| 1. |
- Hilmersson, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Serendipitous Opportunities, Entrepreneurial Logic and Knowledge in International Business Networks
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few researchers and even fewer practitioners would deny that luck, chance or serendipitous events play a central role in the growth process of firms. However, most entrepreneurship models ignore the role of serendipity in the opportunity discovery process. Instead, it is assumed that international opportunities are discovered or created by entrepreneurs. In this paper we provide a more nuanced view on international opportunities by developing the role of serendipitous opportunities in the internationalization process. We develop a model integrating the notions of serendipity, entrepreneurial logic, experiential knowledge and network knowledge redundancy. From our model we condense three sets of hypotheses on the relationships among experiential knowledge and entrepreneurial logic, network knowledge redundancy and entrepreneurial logic, and entrepreneurial logic and serendipity. We confront our hypotheses with data collected on-site at 160 firms covering 226 opportunities. The result of our analysis reveals that experiential knowledge and network knowledge redundancy both lead to a more causation-based logic of the firm. Causation in turn reduces the likeliness that serendipitous opportunities will be realized in the internationalization process. These findings come with implications for both researchers and practitioners.
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| 2. |
- Kachlami, Habib M.
(författare)
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Social Entrepreneurship and Influence on Regional Firm Demography
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The central interest of this thesis is the emergence of social ventures. In this regard, it investigates two types of questions: what regional factors influence the emergence of social ventures? and what types of interaction may emerge between the emergence of social ventures and the demography (entry, exit and migration) of commercial ventures in a region? The thesis also aims to adopt a macro-oriented approach to studying the research questions.To answer those questions, this thesis applies both theoretical and empirical analysis. For the theoretical analysis, instead of a single theory it applies three middle-range theories: theory of organisational ecology, market failure theory, and the demand and supply theory of entrepreneurship. The empirical analysis is based on two large-scale databases from Sweden and the U.S. The Swedish database includes nonprofit social ventures and commercial ventures for the 1990-2014 period from all of the 290 municipalities across Sweden, while the database from U.S. includes 88 counties in the State of Ohio between 2003-2007.The answers to the research questions are presented in the form of six papers. Paper 1 provides an overall picture of the different possible functions of social ventures within communities and their contributions to regional development. With this overall view, Papers 2 and 3 answer the first research question, that is the factors influencing the emergence of social ventures. Thus, while Paper 2 provides a review of previous research, Paper 3 empirically examines some of the regional factors that may influence the emergence of social ventures in a region. The results of Paper 3 revealed that factors such as gender, education, entrepreneurial role models, wealth, unemployment rate, age, and urbanisation positively influence the emergence rate of the of social venture in a region.Papers 4, 5 and 6 are dedicated to answering the second type of research question, in other words the interaction between the emergence of social ventures and the demography (entry, exit and migration) of commercial ventures. As such, Paper 4 studies how the emergence of social ventures is influenced by the entry and exit of commercial ventures, Paper 5 investigates how the emergence of social ventures influences the entry of commercial ixventures, and Paper 6 examines how the emergence of social ventures influences the migration of commercial ventures. In summary, the results of these three papers reveal that while the emergence of social ventures negatively influences the commercial ventures inside a region, it has a positive influence on the commercial ventures outside the region. Paper 6 further investigates the influence of the emergence of commercial ventures on the migration of commercial ventures. The results show that while the emergence of social ventures attracts commercial ventures from outside into a region, the emergence of commercial ventures repels them from moving into the region.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Hilmersson, Mikael, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Business unpredictability, improvisation and business network commitment in small and medium-sized enterprise market entry
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Small Business Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 0266-2426 .- 1741-2870. ; 40:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Market entry performance is critical during internationalisation; prevailing views suggest that firms need to carefully plan their entry before putting the plan into action. This article focuses on three attributes affecting the possibility and usefulness of making a pre-planned market entry: unpredictability, improvisation and business network commitment. We develop six hypotheses tested on a sample of 250 entries; our main finding is that improvisation plays a mediating role in relation to performance in unpredictable markets. The analysis reveals that the relationship between unpredictability and network commitment is not significant, while the effect of unpredictability on market entry performance is negative. These findings suggest implications for internationalisation and international entrepreneurship theory. For managers and entrepreneurs, we show that unpredictability weakens market entry performance, a negative effect that can be mitigated if the entrant firm improvises.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Hilmersson, Mikael, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Time, Temporality, and Internationalization : The Relationships among Point in Time, Time to, and Speed of International Expansion
