Born globals versus domestic venture: an exploratory study on opportunity framing differences

Comunicação apresentada na 31ª Conferência da EIBA, In Landscapes and Mindscapes in a Globalised WorldInternational entrepreneurship is generating an increasing stream of research. However, this is mainly concerned with the description of strategies used by born globals and with the comparison between their behaviour and that of traditional exporters. The study of the very early stages of the entrepreneurial process as well as the contrast with purely domestic ventures has been neglected. This exploratory paper, based on case studies of two pairs of high tech firms (ICT and biotechnology), focusses on the differences of opportunity framing processes between born globals and domestic ventures. Empirical evidence shows that born globals’ entrepreneurs frame their opportunities with no geographic boundaries, show higher-levels of self-perception, master deeper and more complex knowledge and are more involved in international networks than the founders of domestic ventures