International competitiveness readiness, home country institutions, and early internationalisation

Purpose (limit 100 words) Synthesising an individual-opportunity nexus model, this research aims to develop a model of early internationalisation by integrating international competitiveness readiness, entrepreneurial motives, and home-country institutions, and empirically assesse this model using a multilevel estimate design. Design/methodology/approach (limit 100 words) Drawing upon a global context comprising 79,402 entrepreneurs from 87 countries, this research applies a Heckman two-step model together with a multilevel approach that allow us to deal with self-selection bias and to take the hierarchical nature of the data into account. Findings (limit 100 words) The findings show that early internationalisation is significantly affected by entrepreneurs' international competitiveness readiness and this association is moderated by entrepreneurial motives. In addition, the findings demonstrate that the individual-level effects are further modified by the quality of country-level governance. Practical implications (limit 100 words) The research findings have significant implications and value for policy-makers who are aiming to stimulate the rate of early internationalisation by influencing the quality of governance. Originality/value (limit 100 words) The results contribute to the development of knowledge and theoretical bases in international entrepreneurship. It provides a multi-level view on the relationships between entrepreneurs and the internationalisation of their firms from an integrative perspective, thereby complementing the perspective of international competitiveness readiness that primarily focuses on the effects of inherent resources and capabilities.

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