5.16. Micromultinational or not? The effects of international enterpreneurship, networking and learning.

ABSTRACT

Micromultinationals (mMNEs) are small internationalized firms that employ modes beyond exporting to expand abroad. This study investigates the effect of three sets of variables on the probability of the firm to become an mMNE. These variables draw from the international entrepreneurship, networking and learning perspectives. This research draws from the activities of 116 internationalized small firms based in an emerging Latin American economy, namely Chile. The findings suggest that risk propensity and networking with domestic and international partners increase the likelihood of a firm to become an mMNE. Consequently, the international entrepreneurship perspective partially predicts the behaviour of these firms, while the networking perspective considerably.

Also, given the positive association between mMNEs and international performance, management practitioners are advised to develop the two aforementioned organizational characteristics that are associated with the probability of being an mMNE.