Some see the light and some do not – Understanding the international opportunity recognition of Finnish SMEs in Russia through mental images

Haaja, Eini

doi:10.1080/10669868.2018.1519493

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Thus, the process of recognising opportunities involves the objective reality of one's context, as well as the subjective interpretations that one makes of this context and of one's position within it (Grégoire et al 2010). In the case of international opportunities, mental images concern specific foreign markets (Haaja 2019). Given the subjective understanding that mental images provide to investigating the recognition of opportunities in different contexts, this study builds on the mental image concept when exploring international opportunity recognition particularly in collaborative settings.…”

Section: Opportunity Recognition and Mental Imagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why do some SMEs engage in joint internationalisation and others do not? Exploring the role of mental images in collective international opportunity recognition

Haaja

2019

J Int Entrep

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This study explores the under-researched yet increasingly important process of collective international opportunity recognition. Collective opportunities are created through the interaction and joint acts of several firms and, thus, involve a complex merging of different perspectives and interests. This study analyses why some entrepreneurs recognise collective opportunities in foreign markets while others do not. The empirical data comprise qualitative interviews with 20 representatives of Finnish small-and medium-sized maritime enterprises that are exploring internationalisation opportunities in Norway and Russia. The study suggests that collective international opportunity recognition is affected by the entrepreneur's mental images of inter-firm collaboration and the foreign market. These images comprise his or her interpretations of relevant experiences, the current strategies and resources, and attractiveness of the context. Mental images are built on information and stimuli that the entrepreneur receives regarding potential partner firms and the foreign market, although these inputs are interpreted through the current images. The study advances international entrepreneurship research by providing insights into the subjective and contextual process of collective international opportunity recognition from the perspective of individual entrepreneurs, exploring mental images as drivers in this process, and describing the content of these images. The study highlights the complexities involved in opportunity recognition in an international collaborative setting. RésuméEste estudio investiga el proceso del reconocimiento de la oportunidad internacional colectiva, un tema poco estudiado, pero cada vez más importante. Las oportunidades colectivas se crean a través de la interacción y los actos comunes de varias empresas, y

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Section: Opportunity Recognition and Mental Imagesmentioning

confidence: 99%