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The effect of international opportunity recognition processes on problem-solving competence: how does past negative entrepreneurial experience matter?

Abstract

Research background: Little research addresses how identifying an opportunity in the international market, whether through active search or serendipitous discovery, may have implications for the subsequent gestation behaviors. An emerging body of research suggests addressing this deficiency by focusing on the cognitive and experience-based factors that international entrepreneurs use to develop an opportunity in the foreign market once identified. Purpose of the article: The aim of this study is to explore the role of active and serendipitous international opportunity recognition (IOR) in entrepreneurs’ problem-solving skills (problem-solving speed and creativity), as well as the moderating effect of past negative entrepreneurial experience (PNE) on such relationships. Methods: This study used the survey data collection method through an online self-administered questionnaire. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to analyze the results over a sample of Spanish international entrepreneurs. Findings & value added: The results show that entrepreneurs that have identified an international opportunity (IO) actively are better equipped to solve problems speedily than those that have discovered an IO serendipitously. In contrast, entrepreneurs who identified an IO serendipitously are better equipped to solve problems creatively. Furthermore, the impact of active search on problem-solving speed is greater for entrepreneurs without PNE, and the impact of active search on problem-solving creativity is greater for entrepreneurs with PNE. Also, it is found that PNE does not moderate serendipitous IOR relationship with problem-solving competence. These findings are relevant as they indicate that the IOR processes have implications for the subsequent gestation behaviors. Thus, the value added of this study is the combination of cognitive and experience-based factors of the international entrepreneur to enrich the link between IOR processes and IO development. These are two intertwined and interdependent processes, which, however, have been scarcely studied as a whole. The results of this research help international entrepreneurs to understand how and why the way they recognized an IO and having or not PNE influence their problem-solving skills during the IO development phase.

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The effect of international opportunity recognition processes on problem-solving competence: how does past negative entrepreneurial experience matter?

Author: Terán Yépez, Eduardo,Jiménez Castillo, David,Sánchez Pérez, Manuel
Publisher: Institute of Economic Research (Poland)
Year: 2022
Source: https://repositorio.ual.es/bitstream/10835/14876/1/OEconomia_International_Opportunity_Recognition_2022.pdf
OeconomiA
cope nicana
Volume 13 Issue 2 June 2022
p-ISSN 2083-1277, e-ISSN 2353-1827
www.oeconomia.pl
Copy igh © Ins y u Badań Gospoda czych / Ins i u e o Economic Resea ch (Poland)
This is an Open Access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License
(h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep o-
duc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Ci a ion: Te án-Yépez, E., Jiménez-Cas illo, D., & Sánchez-Pé ez, M. (2022). The e ec o
in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion p ocesses on p oblem-sol ing compe ence: how does pas
nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience ma e ? Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579. doi:
10.24136/oc.2022.017
Con ac o co esponding au ho : Edua do Te án-Yépez, edua do. e [email protected]
A icle his o y: Recei ed: 8.02.2022; Accep ed: 1.06.2022; Published online: 30.06.2022
Edua do Te án-Yépez
Uni e si y o Alme ia (CIMEDES Resea ch Cen e and ceiA3), Spain
o cid.o g/0000-0002-1260-2477
Da id Jiménez-Cas illo
Uni e si y o Alme ia (CIMEDES Resea ch Cen e and ceiA3), Spain
o cid.o g/0000-0002-2302-1002
Manuel Sánchez-Pé ez
Uni e si y o Alme ia (CIMEDES Resea ch Cen e and ceiA3), Spain
o cid.o g/0000-0003-3709-3389
The e ec o in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion p ocesses
on p oblem-sol ing compe ence: how does pas nega i e
en ep eneu ial expe ience ma e ?
