International new ventures (INV) are firms that trade out of their national borders from an early stage. The traditional internationalization stage models have not considered this issue. In this context, the existence of INV represents an important open research topic and merits attention. The internationalization of these ventures is a complex phenomenon and many perspectives are needed to understand it. The purpose of the research discussed here, however, is to present an entrepreneurial perspective to understand this process. From this perspective the authors analyse how these ventures can obtain the necessary tangible and intangible resources to face the internationalization process. They demonstrate the role of entrepreneurial networks in the internationalization of these types of ventures. Empirical research enables the authors to offer a more complete definition of international new ventures and to describe the characteristics of their entrepreneurial networks and the importance of those networks in the creation of such firms.
AldrichH.ZimmerC. (1986), ‘Entrepreneurship through social networks’, in SextonD. L.SmilorR. W., eds, The Art and Science of Entrepreneurship, Ballinger, New York, pp 3–25.
2.
AldrichH.RosenB.WoodwardW. (1987), ‘The impact of social networks on business founding and profit: A longitudinal study’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, Babson College, Wellesley, MA, pp 554–555.
3.
AndersenO. (1993), ‘On the internationalization process of firms: A critical analysis’, Journal of International Business Studies, second quarter, pp 209–231.
4.
AnderssonS. (2000), ‘The internationalization of the firm from an entrepreneurial perspective’, International Studies of Management and Organizations, Vol 30, No 1, pp 63–92.
5.
BilkeyW.TesarG. (1977), ‘The export behavior of smaller Wisconsin manufacturing firms’, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol 9, pp 93–98.
6.
BloodgoodJ. M.SapienzaH.AlmeidaJ. G. (1996), ‘The internationalization of new high potential ventures: Antecedents and outcomes’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, Babson College, Wellesley, MA.
7.
BjörkmanI.ForsgrenM. (2000), ‘Nordic international business research’, International Studies of Management and Organizations, Vol 30, No 1, pp 6–25.
8.
BonaccorsiA. (1992), ‘On the relationship between firm size and export intensity’, Journal of International Business Studies, fourth quarter, pp 605–635.
9.
BrazealD. V.HerbertT. T. (1999), ‘The genesis of entrepreneurship’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol 23, No 3, pp 29–45.
10.
CalofH. L. (1993), ‘The impact of size on internationalization’, Journal of Small Business Management, October, pp 60–69.
11.
CavusgillT. (1980), ‘On the internationalization process of firms’, European Research, Vol 8, pp 273–281.
12.
CyertR. D.MarchJ. G. (1963), The Behavioral Theory of The Firm, Prentice-Hall, New York.
13.
CollinsD. F.MooreD. G.UnwallaD. B. (1964), The Enterprising Man, MSU Business Studies, Michigan.
14.
CooperA. C.WooC.DunkelbergW. (1988), ‘Entrepreneur's perceived chances for success’, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 3, No 2, pp 97–108.
15.
CzinkotaM. R.JohnstonW. J. (1983), “Exporting: Does sales volume make a difference?”Journal of International Business Studies, spring/summer, pp 147–153.
16.
DichtlE.KöglmayrH. G.MüllerS. (1990), ‘International orientation as a precondition of export success’, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol 21, No 1, pp 32–41.
17.
GartnerW. B. (1988), ‘Who is an entrepreneur? is a wrong question’, American Journal of Small Business, April, pp 11–31.
18.
GartnerW. B. (1990), ‘What are we talking about when we talk about entrepreneurship?’Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 5, pp 15–28.
19.
GaskillL. R.Van AukenH. E.ManningR. (1993), ‘A factor analytic study of the perceived causes of small business failure’, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol 31, No 4, pp 18–31.
20.
GibbA.RitchieJ. (1982), ‘Understanding the process of starting small business’, European Small Business Journal, Vol 1, No 1, pp 26–45.
21.
HansenE. L. (1995), ‘Entrepreneurial networks and new organization growth’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, summer, pp 7–19.
22.
HiteJ. M.HesterlyW. S. (2001), ‘The evolution of firm networks: From emergence to early growth of the firm’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 22, pp 275–286.
23.
HolmlundM.KockS. (1998), ‘Relationships and the internationalisation of Finnish small and medium-sized companies’, International Small Business Journal, Vol 16, No 4, pp 46–63.
24.
HyvärinenL. (1992), ‘SME's internationalization as innovation’, communication presented al Rent VI, November, Barcelona.
25.
JohannissonB. (1997), ‘The dynamics of entrepreneurial networks’, Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, Babson College, Wellesley, MA.
26.
JohannissonB.MonstedM. (1998), ‘Contextualizing entrepreneurial networking’, International Studies of Management and Organization, Vol 27, No 3, pp 109–136.
27.
