Title: Disentangling the roles of international entrepreneurial orientation and networking in the internationalisation process of SESBs

Authors: Valérie Barbat; Martine Hlady Rispal; Kathleen Randerson

Addresses: KEDGE Business School, Bordeaux 680, cours de la Libération, 33405 Talence Cedex, France ' Equipe entrepreneuriat, IRGO, Université de Bordeaux, 35, avenue Abadie, CS 51412, 33072 Bordeaux Cedex, France ' Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38040 Grenoble, CNRS, CERAG, F-38040 Grenoble, France

Abstract: We use the international entrepreneurial orientation construct and network support to understand the internationalisation process of subcontracting established small businesses. This is useful because if there is an abundant literature calling upon the variables independently, a gap subsists concerning their relative roles. In a multiple case study approach, our findings show that, if IEO leads on the long run to higher levels of export activity; it is at the expense of a slow and incremental process. We also find that if networking indeed leads to a more rapid export process, the levels of export activity remain modest and some firms even stop exporting.

Keywords: international entrepreneurial orientation; IEO; internationalisation; network support; networking; CEO characteristics; subcontracting ESBs; established small businesses; holistic approaches; small firms; case studies; export activity; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2014.065527

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2014 Vol.23 No.3, pp.363 - 384

Received: 27 May 2014
Accepted: 31 May 2014
Published online: 07 Nov 2014 *

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