JEL Classi ica ion: D91; F23; L26; M16
Keywo ds: in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion; p oblem-sol ing speed; p oblem-sol ing
c ea i i y; pas nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience; ma ke oppo uni y iden i ica ion
Abs ac
Resea ch backg ound: Li le esea ch add esses how iden i ying an oppo uni y in he in e na-
ional ma ke , whe he h ough ac i e sea ch o se endipi ous disco e y, may ha e implica ions
o he subsequen ges a ion beha io s. An eme ging body o esea ch sugges s add essing his
de iciency by ocusing on he cogni i e and expe ience-based ac o s ha in e na ional en ep e-
neu s use o de elop an oppo uni y in he o eign ma ke once iden i ied.
Pu pose o he a icle: The aim o his s udy is o explo e he ole o ac i e and se endipi ous
in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion (IOR) in en ep eneu s’ p oblem-sol ing skills (p oblem-
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
542
sol ing speed and c ea i i y), as well as he mode a ing e ec o pas nega i e en ep eneu ial
expe ience (PNE) on such ela ionships.
Me hods: This s udy used he su ey da a collec ion me hod h ough an online sel -adminis e ed
ques ionnai e. Pa ial leas squa e s uc u al equa ion modeling (PLS-SEM) me hod was used o
analyze he esul s o e a sample o Spanish in e na ional en ep eneu s.
Findings & alue added: The esul s show ha en ep eneu s ha ha e iden i ied an in e na ion-
al oppo uni y (IO) ac i ely a e be e equipped o sol e p oblems speedily han hose ha ha e
disco e ed an IO se endipi ously. In con as , en ep eneu s who iden i ied an IO se endipi ously
a e be e equipped o sol e p oblems c ea i ely. Fu he mo e, he impac o ac i e sea ch on
p oblem-sol ing speed is g ea e o en ep eneu s wi hou PNE, and he impac o ac i e sea ch
on p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y is g ea e o en ep eneu s wi h PNE. Also, i is ound ha PNE
does no mode a e se endipi ous IOR ela ionship wi h p oblem-sol ing compe ence. These
indings a e ele an as hey indica e ha he IOR p ocesses ha e implica ions o he subsequen
ges a ion beha io s. Thus, he alue added o his s udy is he combina ion o cogni i e and expe-
ience-based ac o s o he in e na ional en ep eneu o en ich he link be ween IOR p ocesses
and IO de elopmen . These a e wo in e wined and in e dependen p ocesses, which, howe e ,
ha e been sca cely s udied as a whole. The esul s o his esea ch help in e na ional en ep e-
neu s o unde s and how and why he way hey ecognized an IO and ha ing o no PNE in luence
hei p oblem-sol ing skills du ing he IO de elopmen phase.
In oduc ion
The iden i ica ion and de elopmen o in e na ional ma ke oppo uni ies
a e c i ical o i ms’ in e na ional expansion since, wi hou ecogni ion and
de elopmen , in e na ional oppo uni ies (IOs) canno be exploi ed
(Chand a e al., 2009). As en ep eneu s o en play a c ucial ole in hese
ac i i ies, one o he opics ha ha e ecen ly a ac ed he in e es o in e -
na ional en ep eneu ship (IE) academics and p ac i ione s is o unde s and
how en ep eneu s ecognize and de elop IOs (Che y e al., 2018; Di
G ego io e al., 2021; Hilme sson e al., 2021a).
D awing on oppo uni y iden i ica ion heo y (A dich ili e al., 2003),
he li e a u e a gues ha en ep eneu s ecognize IOs h ough ac i e sea ch
o se endipi ous disco e y (Taba es e al., 2021). Ac i e sea ch claims o
he iden i ica ion o IOs h ough a sys ema ic sea ch o in o ma ion and
egula analysis o he in e na ional ma ke (Hilme sson e al., 2021a;
Tuomisalo, 2019), while in se endipi ous disco e y, IOs a e ecognized
h ough en ep eneu s’ ale ness and sensi i i y du ing passi e sea ch si ua-
ions (Kiss e al., 2020; Kon inen & Ojala, 2011). Al hough an e o has
been made in ecen yea s o s udy he in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion
(IOR) phenomenon in g ea e dep h, esea ch has mainly been ocused on
how and why en ep eneu s iden i y IOs ei he by ac i e sea ch o se endip-
i ous disco e y (Galan & To sein, 2021; Zae a ian e al., 2016). Howe e ,
he IOR is no hing mo e han he beginning o he IE p ocess and, a e
ecognizing an IO h ough pu pose ul sea ch o o ui ous ci cums ance,
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
543
in e na ional en ep eneu s en e in o a de elopmen s age whe e he IO is
e alua ed and whe e hey ypically ha e o sol e a whole se o p oblems
ha esul om he in e na ionaliza ion challenges (Di G ego io e al.,
2021; Hilme sson e al., 2021b; Taba es e al., 2021).