JohansonJ.ValhneJ.-E. (1977), ‘The internationalization process of the firm — a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments’, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol 8, pp 23–32.
28.
JohansonJ.ValhneJ.-E. (1990), ‘The mechanism of internationalization’, International Marketing Review, Vol 7, No 4, pp 11–24.
29.
LeoniduL.KatsikeasC. (1996), ‘The export development process: An integrative review of empirical models’, Journal of International Business Studies, third quarter, pp 517–550.
30.
LuJ. W.BeamishP. W. (2001), ‘The internationalization and performance of SMEs’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 22, pp 565–586.
31.
McDougallP. P.ShaneS.OviattB. M. (1994), ‘Explaining the formation of international new ventures: The limits of theories from international business research’, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 9, pp 469–487.
32.
McDougallP. P.OviattB. M. (2000), ‘International entrepreneurship: The intersection of two research paths’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol 43, No 5, pp 902–906.
33.
MelinL. (1992), ‘Internationalization as a strategy process’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 13, pp 99–118.
34.
O'FarrellP. N.WoodP. A.ZhengJ. (1998), ‘Internationalisation by business services SMEs: An inter-industry analysis’, International Small Business Journal, Vol 16, No 4, pp 13–33.
35.
OgbuehiA. O.LongfellowT. A. (1994), ‘Perceptions of US manufacturing SMEs concerning exporting: A comparison based on export experience’, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol 32, No 4, pp 37–47.
36.
OstgaardT. A.BirleyS. (1994), ‘Personal networks and firm competitive strategy — a strategic or coincidental match?’Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 9, pp 281–305.
37.
OstgaardT. A.BirleyS. (1996), ‘New venture growth and personal networks’, Journal of Business Research, Vol 36, pp 37–50.
38.
OviattB. M.McDougallP. P. (1994), ‘Toward a theory of international new ventures’, Journal of International Business Studies, first quarter, pp 45–64.
39.
OviattB. M.McDougallP. P. (1997), ‘Challenges for internationalization process theory: The case of international new ventures’, Management International Review, Special Issue, pp 85–99.
40.
PenroseE. T. (1959), A Theory of Growth of the Firm, Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
41.
RamachandranK.RamanarayanS. (1993), ‘Entrepreneurial orientation and networking: Some Indian evidence’, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol 8, pp 513–524.
42.
ReidS. D. (1981), ‘The decision-maker and export entry and expansion’, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol 12, pp 101–112.
43.
RenauJ. J. (1996), ‘El porqué, el cómo y el dónde de la internacionalización de la empesa’, Revista Asturiana de Economía, No 6, pp 41–61.
44.
RipollésM.MenguzzatoM.IborraM. (1999), ‘Empresas Internacionales de Reciente Creación e Intensidad Empresarial’, Revista Europea de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, Vol 8, No 3, pp 127–138.
45.
RobertsonM.SwanJ.NewellS. (1996), ‘The role of networks in the diffusion of technological innovation’, Journal of Management Studies, Vol 33, No 3, pp 333–359.
46.
ShaperoA.SokolL. (1982), ‘The social dimensions of entrepreneurship’, in KentC. A.SextonD. L.VesperK. H., eds, Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship, Prentice-Hall, New York.
47.
SharkeyT. W.LimJ.-S.KimK. (1989), ‘Export development and perceived export barriers. An empirical analysis of small firms’, Management International Review, Vol 29, No 2, pp 33–40.
48.
StevensonH. H.GumpertD. G. (1985), ‘The heart of entrepreneurship’, Harvard Business Review, March–April, pp 85–94.
49.
StevensonH. H.JarilloJ. C. (1990), ‘A paradigm of entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial management’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 11, pp 17–27.
50.
StevensonH. H.RobertsM. J.GrousbeckH. I. (1989), New Business Venture and the Entrepreneur, Irwin, London.
51.
StevensonH. H.SahalmanW. A. (1989), ‘The entrepreneurial process’, in BurnsP.DewhurstJ., eds, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, MacMillan Education, Basingstoke, pp 94–124.
52.
SzarkaJ. (1990), ‘Networking and small firms’, International Small Business Journal, Vol 8, No 2, pp 10–22.
53.
TimmonsJ. A. (1990), New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship in the 1990's, Irwin, Homewood.
VesperK. H. (1990), New Venture Strategies, Prentice-Hall, New York.
56.
WestheadP.WrightM.UcbasaranD.MartinF. (2000), ‘International market selection strategies of manufacturing and services firms’, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 13, pp 17–46.
57.
WooC.DaellenbackU.Nicholls-NixonC. (1994), ‘Theory building in the presence of randomness: The case of venture creation and performance’, Journal of Management Studies, Vol 31, No 4, pp 507–524.
