Entrepreneurship in an increasingly digital and global world. Evaluating the role of digital capabilities on international entrepreneurial intention

Abstract

Given the growing role of entrepreneurial companies in international markets, recent research endeavors direct their attention towards understanding the role of digital technologies for the internationalization efforts of new ventures. Thereby, existing research is mostly focused on explaining the enabling role of digital technologies as a contextual frame, but widely neglects the role of the individual and his/her capabilities to make use of those technologies. This paper aims at closing the above research gap by focusing on digital capabilities and investigating their effect on the intention to engage in international entrepreneurship. With the help of structural equation modeling, we integrate the concept of digital capabilities into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and empirically analyze the complex relationship between digital capabilities, the three TPB dimensions, and international entrepreneurial intention (IEI). Using a student sample from a major German university (n = 198), we find evidence for the significant role of digital capabilities for IEI through its positive effects on an individual’s attitude towards international entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control.