Entrepreneur-related constructs explaining the emergence of born global firms: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Objective: The paper is aimed at structuring entrepreneur-related constructs and building a conceptual framework that can serve as a foundation for future international entrepreneurship research and theory building.

Research Design & Methods: The author conducted the systematic literature review of 94 empirical studies and conceptual papers on the entrepreneur-related determinants of early internationalization in the international management journals in the years 1966 - 2015.

Findings: This article discusses and groups the existing knowledge on entrepreneur-related determinants of born globals successful international performance. The major theoretical contribution of the study is the conceptual framework of the main entrepreneur-level determinants of rapid internationalization.

Implications & Recommendations: The results of the study are exploratory and there is a need in validating the theoretical framework through an advanced quantitative study. Future research might try to integrate the reviewed entrepreneur-related constructs with organizational characteristics and external characteristics which determine born globals emergence.

Contribution & Value added: This paper provides the conceptual framework that groups entrepreneur-related constructs into 6 main constructs which can enrich future international entrepreneurship research.

Keywords

born globals, international entrepreneurship, internationalization

Author Biography

Elena Pawęta

Currently a PhD student at the Centre for Finance and Accounting of SMEs at the University of Lodz, Poland. She is a graduate of the Saint-Petersburg State University, School of Management, Russia and the Technical University of Lodz, Faculty of Organization and Management. Her research interests are international entrepreneurship and business planning.

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