by collective cognition in Swedish SMEs, which can play an essential role in the internationalization and discovery and exploitation of further international opportunities. / Nej

No description available.

No / Family entrepreneurial teams are groups of related individuals who engage in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial teams studies emphasize the resources that members bring to the team. Family business studies suggest that relationships and social theories are important. Social capital explains the formation and composition of family entrepreneurial teams (FETs). Analysis is of case studies of FETs based in Honduras. A shared commitment to entrepreneurial stewardship of the family's assets underpins formation of FETs. Trust and shared values were important for membership. This study highlights that families are not internally consistent, and family ties are not equally strong.

Entrepreneurs are portrayed as salient drivers of regional development and for a number of years nascent entrepreneurs have been studied in a large number of countries as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project and the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics. Scholars have devoted much effort to investigating factors that determine how individuals engage in entrepreneurial activities, with most of the discussion limited to business start-ups. However, since this type of project does not follow identical nascent entrepreneurs over time, limited knowledge exists about their development and whether they stay in this nascent phase for a long time. In practice, it is common for entrepreneurs to run a business and at the same time work in wage work, so-called combining entrepreneurs. In Sweden, almost half of all business owners combine wage work with a business. However, not all combining entrepreneurs will eventually decide to leave the wage work and invest fully in the business. Consequently, much research has focused on the first step of entering entrepreneurship full time, but less has focused on the second step, the transition from the combining phase to full-time self-employment. The aim of this thesis is therefore to contribute to the theory of entrepreneurship by gaining a deeper understanding of combining entrepreneurs and their motives and intentions.   In the context of combining entrepreneurs, the theory of identity, resources and choice overload has been used to examine how entrepreneurs’ age (when starting the business), entrepreneurial tenure (the length of engagement in the side-business), hours spent (weekly involvement in the side-business), involvement in entrepreneurial teams (leading the business with one or more partners) and involvement in networks (business networks) influence their passion for engaging in entrepreneurship while sustaining wage work. Different categories of combining entrepreneurs and their intentions have also been examined.   A survey was administered to 1457 entrepreneurs within the creative sector in two counties in Sweden (Gävleborgs County and Jämtlands County). Since there were no separate mailing lists to only combining entrepreneurs, the survey was sent to all entrepreneurs within the chosen industry and counties. The total response rate was 33.5 percent and of them 57.6 percent combined, yielding 262 combining entrepreneurs who answered the questionnaire. The survey was then followed up with eight focus group interviews and two single interviews to validate the answers from the questionnaire.   The results indicate three types of combining entrepreneurs: nascent – with the intention to leave the combining phase for a transition into full-time self-employment, lifestyle – with the intention to stay in the combining phase, and occasional – with the intention to leave the combining phase for full-time wage work and close down the business. Transitioning fully to self-employment increases with the individual’s age. Also, a positive interactive effect exists with involvement in entrepreneurial networks. The results also indicate that the ability to work with something one is passionate about is the top motive for combining wage work with a side-business. Passion is also more likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who are older at business start-up, but passion is less likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who spend more time on the business. The longer the individual has had the side-business, the less likely passion is the main motive behind the combining form, and passion is less likely to be the main motive among those who are part of an entrepreneurial team. / <p>Avhandlingen baseras på fem delarbeten, tre var opublicerade vid tidpunkten för disputationen, två länkas här.</p>

Entrepreneurs are portrayed as salient drivers of regional development and for a number of years nascent entrepreneurs have been studied in a large number of countries as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project and the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics. Scholars have devoted much effort to investigating factors that determine how individuals engage in entrepreneurial activities, with most of the discussion limited to business start-ups. However, since this type of project does not follow identical nascent entrepreneurs over time, limited knowledge exists about their development and whether they stay in this nascent phase for a long time. In practice, it is common for entrepreneurs to run a business and at the same time work in wage work, so-called combining entrepreneurs. In Sweden, almost half of all business owners combine wage work with a business. However, not all combining entrepreneurs will eventually decide to leave the wage work and invest fully in the business. Consequently, much research has focused on the first step of entering entrepreneurship full time, but less has focused on the second step, the transition from the combining phase to full-time self-employment. The aim of this thesis is therefore to contribute to the theory of entrepreneurship by gaining a deeper understanding of combining entrepreneurs and their motives and intentions.   In the context of combining entrepreneurs, the theory of identity, resources and choice overload has been used to examine how entrepreneurs’ age (when starting the business), entrepreneurial tenure (the length of engagement in the side-business), hours spent (weekly involvement in the side-business), involvement in entrepreneurial teams (leading the business with one or more partners) and involvement in networks (business networks) influence their passion for engaging in entrepreneurship while sustaining wage work. Different categories of combining entrepreneurs and their intentions have also been examined.   A survey was administered to 1457 entrepreneurs within the creative sector in two counties in Sweden (Gävleborgs County and Jämtlands County). Since there were no separate mailing lists to only combining entrepreneurs, the survey was sent to all entrepreneurs within the chosen industry and counties. The total response rate was 33.5 percent and of them 57.6 percent combined, yielding 262 combining entrepreneurs who answered the questionnaire. The survey was then followed up with eight focus group interviews and two single interviews to validate the answers from the questionnaire.   The results indicate three types of combining entrepreneurs: nascent – with the intention to leave the combining phase for a transition into full-time self-employment, lifestyle – with the intention to stay in the combining phase, and occasional – with the intention to leave the combining phase for full-time wage work and close down the business. Transitioning fully to self-employment increases with the individual’s age. Also, a positive interactive effect exists with involvement in entrepreneurial networks. The results also indicate that the ability to work with something one is passionate about is the top motive for combining wage work with a side-business. Passion is also more likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who are older at business start-up, but passion is less likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who spend more time on the business. The longer the individual has had the side-business, the less likely passion is the main motive behind the combining form, and passion is less likely to be the main motive among those who are part of an entrepreneurial team.