The di e ences be ween ac i e sea ch and se endipi ous disco e y a ise
a ques ion ega ding whe he he way en ep eneu s iden i y a new in e na-
ional ma ke oppo uni y can a ec how hey ace he eme gence o p ob-
lems and challenges ha a e common du ing in e na ional business ac i i-
ies (Chand a e al., 2020; Ji e al., 2016) and can limi oppo uni y de el-
opmen and exploi a ion. This issue is pa icula ly ele an conce ning en-
ep eneu s’ p oblem-sol ing skills as hey a e seen as key compe i i e
en ep eneu ial and manage ial weapons o success ully de elop and ex-
ploi an IO (Mos a iz & Goh, 2018; Taba es e al., 2021). P oblem-sol ing
skills, e e ed o as p oblem-sol ing speed and p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y
(A uahene-Gima & Wei, 2011), help en ep eneu s o o e come he chal-
lenges ha can hinde he oppo uni y o ope a e o e seas, as hey imply
de eloping imely, no el, and cos -e ec i e solu ions ha lead o he ex-
ploi a ion o he IO (Chand a e al., 2020; Mainela & Puhakka, 2009). Al -
hough ecen s udies sugges ha p oblem-sol ing skills a e a c i ical con-
e e ha can ansla e ecognized IOs in o aluable IOs o exploi
(Mos a iz & Goh, 2018; Zucchella, 2021), he e is a lack o esea ch ha
e i ies how each IOR app oach (ac i e IOR and se endipi ous IOR) is
ela ed o p oblem-sol ing compe ence and why can he e be p oblem-
sol ing compe ence he e ogenei y among in e na ional en ep eneu s.
Acco dingly, his s udy analyzes whe he ac i e and se endipi ous IOR
dis inc i ely de e mines p oblem-sol ing compe ence du ing in e na ional
oppo uni y de elopmen (IOD) p ocess. The heo e ical logic o expec ing
hese di e ences may be ound in p io li e a u e which sugges s ha di -
e ences in IOR may subs an ially a ec IOD and en ep eneu s’ skills and
beha io . Indeed, academics ha e a gued ha ac i e and se endipi ous IOR
di e en ly impac s on oppo uni y implemen a ion quickness, in e na ional-
iza ion speed, and isk- aking p opensi y (Ci a egna e al., 2014; De Cle cq
e al., 2012; Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015). In his s udy, we heo ize
ha ac i e in e na ional en ep eneu s — hose who iden i y IOs h ough
a pu pose ul p ocess — end o sol e p oblems as e han hei passi e
coun e pa s. On he con a y, we pos ula e ha passi e in e na ional en e-
p eneu s — hose who iden i y IOs h ough a se endipi ous p ocess — end
o sol e p oblems mo e c ea i ely han ac i e in e na ional en ep eneu s.
In speci ying he model, we d aw on he en ep eneu ial cogni ion heo y
(Mi chell e al., 2002) ollowing he ecen call o IE schola s o apply psy-
chological heo ies o o e a iche unde s anding o indi iduals’ he e oge-
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
544
nei y, and hus o explo e he e ec o en ep eneu ial mindse (e.g.,
knowledge, expe ience, cogni ion) on hei beha io and skills (Wach &
Głodowska, 2021; Zucchella, 2021).