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of International Marketing. - : SAGE Publications. - 1069-031X .- 1547-7215. ; 25:1, s. 22-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Speed of internationalization is a multidimensional concept with performance consequences, but little is known about the interrelatedness between different time-related concepts. The authors address this deficiency by developing three hypotheses, which are confronted with a dataset collected on-site at 203 SMEs. The analysis reveals that (i) the longer the time to internationalization, the lower the speed of international expansion, (ii) the earlier the point in time of start of internationalization, the lower the speed of international expansion, and (iii) there is an antagonistic interaction effect revealing that the negative effect on the speed of international expansion caused by a longer time to internationalization is moderated by the point in time of internationalization start. The study contributes to theory by examining the interrelatedness between temporal concepts in the internationalization literature and by showing how the underlying mechanisms influencing internationalization speed changes over time. For managers, insights into the importance of time and temporality for successful international expansion are provided.
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| 9. |
- Hohenthal, Jukka, et al.
(författare)
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Network Knowledge and Business-Relationship Value in the Foreign Market
- 2015
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Ingår i: Knowledge, Networks and Power. - London : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9781137508829 - 9781349506125 ; , s. 187-224
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In several studies it has been observed that single business relationships can play a critical role in the early international expansion of SME firms (Chetty and Blankenburg Holm, 2000; Child et al., 2002; Ellis, 2000; Hilmersson and Jansson, 2011; Johanson and Vahlne, 2003; Sharma and Blomstermo, 2003). It has also been shown that network constructs can be used fruitfully for understanding and explaining SME internationalisation (Coviello and Munro, 1995; Hadley and Wilson, 2003; Oviatt and McDougall, 2005). Against this background, a purpose of this paper is to study how networks influence business relationships in foreign markets.
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| 10. |
- Johanson, Martin, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Knowledge grafting during internationalization : utilizing localized professionals in the foreign market
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Knowledge Management. - 1367-3270 .- 1758-7484. ; 24:9, s. 2009-2033
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand knowledge grafting through localized professionals in the internationalization of the firm. Knowledge grafting refers to firms increasing their knowledge stock by acquiring new staff, and while the concept is not new in studies on firms’ internationalization, there is little understanding of the characteristics of the individuals carrying the knowledge, the types of knowledge grafted and how it contributes to a market entry process. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted an explorative study with a multiple-case research design and purposely selected five localized Swedish managers working for Russian subsidiaries of Swedish firms. Face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed based on three types of knowledge: general foreign market knowledge, social network knowledge and professional knowledge. The authors also considered both private and professional ties. Findings: The findings show that characteristics of the localized professional and the firm can influence the type of knowledge grafted and how it is used. The findings also highlight the key role of the individual as knowledge carrier and show an alternative way to obtain knowledge in firm internationalization. Research limitations/implications: This study comes with limitations. Only Swedish firms entering Russia with wholly owned subsidiaries have been considered. Further studies comparing knowledge grafting with firms in different entry mode, varying stage of market entry, as well as other countries of origin can further enrich our understanding. Future studies can also focus on localized professionals to shed light on the knowledge transfer between them and other individuals within the firms and the potential impact of their departure on knowledge grafting. Practical implications: Internationalizing firms should pay attention to the opportunity of grafting knowledge by appointing localized professionals already living in the market. Governmental agencies in the host county can be a valuable source for identifying foreign nationals of the same origin as the firm. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on the individual level of knowledge grafting and to examine how localized professionals acquire knowledge to support firms in internationalization.
