Jonas Debrulle

Start-Up Absorptive Capacity: Does the Owner's Human and Social Capital Matter?

This study investigates how a business owner’s human and social capital affects start-up absorptive capacity under different environmental conditions. From an analysis of a sample of 199 Flemish start-ups, the study observes that the owners’ start-up experience and bridging social capital are positively and significantly related to the new venture’s ability to acquire, assimilate and exploit external information. In addition, the findings reveal a positive but decreasing effect of owner-specific human capital as a function of environmental turbulence. Furthermore, the study finds that management experience significantly stimulates start-up absorptive capacity within highly dynamic environments, whereas it hinders it within stable environments. Finally, implications of the study and opportunities for future research are provided.

Start‐Ups' Internationalization: The Impact of Business Owners' Management Experience, Start‐Up Experience and Professional Network on Export Intensity

This study investigates the influence of business owner experience (management/start-up) and professional networking on start-up export intensity. In addition, we assume networking to mediate the experience – export intensity relationship. Flemish start-ups form this studys empirical setting. Our results indicate that start-up export intensity is directly driven by professional networking. Management experience is a positive antecedent of networking while start-up experience is negatively related to professional networking. All in all, management and start-up experience connect only indirectly to export intensity, fully mediated by networking. Implications and opportunities for future research are suggested.

Start-up export intensity: An empirical investigation of the impact of absorptive capacity and business owner human and social capital

This study investigates the influence of business owner human and social capital on start-up export intensity. In addition, building on the knowledge-based view of the firm, we assume the relationships between owner characteristics and firm export activities to be moderated by the start-up’s absorptive capacity, which designates its ability to acquire, assimilate and exploit new information. Flemish start-ups form this study’s empirical setting. Our results indicate that start-up export intensity is (1) driven by the business owner’s formal education and start-up experience, while (2) weakened by his/her accumulated management experience. Furthermore, we find evidence that start-up absorptive capacity significantly moderates the export impact of the owner’s human capital. Finally, implications and opportunities for future research are suggested.