Also, p e ious li e a u e a gues ha ce ain indi idual ac o s would im-
pac he IOD p ocess. In pa icula , he na u e o p e ious expe ience (posi-
i e o nega i e) has been sugges ed as a c i ical ac o a ec ing he speed
and c ea i i y o decisions (La uen e e al., 2019; Shephe d e al., 2015).
Schola s highligh ha in e na ional en ep eneu s wi h pas nega i e en e-
p eneu ial expe ience (PNE) di e om hose wi hou PNE since hey
show di e en beha io s and skills (La uen e e al., 2019; Ucbasa an e al.,
2013). In his s udy, we pay pa icula a en ion o PNE as an impo an
expe ience-based ac o o he e ec i eness o he ela ionship be ween
IOR and p oblem-sol ing skills. In pa icula , we pos ula e ha ega dless
o he ype o IOR p ocess, he p oblem-sol ing speed o in e na ional en-
ep eneu s wi h PNE is lesse han hose wi hou PNE. Also, we p opose
ha he e e se migh be expec ed o p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y; ega d-
less o he ype o IOR s yle, he p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y o in e na ional
en ep eneu s wi h PNE is g ea e han hose wi hou PNE.
The esul s o pa ial leas squa e s uc u al equa ion modeling (PLS-
SEM) analysis using da a om Spanish in e na ional en ep eneu s la gely
suppo ou hypo heses. The s udy p o ides wo main con ibu ions o he
IE li e a u e. Fi s , by disen angling he ela ionship be ween ac i e and
se endipi ous IOR and p oblem-sol ing skills, we con ibu e by demon-
s a ing ha each IOR pe spec i e di e en ly impac s p oblem-sol ing
speed and c ea i i y. Thus, we con i m ha he way an en ep eneu ecog-
nizes an IO is a sou ce o he e ogenei y ha explains why some in e na-
ional en ep eneu s sol e p oblems ha a ise du ing IOD as e and mo e
c ea i ely han o he s. Second, we also con ibu e by p o ing ha he na-
u e o pas expe iences, in ou case PNE, can be a ac o ha mode a es he
ela ionship be ween ac i e IOR and p oblem-sol ing skills, bu no he
ela ionship be ween se endipi ous IOR and p oblem-sol ing skills. Be-
sides, we show ha PNE has a dicho omous e ec on ac i e in e na ional
en ep eneu s ha ei he imp o es o hinde s hei p oblem-sol ing skills.
The es o he pape is o ganized as ollows. In he ollowing sec ion,
we ou line he heo e ical backg ound o he esea ch and e eal he hy-
po heses de elopmen . Nex , we elucida e he esea ch me hodology and
p esen he esul s o he s udy. Finally, we discuss hese esul s and con-
clude he s udy by p o iding manage ial implica ions, limi a ions and u-
u e esea ch di ec ions.
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
545
Li e a u e e iew and hypo heses de elopmen
Rele ance o IOR pe spec i es
How do in e na ional en ep eneu s disco e IOs? Based on oppo uni y
iden i ica ion heo y (A dich ili e al., 2003), p e ious li e a u e sugges s
wo undamen al possibili ies: ac i e IOR and se endipi ous IOR (C ick &
Spence, 2005; Te án-Yépez e al., 2021; Zae a ian e al., 2016). In ac i e
IOR, en ep eneu s iden i y IOs h ough sys ema ic pu sui and scanning
he en i onmen o gaps in he in e na ional ma ke (Che y e al., 2018;
Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015). This IOR s yle is based on a a ional,
delibe a e, analy ic, and ule-based sea ch and ga he ing o in o ma ion ha
conduc s o conscious easoning (Oyson & Whi ake , 2015; Tuomisalo,
2019). Ac i e IOR includes conduc ing s a egic planning, expo ma ke
esea ch, goal se ing, in e na ional ma ke scanning, o compe i i e analy-
sis, and he e o e i enables in e na ional en ep eneu s o inc ease hei
in o ma ion and knowledge base (Ci a egna e al., 2014; Muzychenko &
Liesch, 2015; Tuomisalo, 2019).
