Drivers of export entrepreneurship

• Export entrepreneurship is associated with the degree, scope and speed.
• The main aim of this investigation is to get to know the drivers of export entrepreneurship.
• A conceptual model on export entrepreneurship is proposed.
• Export entrepreneurship positively depends on internal factors.
• Export entrepreneurship depends on contingency factors linked to the external environment.

The existing knowledge concerning the determinants of exporting entrepreneurship – conceived to be the speed, degree and scope with which the exporting activity is developed – is both scant and scattered. In order to cover this research gap, the main aim of this investigation is to get to know the drivers of export entrepreneurship from the resource-based view – RBV – and the contingency approach. A conceptual model that is verified with a multi-sectorial sample of 212 Spanish exporting companies is proposed. The results reveal that export entrepreneurship positively depends on internal factors, such as export commitment and resources associated with experience and structure. It likewise depends on contingency factors linked to the external environment, such as competitive intensity and the distances between the export firm's different markets. The results produce academic and managerial contributions for the field of export activities.