Early internationalising ventures facing ageing and sizing: international growth, entrepreneurial, and market orientation

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between the earliness of internationalisation (EOI) and international growth using a sample of 168 high-tech (computer, electronics, telecommunications, and other digital services) Italian SMEs surveyed at two points in time (2007 and 2018). We investigate the moderating role of firm age and size on the relationship between EOI and international growth, conceptualised in terms of both, international scale and geographic scope. More specifically, we evaluate the impact of firm entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientation (MO) on this moderating role. We find that size and age reinforce internationalisation growth, but its effect is stronger when firms have low EO and high MO. Thus, ageing more than sizing seems able to sclerotise early international ventures, thus reducing their ability to enlarge their international scale and scope. Our results highlight the complexity of the relationship between EOI and post-entry international development.