Top Management Team Heterogeneity and SME Export Performance: Investigating the Role of Environmental Uncertainty

Research has generally found that firms competing in high uncertainty environments gain advantages from having diverse (heterogeneous) management teams (TMTs). Employing a national survey of 70 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the present study examined whether TM T heterogeneity in functional background, international work experience, and foreign language proficiency had a stronger relationship with export performance for firms competing in high than those competing in low uncertainty environments. Results were generally weak when market and industry factors contributing to uncertainty were examined separately; however, additional analysis showed that the hypothesized relationship did exist when uncertainty was measured employing both factors simultaneously

Top Management International Orientation and Small Business Exporting Performance: The Moderating Roles of Export Market & Industry Factors

This study examined the relationship between top management team international orientation and small business export performance. Results generally supported the hypotheses that market and industry factors moderate this relationship. Employing a sample of U.S. small business exporters, the study found that top management team international orientation had a greater positive relationship with export performance for firms exporting to countries culturally different and geographically distant from their home country than those exporting to countries culturally similar and geographically proximate to their home countries. In addition, international orientation had a greater positive relationship with export performance for firms competing in multidomestic industries than those competing in global industries

Top Management Team Heterogeneity and SME Export Performance: Investigating the Role of Environmental Uncertainty

Research has generally found that firm competing in high uncertainty environments gain advantages from having diverse (heterogeneous) management teams (TMTs). Employing a national survey of 70 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the present study examined whether TM T heterogeneity in functional background, international work experience, and foreign language proficiency had a stronger relationship with  export performance for firms competing in high than those competing in low uncertainty environments. Results were generally weak when market and industry factors contributing to uncertainty were examined  separately;  however,  additional  analysis  showed  that  the hypothesized relationship did exist when uncertainty was measured employing both factors simultaneously

Young, Small, and Imprintable : Assessing Progress and Exploring Future Directions in New Venture and Small Business Research

Liabilities of newness and smallness as well as other issues (e.g., “imprinting”) that affect nascent firms represent foundational entrepreneurship issues. The articles in this Special Issue examine if and how these critical issues have changed over time, especially given recent innovations (e.g., crowdfunding) and other trends in society. We believe that a special issue devoted to these topics is especially timely not only because this research can inform current management theory, policy, and practice, but also because it has now been five and three decades, respectively, since the publication of Stinchcombe’s and Aldrich and Auster’s seminal works on these issues. These anniversaries, thus, provide an ideal time to reflect on findings, to date, and plot potential future research avenues

Entrepreneurial network development: Trusting in the process

An entrepreneur's network can provide a significant source of social capital, which, in turn, may increase a new venture's likelihood of success. Entrepreneurship research has frequently examined how such networks develop, and reviewing extant studies suggests that trust plays a significant role in this process. Despite its recognized importance, limited research exists examining how trust evolves during and interacts with the entrepreneur's venture network development. Accordingly, we propose that an entrepreneur's reliance on exchange relationships based on affective and cognitive trust will vary as the entrepreneur moves through the network development process. We conclude by discussing both the model's implications and future research avenues.