Pavlos Dimitratos

Theoretical Foundations of an International Entrepreneurial Culture

The seeming absence of theoretical foundations in the international entrepreneurship (IE) field significantly accounts for the fragmentation of research in the area. We seek to address this deficiency through an exploration of the IE concept in the overall context in which it is embedded, namely organizational culture. We develop and discuss a conceptual framework of an International Entrepreneurial Culture, which consists of six interrelated dimensions: international market orientation, international learning orientation, international innovation propensity, international risk attitude, international networking orientation, and international motivation.

International Entrepreneurship Research: What Scope for International Business Theories?

International entrepreneurship (IE) research has commonly neglected significant perspectives applied by international business scholars. Explanations for the emergence and growth of international entrepreneurial firms largely focus on the resource-based view and the network perspective. While these approaches are useful, we suggest that IE would benefit significantly from a greater emphasis on its ‘international nature’. Therefore, theories of international business should be employed in conjunction with other approaches in order to appropriately emphasize the ‘international character’, holistically study the IE notion, and considerably broaden the scope of IE examination. Suggestions for relevant research directions are discussed.

SME Entrepreneurial Orientation, International Performance, and the Moderating Role of Strategic Alliances

International entrepreneurship research maintains that firms with strong entrepreneurial orientations expand to international markets to enhance performance. Yet these firms can suffer from resource constraints as they move abroad. To alleviate this problem, previous research has suggested participation in strategic alliances. We developed and tested a theoretical perspective that merged these ideas, maintaining that firm–level entrepreneurial orientation is associated with higher international performance both directly and in combination with participation in foreign market research or marketing alliances. Based on surveys of U.S. and U.K. firms, our findings indicate that small and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs) have higher international performance when they possess greater entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and when the type of alliance (research or marketing) used is aligned with the capabilities of the firm. Further we find that participating in alliances strengthens the relation between EO and international performance. These results have important implications for managers and policy makers interested in improving SME international performance.

How Critical is Employee Orientation for Customer Relationship Management? Insights from a Case Study

This paper explores the interface of employee orientation and the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process based on an in-depth case study of a leading firm in the UK automotive services sector. Employee orientation is embedded in the Organizational Culture (OC) of the firm and manifested through its key elements, notably assumptions, values, behaviours and artefacts. CRM consists of four organizational activities: strategic planning, information, value creation, and performance measurement sub-processes. Based on the case study evidence, the widely postulated link between CRM success and employee orientation is empirically supported and the mechanisms underlying this association elucidated.

Beyond portfolio entrepreneurship: multiple income sources in small firms

The economic activities of entrepreneurs are not confined to the ownership of a single firm, but encompass income generation from a variety of sources including wage labour, non-earned income and profit from secondary business ventures. This paper investigates the multiple income sources of a sample of 18 561 business owners in the UK. A latent class analysis revealed seven different groups of entrepreneurs differentiated by their degree of engagement in enterprise ownership and income generation. The results demonstrate the importance of multiple income sources in smaller firms and challenge previous assumptions that portfolio activities are expedited solely as a profit maximization strategy by growth-seeking entrepreneurs. While some use portfolio activities for the purpose of wealth accumulation, others use them as a survival mechanism. The results also highlight time variations in the use of portfolio activities. For some business owners, they are a long-term and relatively stable strategy contributing towards either the economic survival of marginal ventures or the development of high growth enterprises. For others, they are a time-limited strategy facilitating business entry or exit.

Emerging Paradigms in International Entrepreneurship

Foreword Part I: International Entrepreneurship, Development of the Field and the Effects of a New Economy Part II: Conceptual and Paradigmatic Developments Part III: The Experimental Emphasis in Entrepreneurial Internationalization Part IV: International Entrepreneurship and the Internet - A Developing Research Agenda Part V: Contacts, Links and Networks - Process Driven Internationalization Part VI: Cross-Sectoral, Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Comparisons Index

Entrepreneurial learning in the international new high-technology venture

We examine entrepreneurial learning in a high-technology firm that internationalized its activities from inception. Based on the small firm learning process model of Zhang et al. (2006), we seek to contribute to theory through examining the process of entrepreneurial learning as this applies to international new high-technology ventures (INHTVs). Towards this objective, we draw upon evidence from a single case study conducted over a seven-year period. The evidence suggests that entrepreneurial within an INHTV is a continuous learning process made of multiple learning epochs, which are learning loops rooted in similar learning mechanisms. We advance three research propositions associated with entrepreneurial learning in INHTVs. First, entrepreneurial learning in the INHTV is a process that starts at the individual level and progressively encompasses the whole organization and its networks. Second, the INHTV learning process is affected by the industry, technological and international learning orientations in which it operates; these, in turn, are contingent on the entrepreneurial team’s industry, technological and international learning orientations. Third, international learning orientation defines the business scope and critically affects the discovery of opportunities of the INHTV.

Conceptualizations to Advance Born Global Definition: A Research Note

The ‘Born Globals’ (BGs) have now been studied for over a decade and yet the conceptualizations and theory development are at an initial phase. This article was written to clarify the definition of a BG firm, and focus on its characteristics. BGs deviate considerably when contrasted with traditional internationalizing Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Most importantly their vision is global, they have global products which are of unique and specialized nature, and they have accelerated internationalization capability from inception.

Governance Mechanisms of Small and Medium Enterprise International Partner Management

We examine how small and medium enterprises manage their international partners across different market servicing modes, namely exporting, joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. The international business literature has placed emphasis on soft issues of international partner management (such as trust, cultural sensitivity etc.) in each mode category independently. Since network arrangements and knowledge sharing are involved in all these modes, we contribute to the literature by providing evidence on the mechanisms of international partner management across market modes. Specifically, based on agency and knowledge-based theories, we seek to understand the extent to which small and medium enterprises assign rights to make decisions to partners abroad, and the types of incentives and performance monitoring schemes they use. These mechanisms are drawn from agency theory. In-depth case studies were carried out in 14 Greek small firms that employed different modes to collaborate with their partners abroad. Seven of these firms had high levels of international performance while the other seven had low levels. We identify two distinguishable combinations of governance mechanisms being implemented by these two sets of firms: high performers pursue situational decision-making with outcome-oriented incentives/performance monitoring schemes, whereas low performers pursue centralized decision-making with behaviour-oriented incentives/performance monitoring schemes.

The multinational enterprise and subsidiary evolution: Scotland since 1945

This paper explores the major developments in the multinational enterprise (MNE) literature; along with the research conducted on Scottish-based MNE subsidiaries and the policy changes that have taken place in Scotland aimed at promoting foreign direct investment (FDI). It is suggested that subsidiaries may evolve from the branch plant to the developmental and the entrepreneurial subsidiary type; with each of these three subsidiary types contributing differently to the economic development of the host country. The empirical evidence from an in-depth analysis of IBM, Greenock, Scotland attests to the importance of the entrepreneurial subsidiary activities for the host economy. Implications for research and public policy are discussed.