Natasha Evers

Improvised internationalization in new ventures: The role of prior knowledge and networks

How do entrepreneurs identify foreign market opportunities and how do they identify foreign market(s) and customers? We draw on the concepts of effectuation, improvisation, prior knowledge and networks to study the early internationalization of new ventures operating in the Irish Shellfish sector. We argue that the internationalization process was strongly influenced by two ‘resources to hand’: the entrepreneurs’ idiosyncratic prior knowledge and their prior social and business ties. We observe an effectuation logic and extensive improvisation in the internationalization process of these new ventures.

Stakeholders and Marketing Capabilities in International New Ventures: Evidence from Ireland, Sweden and Denmark

Few studies have examined the dynamic capabilities perspective in the context of international new ventures (INVs) and, in particular, toward their marketing activities. Using a cross-country case approach, this article explores the role of stakeholders in the marketing capability–building processes of INVs in Ireland, Sweden, and Denmark. The study reveals that different stakeholders play a critical role in influencing how INVs build their marketing capabilities to respond effectively to the dynamic nature of international markets in which they operate. The results show that different stakeholder groups (allied, cooperative, neutral, and entrepreneur) can influence the learning processes (single-, double-, and triple-loop) of the firm and can determine the nature of dynamic marketing capabilities (incremental, renewing, and regenerative) needed to create and sustain international competitive advantage. Furthermore, “effectuation logic” can explain how entrepreneurs manage and leverage stakeholder relationships in marketing capability processes to cocreate value for the firm. By incorporating dynamic capabilities, stakeholder, and learning theories, this study offers a dynamic, process-oriented model for INV research and provides much-needed qualitative insights into the dynamic capabilities theory of the firm.

Network intermediaries in the internationalisation of new firms in peripheral regions

Purpose – This paper aims to draw on the network perspective of firm internationalisation to study how an intermediary network actor, such as an export promotion organisation (EPO), can influence the internationalisation of new ventures located in peripheral regions.Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs case analysis and the critical incident technique to study the influence of the Irish Governments support agency for the seafood industry, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), on the internationalisation of three new ventures in the seafood sector in the West of Ireland.Findings – The EPO played an important role in information mediation: identifying foreign opportunities and customers; facilitating introductions to international customers; and by providing foreign market knowledge; and as a resource provider developing the firms export capacity.Research limitations/implications – The choice of sector and method may impact on the ability to generalise the findings to firms in other contexts.Practical imp...

International new ventures: rapid internationalization across different industry contexts

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to, first, offer insights into the relationship between industry idiosyncrasies and international new ventures (INVs), and then present a research conceptual framework that identifies the role of industry factors in new venture internationalization processes and strategies. Second, the authors introduce the content of this special issue. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual article builds on extant studies on INVs operating in different industrial contexts. Particular attention is given to the role of industry influences in the processes of new venture internationalization, in terms of speed, geographical scope and entry strategy. Such factors are discussed to formulate a conceptual framework as a basis for further research. Findings – The conceptual framework identifies key industry factors as well as emergent factors that influence the new venture internationalization process, in terms of speed, geographical scope and entry strategy. Such key influencing...

Exploring market orientation in new export ventures

This paper offers exploratory insights into the way in which market orientation (MO) is manifested in small entrepreneurial exporting firms. The construct of market orientation is employed for conceptual guidance and applied to two cases of highly internationalised small seafood exporters – an understudied context in both international marketing and international entrepreneurship literatures. Entrepreneurial orientation and the dynamic capability of the entrepreneurs emerge as key determinants for successful mobilisation and implementation of export market-orientated activities in the case firms. External relationships are also actively leveraged by the entrepreneurs to bring about effective execution of their MO processes for export performance.

Entrepreneurial marketing and born global internationalisation in China

Purpose This study aims to explore the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) behaviour of Swedish born globals entering the Chinese market through their international networks. Drawing from the network theory of small firm internationalisation, this study is positioned in the domain of EM, and thus captures the relevance of EM behaviour to explain how born globals internationalise through their networks. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study approach of two Swedish born global companies active in the Chinese market is used. The network theory helps analyse the data in the three phases of firm internationalisation processes. Findings The study shows the importance of networks for the enactment of EM for born globals. The study traces the evolution of network development in the market entry process of born globals and highlights the importance of aligning network leverage with contextual factors for market performance. Research limitations/implications The generalisation of the findings is limited due to the exploratory nature of the study and the size of the research sample. Practical implications Management of different types of networks is essential in the entry process and further growth of born globals in the Chinese market. In addition, born globals operating in psychically distant and complex institutionally contexts can especially gain support from intermediary networks. Originality/value This study extends knowledge of international entrepreneurship by demonstrating that born global managers can enact EM behaviour by leveraging networks to gain rapid entry into the Chinese market. It further highlights the role of firms’ networks in the EM activities in their internationalisation. The conceptual underpinnings of EM and network theory provide greater understanding of how born globals enter and grow their psychically distant markets.

Inside born globals’ international network: a microscopic study of the Irish digital animation sector

The born global network for rapid internationalization represents a ‘black box’ as is reflected by the limited studies on the importance of intermediary actors and network nodes in their internationalization process. To address this research gap this study contributes to born global network theory in that it investigates the international network for a defined population of Irish indigenous born globals operating in the highly globalized digital animation industry. Given the small domestic market and breadth of global product sourcing within this industry, the indigenous Irish digital animation firms must, from inception, quickly access customers in the international arena if they wish to survive and prosper. This chapter addresses two research questions: (1) how do network intermediaries influence the internationalization of born globals in the digital animation industry? (2) How do network nodes influence the internationalization process of born globals in the digital animation industry? The study takes a ‘microscopic view’ into the network mechanics in the born global network, intermediary by intermediary, node by node, to open the black box of the born global network and identify the elements that compose the network and plug the structural holes between producer and buyer in the digital animation global marketplace. It finds that the principal intermediaries in the digital animators’ international network are institutional bodies such as the government enterprise agency and, even more so, the national industry trade association and the entrepreneurs’ personal social capital from prior training and work relationships. The foremost network nodes are the industry’s international tradeshows wherein firms pitch their produce and business is cemented or nurtured. Agents inside the industry play an important but fleeting role. Despite the burgeoning growth of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, physical venues continue to serve as the most important sites for interaction between buyers and sellers in this international network.

Industry Factors Influencing International New Ventures’ Internationalisation Processes

There exists a growing body of literature examining firms that internationalise soon after their inception. Such firms are commonly referred to as international new ventures (INVs) and are defined as ‘business organisations that from inception seek to derive significant competitive advantages from the use of resources and the sale of outputs in multiple countries’ (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994: 49). Although many terms now define the phenomenon, those of ‘born global’ and ‘international new venture’ have become somewhat interchangeable, as have the criteria used to categorise them. In this chapter we mostly use the INV term because this can be seen as more encompassing.

The Process and Problems of Business Start-Ups

“… there is little known about the initial phases of the process (of entrepreneurship). The conception, birth and early development of new ventures are very much an uncharted territory”. (Reynolds and White,