<p>Contemporary society focuses heavily on the individual and this is also characterized by an individual thinking that many people contribute to. This is furthermore shared in the field of entrepreneur research studies where a profound deal of time has been focused on the personal qualities of specific entrepreneurs. However, in modern settings today many corporations originate in a team-based structure, which therefore leads towards a different approach rather than examining exclusively on individuality. Previous research shows that entrepreneurial teams are establishing and growing at a steady pace, yet studies within this field has not developed in an extensive fashion. Entrepreneurial teams can be defined as a group of people who share a common goal, usually consisting of two or more individuals who commenced a foundation from the early stages of that specific firm and who originated an initial idea. This therefore generates an interest to further investigate entrepreneur studies. The development of the individuality of entrepreneurship has been revised previously. Nevertheless, analyzing the underlying factors to why individuals tend to establish teams of entrepreneurship is a reoccurring topic to this day.</p><p>The main purpose of this study is to map out these underlying factors and investigate the fundamental preferences of the individuals who prefer to create team-based entrepreneurships.</p><p>This study is of a deductive layout and has been carried out in a qualitative method. Eight separate interviews were carried out with the originators of respective business corporations, and underlying factors have been mapped out with the help of theories within the field of entrepreneurship.</p><p>Subsequent to the gathering of primary empirical data and with the support of important theory studies, certain conclusions can be made. The underlying motives behind the formation of entrepreneurial teams can be characterized by earlier experiences, friendship, and the addition of members who acts as supplements to the team. But also a sense of affinity within the group, the spread of risk-taking, and furthermore an addition of enjoyment to the group are all important factors when investigating team entrepreneurship.</p> / <p>I dagens samhälle fokuseras det mycket på individen och många präglas utav ett individualistiskt tänkande. Detta kan även ses inom entreprenörskapsforskning där det en längre tid fokuserats på entreprenörens personliga egenskaper. När det i dagsläget är vanligare än man tror att starta företag i team, bör inte endast de personliga egenskaperna undersökas. Tidigare studier visar på att entreprenöriella team etableras och växer i snabbare takt, dock är forskningen om entreprenöriella team inte så utvecklad och omfattande. Definitionen av ett entreprenöriellt team, är att det består av en grupp personer som har ett gemensamt mål. Denna grupp består av två eller fler personer, som samtliga har varit med från idéstadiet av företaget. Det är därför av intresse att bygga vidare på den befintliga forskningen. Att utveckla entreprenörens personliga egenskaper är redan utforskat, men att kartlägga de bakomliggande faktorerna till varför individer tenderar att bilda entreprenöriella team är idag ett aktuellt ämne.</p><p>Syftet med undersökningen blir därav att kartlägga de bakomliggande faktorer individer har, som gör att de startar företag i team.</p><p>Undersökningen har en deduktiv ansats, som har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod i form av åtta intervjuer med grundare från respektive företag. Med hjälp av teorier inom ämnet har bakomliggande faktorer kartlagts.</p><p>Efter att empirisk data samlats in och analyserats med hjälp av teorierna har följande slutsatser härletts. De bakomliggande faktorerna till entreprenöriella team är att de haft tidigare erfarenheter som påverkat, att de är vänner, att addition av ny medlem medför en resurs som kompletterar teamet, att det skapar samhörighet, att riskerna sprids, att det blir roligare, att kapital saknas och att det hela kan bero på tillfälligheter som gör att man formerar ett team.</p>

