Opportunity-Based International Entrepreneurship: A Configurational Approach

Based on an understanding of opportunity-driven international entrepreneurship, this study examines how individual entrepreneurs’ human capital, social capital in terms of entrepreneurial networks, and the characteristics of their informal institutional environments combine in complex ways to facilitate internationalization out of developed and emerging economies. We apply fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2013 data to highlight different configurational paths that lead to strong entrepreneurial internationalization that is both opportunity and innovation driven rather than necessity or imitation-driven. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of international entrepreneurship by highlighting similarities and differences in the ways entrepreneurs combine antecedent conditions to internationalize out of developed and emerging economies.