Con e sely, in se endipi ous IOR, en ep eneu s ecognize IOs o ui-
ously o acciden ally, h ough hei gu eeling in he cou se o o he ac i i-
ies (Hilme sson e al., 2021a; Kiss e al., 2020). Since his IOR s yle is no
based on any o m o planned sea ch, schola s poin ou ha i eases and
as s IOR (C ick & Spence, 2005). Al hough he se endipi ous IOR is con-
side ed o ui ous, p e ious esea ch s a es ha i is no pu e luck (Chand a
e al., 2009; Galan & To sein, 2021) bu a he ha in e na ional en ep e-
neu s ale ness in passi e sea ch si ua ions and he assimila ion ha he
in o ma ion ecei ed by chance could be o alue a e he main d i e s o
his p ocess (Che y e al., 2018; Kon inen & Ojala, 2011). These IOs a e
mainly iden i ied in unexpec ed con e sa ions wi h iends and colleagues,
when eading newspape s, o du ing aca ions (Kiss e al., 2020; Zae a ian
e al., 2016).
P e ious esea ch has sugges ed ha di e ences in IOR may ha e sub-
s an ial e ec s bo h on IOD and o e en ep eneu s’ skills and beha io .
Fo example, schola s ha e ound ha ac i e and se endipi ous IOR di e -
en ly in luence oppo uni y implemen a ion quickness, in e na ionaliza ion
speed, idea gene a ion, idea newness, isk- aking p opensi y, and
knowledge accumula ion (Ci a egna e al., 2014; De Cle cq e al., 2012;
Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015). In his ega d, schola s a gue ha di -
e ences in he IOR p ocess impac he iming and speed o implemen a ion
in he way ha IOs iden i ied o ui ously a e implemen ed mo e slowly
han hose iden i ied pu pose ully (Ci a egna e al., 2014). Resea ch on

Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
546
in e na ionaliza ion speed s a es simila beha io , as i s ipula es ha IOs
ecognized h ough delibe a e sea ch lead o a quicke in e na ionaliza ion
han hose IOs iden i ied o ui ously (De Cle cq e al., 2012).
Conce ning idea gene a ion, schola s sugges ha en ep eneu s ha ely
on se endipi ous IOR gene a e mo e ideas han en ep eneu s ha ely on
ac i e IOR (Fie & Pa el, 2008). Rega ding idea newness, p e ious esea ch
shows inconclusi e and opposi e esul s. Some au ho s a gue ha he delib-
e a e iden i ica ion o IOs leads o a highe deg ee o idea newness because
he sea ch inc eases he de ec ion o new ideas (Dahlq is e al., 2004).
Howe e , o he au ho s sugges ha en ep eneu s wi h se endipi ous IOR
p edisposi ion end o gene a e mo e c ea i e and no el ideas wi h many
unique cha ac e is ics because you canno sea ch o wha you do no know
(Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015). Also, when IOs a e iden i ied se en-
dipi ously, en ep eneu s p e e o ake a lowe - isk, lowe -cos app oach o
in e na ional expansion (Chand a e al., 2015).
Fu he mo e, as ac i e IOR in ol es deep e lec ion, as i leads o high
knowledge in ensi y and acili a es e ie al o ele an knowledge om
memo y in con as o se endipi ous IOR, which elies on shallow ep esen-
a ions and ew, supe icial knowledge (Jones & Casulli, 2014). Ex apola -
ing om hese indings, i is easonable o expec ha di e ences in he
IOR p ocess will also ma e conce ning p oblem-sol ing skills du ing
IOD.
P oblem-sol ing compe ence in IOD
A uahene-Gima and Wei (2011) p oposed wo p oblem-sol ing skills:
p oblem-sol ing speed and p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y, which a e ele an
o new p oduc de elopmen and an e ec i e esponse o ma ke ends.
