IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v80y2017icp257-265.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of agility on the market performance of born-global firms: An exploratory study of the ‘Tech City’ innovation cluster

Author

Listed:
  • Nemkova, Ekaterina

Abstract

Although there is some recognition that agility is advantageous for a born-global firm, the concept of agility is underexplored in the management and marketing literature. Little is known about the ability of born-globals to become agile and under what conditions agility can lead to better market performance. In this investigation the exploratory qualitative research was conducted using the data of fifteen in-depth interviews with managers and experts in Tech City in London, UK. Firstly, the findings show that creativity and informal planning are the main decision-making drivers of agility in born-global firms. Secondly, the study reveals that agility is more likely to be positively related to international market performance when key decision-makers have certain skills, including knowledge of the market, international experience, learning orientation and ambiguity tolerance.

Suggested Citation

  • Nemkova, Ekaterina, 2017. "The impact of agility on the market performance of born-global firms: An exploratory study of the ‘Tech City’ innovation cluster," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 257-265.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:80:y:2017:i:c:p:257-265
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.04.017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829631730139X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.04.017?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ivo Zander & Patricia McDougall-Covin & Elizabeth L Rose, 2015. "Born globals and international business: Evolution of a field of research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(1), pages 27-35, January.
    2. Jean–François Hennart, 2014. "The Accidental Internationalists: A Theory of Born Globals," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(1), pages 117-135, January.
    3. Cegarra-Navarro, Juan-Gabriel & Soto-Acosta, Pedro & Wensley, Anthony K.P., 2016. "Structured knowledge processes and firm performance: The role of organizational agility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1544-1549.
    4. Freeman, Susan & Hutchings, Kate & Lazaris, Miria & Zyngier, Suzanne, 2010. "A model of rapid knowledge development: The smaller born-global firm," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 70-84, February.
    5. Kalinic, Igor & Sarasvathy, Saras D. & Forza, Cipriano, 2014. "‘Expect the unexpected’: Implications of effectual logic on the internationalization process," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 635-647.
    6. Niina Nummela & Sami Saarenketo & Päivi Jokela & Sharon Loane, 2014. "Strategic Decision-Making of a Born Global: A Comparative Study From Three Small Open Economies," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 527-550, August.
    7. Kuivalainen, Olli & Saarenketo, Sami & Puumalainen, Kaisu, 2012. "Start-up patterns of internationalization: A framework and its application in the context of knowledge-intensive SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 372-385.
    8. Gabrielsson, Mika & Kirpalani, V.H. Manek & Dimitratos, Pavlos & Solberg, Carl Arthur & Zucchella, Antonella, 2008. "Born globals: Propositions to help advance the theory," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 385-401, August.
    9. Gary A Knight & S Tamar Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 124-141, March.
    10. Tamar Almor & Shlomo Y. Tarba & Avital Margalit, 2014. "Maturing, Technology-Based, Born-Global Companies: Surviving Through Mergers and Acquisitions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 421-444, August.
    11. Robert D. Austin & Lee Devin & Erin E. Sullivan, 2012. "Accidental Innovation: Supporting Valuable Unpredictability in the Creative Process," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(5), pages 1505-1522, October.
    12. Tage Madsen, 2013. "Early and rapidly internationalizing ventures: Similarities and differences between classifications based on the original international new venture and born global literatures," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 65-79, March.
    13. Weerawardena, Jay & Mort, Gillian Sullivan & Liesch, Peter W. & Knight, Gary, 2007. "Conceptualizing accelerated internationalization in the born global firm: A dynamic capabilities perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 294-306, September.
    14. Tamara Galkina & Sylvie Chetty, 2015. "Effectuation and Networking of Internationalizing SMEs," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 55(5), pages 647-676, October.
    15. Nicole Coviello, 2015. "Re-thinking research on born globals," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(1), pages 17-26, January.
    16. Gary A Knight & S Tamer Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(4), pages 334-334, July.
    17. Saras Sarasvathy & K. Kumar & Jeffrey G. York & Suresh Bhagavatula, 2014. "An Effectual Approach to International Entrepreneurship: Overlaps, Challenges, and Provocative Possibilities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(1), pages 71-93, January.
    18. Pauwels, Charlotte & Clarysse, Bart & Wright, Mike & Van Hove, Jonas, 2016. "Understanding a new generation incubation model: The accelerator," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 50, pages 13-24.
    19. Benjamin M Oviatt & Patricia Phillips McDougall, 1994. "Toward a Theory of International New ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(1), pages 45-64, March.
    20. García-Peñalvo, Francisco J. & Conde, Miguel Á., 2014. "Using informal learning for business decision making and knowledge management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 686-691.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Williams, David W. & Crook, T. Russell, 2021. "Unpacking the age at initial internationalization-performance relationship: A meta-analytic investigation," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 15(C).
    2. Elisabeth F. Mueller & Carola Jungwirth, 2022. "Are cooperative firms more agile? A contingency perspective on small and medium-sized enterprises in agglomerations and peripheral areas," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 281-302, January.
    3. Ludovica Moi & Francesca Cabiddu, 2021. "Leading digital transformation through an Agile Marketing Capability: the case of Spotahome," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(4), pages 1145-1177, December.