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| 11. |
- Johanson, Martin, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Turbulence, Discovery and Foreign Market Entry : A Longitudinal Study of an Entry into the Russian Market
- 2006
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Ingår i: MIR: Management International Review. - 0938-8249 .- 1861-8901. ; 46:2, s. 179-205
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Firms entering transition markets are typically ignorant about those markets, and the markets, owing to the transition from a planned to a market economy, are typically turbulent. Consequently the entry process involves discoveries that could not have been predicted in advance. This position is supported by a longitudinal study in real-time of a Swedish firm’s entry into the Russian market between 1987 and 1993.The paper distinguishes between three types of activity that form part of the entry process, namely search, routines and improvisation, and it discusses how they relate to operative and strategic discoveries made and the characteristics of the entry process.The paper offers a conceptual framework for studying the role of discovery in the process of entering turbulent foreign markets. A longitudinal case study of a Swedish firm’s entry into Russia demonstrates that discoveries were important in the entry process. It shows also that strategic discoveries tend to be a result of either search or improvisation, while operative discoveries are usually made in the course of routine activities performed by the entering firm.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Lundberg, Heléne, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Network Strategies for Regional Growth
- 2011. - 1
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Ingår i: Network Strategies for Regional Growth. - Eastbourne : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9780230273306 ; , s. 1-21
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Andersson, Ulf, et al.
(författare)
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Moving or doing? : Knowledge flow, problem solving, and change in industrial networks
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Business Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0148-2963 .- 1873-7978. ; 60:1, s. 32-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For decades, scholars have put forward the idea that change in industrial networks depends on the relationships and networks themselves. However, models are still lacking that conceptualize the heterogeneity of relationships and networks and that show how this heterogeneity actually affects change. This paper puts forward a model suggesting that network structure—in terms of an open or closed system—and relational embeddedness together affect the ways knowledge is gained, given knowledge flow and problem solving as two sources of knowledge. Moreover, the paper proposes that this effect influences the tacitness and novelty of the knowledge gained. Additionally, network structure and gained knowledge are postulated to have an impact on two changes, the establishment of relationships and the development of technology, which take place in industrial networks. The paper advances six propositions and concludes with implications for research and practice.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Hellström, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Navets funktion i regionala strategiska nätverk
- 2009
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Ingår i: Regionala strategiska nätverk i praktiken. - Lund : Studentlitteratur. - 9789144035475 ; , s. 113-122
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 18. |
- Hilmersson, Mikael, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Opportunity novelty, improvisation and network adaptation in the internationalization of Swedish SMEs
- 2021
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Ingår i: Thunderbird International Business Review. - : Wiley. - 1096-4762 .- 1520-6874. ; 63:2, s. 201-215
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By deviating from previous ways of working and improvising new solutions to problems in the internationalization process, small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) will increase the likelihood of developing novel international opportunities. In this way, for instance, unforeseen customer demand, rather than following a specific plan, may govern market choice. Such novel opportunities, in turn, are likely to require network adaptation in order for the firm to reach an insidership position in the international business network. By integrating international opportunity theory with theories on improvisational behavior, three hypotheses are developed between the constructs of international opportunity novelty, improvisation, and network adaptation. The hypotheses were tested with Structural Equation Modelling on 258 realized international opportunities developed by Swedish SMEs (European Union definition: number of employees 10–250) and were observed through on‐site visits. It is revealed that improvisation increases the degree of international opportunity novelty as well as the need for network adaptation. The degree of novelty of realized international opportunities positively influences the need for adaptation to a foreign network. Novelty can be seen as a proxy for opportunity's wealth‐creating potential, and developing improvisation capabilities seems to be a way to increase the novelty of international opportunities developed. Managers that are risk averse and therefore refrain from improvisation risk missing valuable novel opportunities.
