Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1003355 | Journal of World Business | 2013 | 12 Pages |
Firm inception is integral to the definition of the ‘international new venture’/‘born global’, yet has received little attention. In line with entrepreneurship research, we propose that inception be analysed as a process of organizational emergence. By means of a qualitative process-based case study, we identify the key inception events of six SMEs that according to conventional definitions could be considered INVs/born globals. Organizational emergence occurred prior to, and continued beyond, the date of incorporation, and included international activities. We reconceptualize INVs as firms that internationalize during organizational emergence. Our explanation for the international activities of INVs therefore integrates internationalization and inception processes.