    4. Pinho, Celso R.A. & Pinho, Maria Luiza C.A. & Deligonul, Seyda Z. & Tamer Cavusgil, S., 2022. "The agility construct in the literature: Conceptualization and bibliometric assessment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 517-532.
    5. Rubina Romanello & Maria Chiarvesio, 2019. "Early internationalizing firms: 2004–2018," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 172-219, June.
    6. Ye, Yu & Yu, Qionglei & Zheng, Yongjun & Zheng, Yi, 2022. "Investigating the effect of social media application on firm capabilities and performance: The perspective of dynamic capability view," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 510-519.
    7. Jafari-Sadeghi, Vahid & Amoozad Mahdiraji, Hannan & Busso, Donatella & Yahiaoui, Dorra, 2022. "Towards agility in international high-tech SMEs: Exploring key drivers and main outcomes of dynamic capabilities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    8. Liedong, Tahiru Azaaviele & Rajwani, Tazeeb & Lawton, Thomas C., 2020. "Information and nonmarket strategy: Conceptualizing the interrelationship between big data and corporate political activity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    9. Arslan, Ahmad & Kamara, Samppa & Tian, Anna Yumiao & Rodgers, Peter & Kontkanen, Minnie, 2024. "Marketing agility in underdog entrepreneurship: A qualitative assessment in post-conflict Sub-Saharan African context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    10. Figueiredo, Marco & Ferreira, João J. & Vrontis, Demetris, 2024. "Perspectives on dynamic capabilities and ambidexterity in born-global companies: Theoretical framing, review and research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    11. Lungu Miruna Florina, 2020. "Factors determining company performance in the IT industry," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 59-77, March.
    12. Adomako, Samuel & Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Donbesuur, Francis & Ahsan, Mujtaba & Danso, Albert & Uddin, Moshfique, 2022. "Strategic agility of SMEs in emerging economies: Antecedents, consequences and boundary conditions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Figueiredo, Marco & Ferreira, João J. & Vrontis, Demetris, 2024. "Perspectives on dynamic capabilities and ambidexterity in born-global companies: Theoretical framing, review and research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    2. Rubina Romanello & Maria Chiarvesio, 2019. "Early internationalizing firms: 2004–2018," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 172-219, June.
    3. Elena Pawęta, 2015. "Entrepreneur-related constructs explaining the emergence of born global firms: A Systematic Literature Review," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 3(4), pages 11-36.
    4. Jiang, Guohua & Kotabe, Masaaki & Zhang, Feng & Hao, Andy W. & Paul, Justin & Wang, Cheng Lu, 2020. "The determinants and performance of early internationalizing firms: A literature review and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    5. Ciszewska-Mlinarič, Mariola & Wójcik, Piotr & Obłój, Krzysztof, 2020. "Learning dynamics of rapidly internationalizing venture: Beyond the early stage of international growth in a CEE context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 450-465.
    6. Stephan Gerschewski & Yong Kyu Lew & Zaheer Khan & Byung Il Park, 2018. "Post-Entry Performance of International New Ventures: The Mediating Role of Learning Orientation," John H Dunning Centre for International Business Discussion Papers jhd-dp2018-06, Henley Business School, University of Reading.
    7. Dzikowski, Piotr, 2018. "A bibliometric analysis of born global firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 281-294.
    8. Jan Abrahamsson & Håkan Boter & Vladimir Vanyushyn, 2019. "Business model innovation of international new ventures: An empirical study in a Swedish context," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 75-102, March.
    9. Choquette, Eliane & Rask, Morten & Sala, Davide & Schröder, Philipp, 2017. "Born Globals—Is there fire behind the smoke?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 448-460.
    10. Knight, Gary A. & Liesch, Peter W., 2016. "Internationalization: From incremental to born global," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 93-102.
    11. Vuorio, Anna & Torkkeli, Lasse, 2023. "Dynamic managerial capability portfolios in early internationalising firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(1).
    12. Rimante Sedziniauskiene & Jurgita Sekliuckiene & Antonella Zucchella, 2019. "Networks’ Impact on the Entrepreneurial Internationalization: A Literature Review and Research Agenda," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(5), pages 779-823, October.
    13. Fletcher, Margaret & Harris, Simon & Richey, Robert Glenn, 2021. "Retrospective and prospective learning: Accelerating the internationalization process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    14. Quan Anh Nguyen & Gillian Sullivan Mort, 0. "Conceptualising organisational-level and microfoundational capabilities: an integrated view of born-globals’ internationalisation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    15. Sascha Kraus & Alexander Brem & Miriam Schuessler & Felix Schuessler & Thomas Niemand, 2019. "Innovative Born Globals: Investigating the Influence of Their Business Models on International Performance," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Alexander Brem & Joe Tidd & Tugrul Daim (ed.), Managing Innovation Internationalization of Innovation, chapter 11, pages 275-328, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    16. Loufrani-Fedida, Sabrina & Hauch, Valérie & Elidrissi, Djamila, 2019. "The dynamics of relational competencies in the development of born global firms: A multilevel approach," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 222-237.
    17. Farhad Uddin Ahmed & Louis Brennan, 2021. "A review of methodological diversity within the domain of international entrepreneurship," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 256-299, June.
    18. De Cock, Robin & Andries, Petra & Clarysse, Bart, 2021. "How founder characteristics imprint ventures’ internationalization processes: The role of international experience and cognitive beliefs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    19. Renato Cotta Mello & Angela Rocha & Jorge Ferreira Silva, 2019. "The long-term trajectory of international new ventures: A longitudinal study of software developers," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 144-171, June.
    20. Rubina Romanello & Maria Chiarvesio, 2017. "Turning point: when born globals enter post-entry stage," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 177-206, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:80:y:2017:i:c:p:257-265. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.