Contemporary society focuses heavily on the individual and this is also characterized by an individual thinking that many people contribute to. This is furthermore shared in the field of entrepreneur research studies where a profound deal of time has been focused on the personal qualities of specific entrepreneurs. However, in modern settings today many corporations originate in a team-based structure, which therefore leads towards a different approach rather than examining exclusively on individuality. Previous research shows that entrepreneurial teams are establishing and growing at a steady pace, yet studies within this field has not developed in an extensive fashion. Entrepreneurial teams can be defined as a group of people who share a common goal, usually consisting of two or more individuals who commenced a foundation from the early stages of that specific firm and who originated an initial idea. This therefore generates an interest to further investigate entrepreneur studies. The development of the individuality of entrepreneurship has been revised previously. Nevertheless, analyzing the underlying factors to why individuals tend to establish teams of entrepreneurship is a reoccurring topic to this day. The main purpose of this study is to map out these underlying factors and investigate the fundamental preferences of the individuals who prefer to create team-based entrepreneurships. This study is of a deductive layout and has been carried out in a qualitative method. Eight separate interviews were carried out with the originators of respective business corporations, and underlying factors have been mapped out with the help of theories within the field of entrepreneurship. Subsequent to the gathering of primary empirical data and with the support of important theory studies, certain conclusions can be made. The underlying motives behind the formation of entrepreneurial teams can be characterized by earlier experiences, friendship, and the addition of members who acts as supplements to the team. But also a sense of affinity within the group, the spread of risk-taking, and furthermore an addition of enjoyment to the group are all important factors when investigating team entrepreneurship. / I dagens samhälle fokuseras det mycket på individen och många präglas utav ett individualistiskt tänkande. Detta kan även ses inom entreprenörskapsforskning där det en längre tid fokuserats på entreprenörens personliga egenskaper. När det i dagsläget är vanligare än man tror att starta företag i team, bör inte endast de personliga egenskaperna undersökas. Tidigare studier visar på att entreprenöriella team etableras och växer i snabbare takt, dock är forskningen om entreprenöriella team inte så utvecklad och omfattande. Definitionen av ett entreprenöriellt team, är att det består av en grupp personer som har ett gemensamt mål. Denna grupp består av två eller fler personer, som samtliga har varit med från idéstadiet av företaget. Det är därför av intresse att bygga vidare på den befintliga forskningen. Att utveckla entreprenörens personliga egenskaper är redan utforskat, men att kartlägga de bakomliggande faktorerna till varför individer tenderar att bilda entreprenöriella team är idag ett aktuellt ämne. Syftet med undersökningen blir därav att kartlägga de bakomliggande faktorer individer har, som gör att de startar företag i team. Undersökningen har en deduktiv ansats, som har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod i form av åtta intervjuer med grundare från respektive företag. Med hjälp av teorier inom ämnet har bakomliggande faktorer kartlagts. Efter att empirisk data samlats in och analyserats med hjälp av teorierna har följande slutsatser härletts. De bakomliggande faktorerna till entreprenöriella team är att de haft tidigare erfarenheter som påverkat, att de är vänner, att addition av ny medlem medför en resurs som kompletterar teamet, att det skapar samhörighet, att riskerna sprids, att det blir roligare, att kapital saknas och att det hela kan bero på tillfälligheter som gör att man formerar ett team.

La littérature, s’est beaucoup intéressée à l’entrepreneur solitaire, notamment à ses origines, à son profil et à ses actions. Certains auteurs le considèrent comme un mythe et un héros capable de se dépasser dans les situations les plus complexes. L’émergence des entreprises de nouvelles technologies ont fait connaître une nouvelle forme d’entrepreneuriat de plus en plus fréquente, qui se présente sous forme d’équipe entrepreneuriale. Etant donné, la réserve des réflexions académiques concernant ce champ d’étude, il est utile d’apporter quelques éclairages à ce sujet. Cette recherche se veut donc une contribution théorique et pratique à la compréhension de la notion de l’équipe entrepreneuriale et ses spécificités.L’équipe entrepreneuriale étant une entité dynamique devant être traitée en sa globalité irréductible, une analyse analytique nous semble réductrice. Par conséquent, nous proposons un cadrage théorique au moyen de la théorie systémique. / Literature has been deeply interested in the solitary entrepreneur, mainly in his origins, profile and actions. Some authors consider him as a myth and a hero capable to exceed himself in the most complex situations. The emergence of new technology companies introduced a new form of entrepreneurship more and more frequent, which comes in the shape of entrepreneurial team. Since there is a reservation on the topic of academic thoughts in this field of study, it is useful to provide some insight on this. This research is intended for a theoretical and practical contribution to the understanding of the entrepreneurial team concept. Following a literary review on entrepreneurial teams, we propose a theoretical framework based on systemic approach. In fact, the entrepreneurial team is a dynamic entity; an analytical analysis seems to reduce the complexity in its elementary components whereas it should be treated in its irreducible globalism.