As such, p oblem-sol ing compe ence desc ibes he abili y o p oduce no -
el solu ions and implemen hem in a imely manne (A uahene-Gima &
Wei, 2011; Mo is e al., 2013). In he IE p ocess, and speci ically in he
IOD s age, p oblems ha a ise in he in e na ional ma ke a e ha d o o e-
cas in ad ance and may equi e u gen , use ul, and cos -e ec i e solu ions
(Hilme sson e al., 2021b). Thus, p oblem-sol ing speed and c ea i i y a e
c i ical. as hey help o e come he challenges ha can hinde he oppo uni-
y o ope a e in he in e na ional ma ke (Boso e al., 2019; Chand a e al.,
2020). Mo eo e , hese skills ha e been ound o posi i ely in luence new
en u e su i al (S enholm & Renko, 2016), and in e na ional en y mode
pe o mance (Ji e al., 2016), and he lack o hese skills hinde he in e na-
ionaliza ion p ocess (Chand a e al., 2020). Indeed, p e ious esea ch has
elucida ed ha p oblem-sol ing is he mos demanded compe ence o new
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
547
employees by companies acing in e na ionaliza ion ac i i ies (Vibhaka &
Smi h, 2005), and i is also a key compe ence ha should be de eloped by
uni e si y s uden s who wan o engage in in e na ional business ac i i ies
(Mo is e al., 2013).
A uahene-Gima and Wei (2011) and Hilme sson e al. (2021b) sugges
ha inding quickly many solu ions o he p oblems de ec ed in he in e na-
ional ma ke is no enough, bu implemen ing hem speedily is ac ually
a skill. This s udy concep ualizes p oblem-sol ing speed as he abili y o
apidly ind and implemen an app op ia e numbe o solu ions o he mul i-
ace ed in e na ionaliza ion- ela ed p oblems ha jeopa dize he exploi a-
ion o an IO. Mo eo e , because he concep o c ea i i y in ol es no el y
and cos -e iciency (A uahene-Gima & Wei, 2011; Mo is e al., 2013),
hese wo aspec s a e included in ou concep ualiza ion o p oblem-sol ing
c ea i i y, de ined as he abili y o ind and implemen o iginal, use ul, and
cos -e ec i e solu ions o he in e na ionaliza ion- ela ed p oblems ha pu
he exploi a ion o an IO a isk. Since hese skills de i e om knowledge
and in o ma ion-based p ocesses and hus hey a e no homogeneously
de eloped, i is di icul o in e na ional en ep eneu s o show he same
p oblem-sol ing e ec i eness (G ube e al., 2015; Hilme sson e al.,
2021b). The e o e, hey a e seen as a compe i i e ad an age o exploi ing
oppo uni ies in new in e na ional ma ke s (Mos a iz & Goh, 2018).
En ep eneu ial cogni ion heo y
The en ep eneu ial cogni ion heo y (Mi chell e al., 2002) helps o un-
de s and how in e na ional en ep eneu s hink, how hey disco e IOs, and
why hey beha e di e en ly when aced wi h new IOs (Taba es e al.,
2021; Zah a e al., 2005). Zucchella (2021, p. 4) a gues ha his heo y
could shed ligh on he “non-di ec ly obse able elemen s in he mind o
he en ep eneu s like knowledge o ma ion, judgmen and e alua ion, ea-
soning, and p oblem-sol ing.” In his ein, en ep eneu ial cogni ion heo y
cha ac e izes he en ep eneu as a collec ion o unique in o ma ion and
knowledge ha signi ican ly impac s on his/he skills and beha io in he
en ep eneu ial p ocess (Ku a ko e al., 2021). Acco dingly, based on en-
ep eneu ial cogni ion heo y, schola s sugges ha an en ep eneu ’s p ob-
lem-sol ing abili y a ies while abso bing in o ma ion and knowledge o
ma ke s (Chen e al., 2018; Chen e al., 2020).