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| 19. |
- Hilmersson, Mikael, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Serendipitous opportunities, entry strategy and knowledge in firms' foreign market entry
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Marketing Review. - 0265-1335 .- 1758-6763. ; 38:3, s. 585-612
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Few researchers and even fewer practitioners would deny that serendipitous events play a central role in the growth process of firms. However, most international marketing models ignore the role of serendipity in the opportunity discovery process. The authors provide a nuanced view on international opportunities by developing the role of serendipitous opportunities in the foreign market entry process. The authors develop a model integrating the notions of serendipity, entrepreneurial logic, experiential knowledge and network knowledge redundancy. From the study’s model, the authors condense three sets of hypotheses on the relationships among experiential knowledge and entry strategy, network knowledge redundancy, entry strategy and serendipity. Design/methodology/approach: The authors confront the study’s hypotheses with data collected on-site at 168 Swedish firms covering 234 opportunities, and to test the hypotheses, the authors ran ordinary least squares (OLS) regression tests in three steps. Findings: The results of the study’s analysis reveal that experiential knowledge and network knowledge redundancy both lead to a logic based on rigid planning and systematic search, which in turn reduces the likelihood that serendipitous opportunities will be realized in the foreign market entry process. Originality/value: This is the first study that develops a measure of opportunities that are the outcome of serendipitous events. In addition, the authors integrate network and learning theories and internationalization theory by establishing antecedents to, and outcomes of, the entry strategy.
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| 20. |
- Holmstedt, Matthias, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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The Role of the Pontonier in the Trigger Phase in the Internationalization into Emerging Markets
- 2010
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Ingår i: IB´s role in building a better and stronger global economy.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- By advancing the concept of pontonier this paper analyses the trigger of the internationalization into emerging markets. Departing from the idea that institutional distance functions as a barrier between different country markets and that the network’s structure contains gaps, the paper argues that a specific actor, who holds a position and possesses knowledge, can be instrumental in the entering firm’s internationalization. In light of this the paper introduces the concept of pontonier. Based on 22 cases from bachelor, master and doctoral theses written in Sweden we analyze the position, the knowledge, the action and the motives of the pontonier in order to develop the concept. After this the paper advances a tentative model of the pontonier’s bridge building in the trigger phase of the entry into emerging markets.
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| 21. |
- Johanson, Martin, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Acceleration and Deceleration in the Internationalization Process of the Firm
- 2016
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Ingår i: MIR: Management International Review. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0938-8249 .- 1861-8901. ; 56:6, s. 827-847
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By adopting a processual and dynamic view on internationalization, wedevelop the concepts of acceleration and deceleration, providing analytical tools toenhance our understanding of the non-linearity and multidimensionality of internationalization.We argue that acceleration and deceleration are embedded in theinternationalization process and are a consequence of the firm’s capability to absorband integrate acquired knowledge, and to find and exploit opportunities. In addition,we advance the idea that changes in speed are further influenced by how the firmintegrates and coordinates the resources it has deployed within and across variousinternationalization dimensions. Thus, it emerges that the overall evolution ofcommitment to internationalization is more complex than received theories tend topresent; therefore, empirical studies should aim to include a wide set of internationalactivities and processes embedded in time.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Johanson, Martin, 1960-
(författare)
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Nätverk och internationalisering
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Olika sätt att se på nätverk och relationer samt deras betydelse för internationalisering har under de senaste åren blivit en viktig del i forskningsaktiviteterna inom CER, där ett sådant forskningsprojekt pågår sedan 2013 under ledning av Martin Johanson. Det går under namnet "Network, opportunity and turbulence" och ambitionen är att öka kunskapen om nätverkens betydelse för internationaliserande små och medelstora företag. Delresultat har tidigare publicerats i den internationella tidskriftsartikeln ”Network knowledge and businessrelationship value in the foreign market” (Hohenthal, Johanson och Johanson, 2014).
