AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

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We examine competence as a phenomenon from the perspective of task accomplishment and what makes
performance possible for owner-managers of small internationalising firms and move beyond knowledge as a
free floating term to knowledge in action. By doing so, we contribute to the emerging topic of small firm
internationalisation competence by focusing on the owner-manager rather than that of the firm. We also
contend that competence is not attribute-based but rather relational in nature. By using a relational approach
and phenomenography we reveal not only what constitutes small firm internationalisation competence but the
variation in the way owner-managers organise their knowledge and skills into sets of distinctive competence.
Our findings demonstrate that owner-managed small firm internationalisation competence is not defined
primarily as a set of attributes or owner-manager characteristics/traits. Rather internationalisation competence
is defined by the way owner-managers understand firm internationalisation. (For more information, please
contact: Peter William Lamb, La Trobe University, Australia: p.lamb@latrobe.edu.au)
In Search of a Prince: An INV'S Quest for a Strong Tie with an MNE
Shameen Prashantham, Nottingham University Business School
Suresh Bhagavatula, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
K Kumar, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Given the paucity of research on network outcomes (i.e. network ties as the dependent variable) and specific
sources of social capital in studies on international new ventures (INVs), we ask: How does an
internationalization-seeking new venture successfully forge a strong tie with a large MNE Specifically, we
identify ties with large multinational enterprises (MNEs) as an important but under-researched source of social
capital for internationalization-seeking start-ups – in other words, aspiring INVs. Based on an inductive
longitudinal case-study in Bangalore, India, our central argument is that an aspiring INV could build and
leverage valuable MNE links through the interplay between its network actions and uncertainty reduction, which
are engendered by the clarity of its strategic intent. Specifically, we identify the combined effects of network
broadening actions and egocentric uncertainty reduction as potentially leading to the formation of an optimal
partnering relationship with an MNE subsidiary. The combined effects of network deepening actions and
altercentric uncertainty reduction potentially lead to the transformation of this local relationship into a globally
embedded one involving the wider MNE. This, in turn, could lead to the MNE becoming a conduit for the new
venture's international expansion. Our theorizing contributes a fine-grained explanation of how the interaction
between strategic intent clarity, network actions and uncertainty reduction influence the network dynamics of
an INV pursuing a specific network strategy viz. partnering with an MNE as a basis for international expansion.
(For more information, please contact: Shameen Prashantham, Nottingham University Business School, China:
shameen.prashantham@nottingham.edu.cn)
Session: 2.1.10 - Panel
Track: 14 - Methods in IB Research
How IB Journals Manage Qualitative Submissions: Best Practices and Future Directions
Presented On: July 2, 2012 - 09:00-10:15
Chair: Catherine Welch, The University of Sydney
Co-Chair: Sylvie Chetty, Massey University
Panelists:
Catherine Welch, The University of Sydney
Mary Yoko Brannen, INSEAD
Sylvie Chetty, Massey University
Pervez N. Ghauri, King's College London
Klaus Macharzina, University of Hohenheim
Peter W. Liesch, University of Queensland
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
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