As p e iously a gued, we know ha each IOR app oach en ails di e en
beha io s o ga he ing ma ke in o ma ion. The e a e, in ac , di e ences
in he knowledge accumula ion abou he IO and he acili y o acqui e new
in o ma ion abou i depending on whe he he IO was ecognized pu pose-
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
548
ully o se endipi ously (Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015; Jones &
Casulli, 2014; Oyson & Whi ake , 2015). Fo example, en ep eneu s who
disco e an IO based on ac i e sea ch end o seek and acqui e mo e do-
main-speci ic in o ma ion abou he IO (Oyson & Whi ake , 2015). The e-
o e, a knowledge acquisi ion gap is c ea ed be ween IOs iden i ied ac i ely
and hose iden i ied se endipi ously. As p oblem-sol ing skills a e
knowledge and in o ma ion-based, p oblem-sol ing speed and c ea i i y in
he IOD s age may be condi ional on he in o ma ion and knowledge he
en ep eneu has gene a ed du ing he IOR phase. D awing on he en ep e-
neu ial cogni ion heo y, we a gue ha he e ogenei y in how en ep eneu s
iden i y IOs, especially he unique o m hey de elop he in o ma ion and
knowledge s uc u es ela ed o he IO, ul ima ely de e mines hei abili y o
sol e p oblems. Simila ly, Bai e al. (2019) ha e demons a ed ha di e -
ences in he in o ma ion and knowledge acqui ed abou he IO lead o a i-
a ion in p oduc -de elopmen skills.
Ac i e IOR and p oblem-sol ing compe ence
When en ep eneu s pu pose ully iden i y IOs, hey sys ema ically
sea ch o in o ma ion ha en ails ha ing di e en knowledge sou ces,
causing en ep eneu s o ha e ex ensi e in o ma ion necessa y o IOR
(Che y e al., 2018; Tuomisalo, 2019). This sea ch o in o ma ion would
help en ep eneu s o disco e he a eas in which he IO may all sho .
Thus, ac i e IOR enables hem o an icipa e p oblems ha may a ise du ing
he in e na ionaliza ion p ocess and ha e some po en ial p oblem-solu ion
pai s al eady p ede ined, acili a ing he quicke implemen a ion o solu-
ions (Hilme sson e al., 2021a; Vaghely & Julien, 2010). Fu he mo e, he
in o ma ion ga he ing consis s ypically no only o egula analysis o he
in e na ional en i onmen , bu may also in ol e in es iga ing he needs o
in e na ional cus ome s, examining and ques ioning he compe i o s, and/o
main aining echnical dialogues wi h supplie s (Chand a e al., 2015;
Ci a egna e al., 2014). Such ex e nal knowledge in e ac ion may inc ease
speed when sol ing p oblems du ing IOD since i educes misunde s and-
ings abou cus ome p oblems, allows o ha e in mind a pool o possible
solu ions al eady implemen ed by compe i o s, and builds capabili ies wi h-
in speci ic a eas (Bai e al., 2018; De Cle cq & Zhou, 2014). As such, he
in ense hough , planning, and in o ma ion exposu e and ga he ing expend-
ed a he ac i e IOR p ocess can sa e ime la e on, suppo ing speedily
de elopmen o he IO because in o ma ion gained h ough ac i e IOR can
be ecalled and p ojec ed in o de o ace he in e na ionaliza ion p oblems
(Chand a e al., 2009; Jones & Casulli, 2014).
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
549
Mo eo e , p e ious esea ch has emphasized he bond be ween acqui -
ing in o ma ion and knowledge and being c ea i e (Giampaoli e al., 2017).
