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Erschienen in: Journal of International Entrepreneurship 2/2012

01.06.2012

Are born globals really born globals? The case of academic spin-offs with long development periods

verfasst von: Inger Beate Pettersen, Anita E. Tobiassen

Erschienen in: Journal of International Entrepreneurship | Ausgabe 2/2012

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Abstract

Most research on the born global phenomenon investigates firms from the point of their legal founding. Studies in the field of entrepreneurship show nonetheless that international firms undergo long pre-founding periods, which are likely to affect growth and internationalization in newly founded firms. In this study, we investigate three academic spin-offs with advanced technologies that are attractive in a global market. These firms had experienced extended time in developing their technologies, two of them in pre-founding periods. We examine here the networks of academic spin-offs in three stages: idea conception, technology development, and growth and internationalization. The research builds on diverse theories: born global theory, research on academic spin-offs, entrepreneurial firms, and network theory. We use a multiple case study to investigate the three spin-offs and a process approach in interviewing that includes the biographic histories of the focal firms. In analysis, we identify networks that provide financial resources, knowledge, innovation and technology resources, marketing, and reputational resources. Networks acquired at different stages and network changes greatly affected growth and internationalization in the focal firms. We also find that networks and resources acquired in pre-founding periods had great implications for growth and internationalization in the young firms. Our research therefore highlights the problem of age in the born global literature and we argue for the need to include pre-founding periods to better understand the born global phenomenon.

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Metadaten
Titel
Are born globals really born globals? The case of academic spin-offs with long development periods
verfasst von
Inger Beate Pettersen
Anita E. Tobiassen
Publikationsdatum
01.06.2012
Verlag
Springer US
Erschienen in
Journal of International Entrepreneurship / Ausgabe 2/2012
Print ISSN: 1570-7385
Elektronische ISSN: 1573-7349
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-012-0086-5

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