Internationalization of young, technology-based firms: an organizational learning and social capital perspective
Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: While extant research on the internationalization of young firms has focused on experiential learning by the firm and the founding team’s prior experience (i.e., congenital learning) as important mechanisms to gain foreign market knowledge and internationalization capabilities, few studies have empirically examined the effects of interorganizational learning from network partners on internationalization. Further, the effects of the different learning mechanism have been largely studied in isolation of one another. In this paper, we examine both the direct and interactive effects of interorganizational learning from key exchange partners on the extent of internationalization of young, technology-based firms. Using data on 114 firms in Flanders, we find that interorganizational learning is positively associated with the firms’ extent of internationalization, and that the level of experiential learning negatively moderates this relationship. That is, interorganizational learning matters more for less experienced firms, indicating that firms can substitute for a lack of experience by acquiring knowledge from their key partners. Contrary to our expectation, we do not find an amplification effect between interorganizational and congenital learning.
Author: Johan Bruneel
Language: English
Subfield: Strategy and Management
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2236754591