How does international entrepreneurial orientation influence firms' internationalization? An exploration with Indian software product top management teams

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how international entrepreneurial orientation of top management team (TMT) of software product firms influence their firms' internationalization activities.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses interpretive analysis techniques and examines data collected from in-depth interviews and secondary sources from 20 software product firms.FindingsThe analysis of data reveals the existence of a pathway through which the international entrepreneurial orientation of the TMT influences the firm's strategic learning functions (knowledge creation, dissemination, interpretation and implementation) which in turn influences the firm's internationalization activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors extend the existing knowledge by demonstrating an existence of path to interpret the individual attribute of international entrepreneurial orientation of TMT with the organization's knowledge management functions. Building on the theories of knowledge-based view and organizational learning, and by leveraging the microfoundations approach, a process model is also derived based on evidence from data analysis to enable examination of the combined effects of the international entrepreneurial orientation of TMT, firm's strategic learning on internationalization.Originality/valueThe authors provide an integrative process model that connects TMTs' international entrepreneurial orientation to the firms' strategic learning processes, which in turn is linked to examine the combined influence of these constructs on the internationalization activities of a firm.