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Social Media Firm Specific Advantages as Enablers of Network Embeddedness of International Entrepreneurial Ventures

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  • Fraccastoro, Sara
  • Gabrielsson, Mika
  • Chetty, Sylvie

Abstract

Combining internalisation theory and internationalisation networking literature we study how international entrepreneurial ventures use social media to internationalise. Our qualitative study reveals the governance mechanisms and learning that are part of a dynamic process. We explain how firms leverage their own social-media capabilities and bundle them with the capabilities of foreign partners, which they leverage to create new social-media capabilities to grow internationally. Firms leverage social-media capabilities to become embedded within emerging and strategic networks, a position that is central for firms to mitigate threats of opportunism and bounded reliability and to overcome liabilities connected to smallness, newness, and foreignness.

Suggested Citation

  • Fraccastoro, Sara & Gabrielsson, Mika & Chetty, Sylvie, 2021. "Social Media Firm Specific Advantages as Enablers of Network Embeddedness of International Entrepreneurial Ventures," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:56:y:2021:i:3:s1090951620300924
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101164
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    8. Lee, Jeoung Yul & Yang, Young Soo & Ghauri, Pervez N. & Park, Byung Il, 2022. "The Impact of Social Media and Digital Platforms Experience on SME International Orientation: The Moderating Role of COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    9. Han, Xiaomin & Goxe, François & Freeman, Susan, 2024. "Internationalization through social networks: A systematic review and future research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(4).
    10. Liu, Zhenyuan & Han, Shuihua & Li, Chao & Gupta, Shivam & Sivarajah, Uthayasankar, 2022. "Leveraging customer engagement to improve the operational efficiency of social commerce start-ups," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 572-582.
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    14. Shaker A. Zahra & Giuseppe Criaco & Olga Petricevic & Niron Hashai, 2024. "Conceptualizing international new ventures as the nexus of entrepreneurship and international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(8), pages 1048-1056, October.
    15. Ala Shakeeb Awad & Ahmet Ertugan & Ayshe Hyusein, 2022. "Mode of Collaboration between the Pharmaceutical Firms and Pharmacists: An Empirical Investigation of Social Media Marketing Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-14, October.
    16. Luíza Neves Marques Fonseca & Clarice Secches Kogut & Angela Rocha, 2023. "Anywhere in the World? The Internationalization of Small Entrepreneurial Ventures using a Social Media Platform," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(4), pages 673-696, August.
    17. Hultman, Magnus & Iveson, Abbie & Oghazi, Pejvak, 2023. "Talk less and listen more? The effectiveness of social media talking and listening tactics on export performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    18. Azlina Mohamad & Adriana Mohd Rizal & Suzilawati Kamarudin & Musli Sahimi, 2022. "Exploring the Co-Creation of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Service Providers Enabled by Digital Interactive Platforms for Internationalization: A Case Study in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-24, December.
    19. Drummond, Conor & McGrath, Helen & O'Toole, Thomas, 2023. "Beyond the platform: Social media as a multi-faceted resource in value creation for entrepreneurial firms in a collaborative network," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

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