Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the breadth and depth of international experience on subsequent new venture internationalisation and to what extent growth aspirations moderate these relationships. Drawing upon previous literature on international new ventures, human capital and growth aspirations, we tested our hypotheses using longitudinal data from the Comprehensive Australian Study of Entrepreneurial Emergence (CAUSEE). Our results support the hypothesis that breadth of international experience has a positive impact on internationalisation. Depth of international experience on its own does not predict subsequent internationalisation activities. However, results support our hypothesis that the interplay of a high growth aspiration and depth of international experience has a positive effect on internationalisation activities. Our study contributes to the research stream on new venture internationalisation by distinguishing between breadth and depth of international experience, suggesting that these dimensions are differentially linked to internationalisation. Further, we test for interaction effects between international experience and growth aspirations. We thereby add to the knowledge by illustrating that some types of human capital are only utilised when accompanied by growth aspirations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 421-440 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Journal of International Entrepreneurship |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 31 May 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the editor Hamid Etemad and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive and helpful suggestions and comments during the review process that were of great value for improving the manuscript. We also gratefully acknowledge the significant financial support for the CAUSEE study that made this research possible. The CAUSEE data collection, documentation, and release were funded by The Australian Research Council (grants DP0666616 and LP0776845); the QUT Business School; industry partners BDO Australia and National Australia Bank; and the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
Keywords
- Growth aspirations
- Human capital
- International experience
- International new ventures
- Internationalisation activities
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)