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Lundberg, Heléne, 1960-
(författare)
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Geographical Proximity Effects and Regional Strategic Networks
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis focuses on regional strategic networks (RSNs). RSNs are used as a tool for regional development with a view to strengthening regional relationship-development and networking by forming regional groups of actors. The thesis aims to clarify the nature of RSNs and the value of geographical proximity in both theoretical and practical terms. Theories regarding effects of geographical proximity, regional agglomerations and networks are presented, and their possible application to RSNs is analyzed. Furthermore, findings from two case studies are reported. In the RSN study, the generally most highly valued outcome was the development of new relationships among the participants. Such relationships allowed for mutual learning and information exchange and also meant that for several participants the firms’ horizons were extended and their positions changed. Furthermore, internal marketing of training opportunities, in combination with financial subsidies, attracted several participants who attended training programmes on subjects that they would not otherwise have spent so much time on. However, few firms could state concrete results in terms of new business exchange or cooperative projects. The impact of structural factors on RSN outcomes is therefore discussed, in particular the impact of the membership composition of an RSN. Furthermore, important RSN-evaluation challenges are highlighted. The second study demonstrated that most R&D done by firms is characterized either by incremental, gradual technology development and low importance of geographical proximity to customers, suppliers and academic research organizations or by fast, step-wise technology development and high importance of geographical proximity to customers, suppliers and academic research organizations.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Presutti, Manuela, et al.
(författare)
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Analysing Social Capital and Product Innovativeness in the Relationship Evolution of Born-Global Companies the Mediating Role of Knowledge Acquisition
- 2022
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Ingår i: The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1554-7191 .- 1555-1938. ; 18:3, s. 1347-1371
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Relatively little is known about how born-global companies (BGs) innovate abroad during their lifecycle or about how the international innovation activities of BGs are related to their social capital. The network concepts of relational, structural, and cognitive social capital are almost completely neglected in the international business literature on BGs' innovation activities according to a dynamic approach. The aim of this research is to study the direct and indirect effects of structural, cognitive and relational social capital on BGs' product innovation by including the mediating role of market and technological knowledge acquisition. We develop a set of hypotheses that we combine and test in a structural equation model. We provide results with theoretical and practical implications for BGs in terms of both social capital and innovation abroad.
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| 30. |
- Safari, Aswo, et al.
(författare)
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Graftee and Grafting in Firm Internationalization
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of East-West Business. - : Routledge. - 1066-9868 .- 1528-6959.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study focuses on enhancing the understanding of how firm internationalization is triggered by investigating how firms cope with the lack of knowledge and networks when entering a foreign market. More specifically we are interested in answering the following research question: How do firms enter foreign markets without market-specific knowledge and market-specific network insidership? To this end, the present study implements a case study of 12 Swedish firms internationalizing into emerging markets. The study found that firms “graft” expert individuals to help firms penetrate foreign markets where they have no prior history or experience. Further, we observed the qualities of a specific type of actor we refer to as a “graftee” by describing grafting actions and showing how these graftees help firms acquire experiential knowledge and network insidership. Our empirical evidence shows that grafting impacts the form and process of internationalization, sometimes enabling an effectuation-driven market entry while, at other times, enabling a causation-driven process.
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| 31. |
- Silver, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Entrepreneurial orientation, control aversion and performance in SMEs : The contribution of equity investors
- 2016
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Ingår i: Problems & Perspectives in Management. - : LLC CPC Business Perspectives. - 1727-7051 .- 1810-5467. ; 14:3, s. 55-64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Entrepreneurial orientation is a concept that captures the importance of how and why certain individuals decide to take higher risks than the average small business owner so as to increase their return on assets deployed. Entrepreneurial orientation is linked to the concept of control aversion, which is used to explain why certain individuals refrain from using external financing to expand their firms. Control aversion suggests that most small business owners prefer to maintain total control rather than invite in the potentially disruptive influence of an external owner/investor. This study combines these two concepts in an attempt to introduce financing and investors into the discussion of entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Equity investors are shown to have a major influence on entrepreneurial performance, because business owners with an entrepreneurial orientation gain substantially from interaction with investors through the transfer of knowledge. The model was tested with a LInear Structural RELations (LISREL) analysis on a sample of 459 Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises.
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