Schola s emphasize ha access o in o ma ion and knowledge in he ele-
an domain bene i s he gene a ion o c ea i e solu ions (Chen e al.,
2018) The in o ma ion and knowledge acqui ed h ough he ac i e IOR can
ensu e a comple e analysis and unde s anding o ac ions equi ed o de el-
op and exploi an IO (Hilme sson e al., 2021a). Such ea ly analysis and
unde s anding may inc ease he likelihood o inding and implemen ing
cos -e ec i e and c ea i e solu ions (Chen e al., 2018; Mo is e al.,
2013). Addi ionally, h ough sys ema ic sea ch and in e na ional en i on-
men scanning, in e na ional en ep eneu s gain insigh in o he na u e and
con ex o he in e na ional ma ke . This would allow hem o imp o e he
unde s anding o he solu ion ends demanded by he in e na ional cus om-
e s, enac ed by supplie s, and implemen ed by he compe i o s (Bai e al.,
2018, 2019), which may heigh en he eme gence o a g ea a ie y o alu-
able and esh solu ions. The e o e, we hypo hesize as ollows:
H1: Ac i e IOR is posi i ely ela ed o (a) p oblem-sol ing speed and (b)
p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y.
Se endipi ous IOR and P oblem-Sol ing Compe ence
Se endipi ous IOR usually occu s h ough he in e p e a ion and eason-
ing o incomple e in o ma ion o unusual si ua ions in he in e na ional
en i onmen , implying ha en ep eneu s ha e limi ed knowledge abou he
IO (Hilme sson e al., 2021a; Kiss e al., 2020). Howe e , p e ious e-
sea ch sugges s ha despi e he ac ha en ep eneu s wi h se endipi ous
IOR p edisposi ion do no ha e s uc u ed in o ma ion abou he IO (C ick
& Spence, 2005; Kiss e al., 2020), hey could be well-skilled o sol e
p oblems ha may a ise du ing IOD since hey will be likely o connec
knowledge acqui ed in di e en con ex s o implemen solu ions
(Hilme sson e al., 2021b; Muelle & Shephe d, 2016). Mo eo e , passi e
en ep eneu s a e likely o p edic some p oblems and imagine al e na i e
solu ions ha hei new IOs may ace in ad ance (Chen e al., 2020). Rein-
o cing his idea, p e ious esea ch has a gued ha i would be expec ed
ha passi e in e na ional en ep eneu s use he a ailable dispe se in o -
ma ion abou he IO o deli e imely solu ions (E e s & O’Go man, 2011)
because hey a e amed in an impulsi e and amo phous p ocedu e ha
leads hem o conside he sca ce a ailable in o ma ion o make a decision
(Kon inen & Ojala, 2011).
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
556
coun s). As sugges ed by p e ious esea ch, he ques ionnai e was adminis-
e ed o owne –manage s o ac i e in e na ionalized i ms (e.g., Bolzani &
Foo, 2018).
To ensu e ha he pa icipan s a e in e na ional en ep eneu s, we es ab-
lished as sampling c i e ia ha we will only conside en ep eneu s who a e
cu en ly pu suing (de eloping) an oppo uni y in he in e na ional ma ke .
Acco dingly, ou inal a ge sample was 997 in e na ional en ep eneu s
who we e asked by e-mail o comple e an online sel -adminis e ed ques-
ionnai e de eloped wi h Google Fo ms so wa e. Two weeks and ou
weeks a e he ini ial su ey mailing, a eminde e-mail was sen o non-
esponden s. We ealized he da a collec ion be ween June 22 and Oc obe
11, 2020. We ecei ed 174 illed ques ionnai es. We nex e ined ou sam-
ple by checking he knowledgeabili y abou he opics and consis ency o
esponden s’ a i udes in he ques ionnai e by applying wo con ol ques-
ions. We emo ed 2 esponden s om he sample, one because incon-
sis ency in he esponses and he o he o bo h easons, i.e., low knowl-
edgeabili y and inconsis ency in he esponses. Thus, we ob ained 172 usa-
ble su eys, ep esen ing an e ec i e esponse a e o 17.3%. Fu he mo e,
o ensu e ha non- esponse bias is no a p oblem in ou s udy, we com-
pa ed he answe s o he 15 ea ly and he 15 la e esponden s by applying
a se ies o - es s (A ms ong & O e on, 1977). The esul s con i med ha
he e exis no signi ican di e ences and, he e o e, non- esponse bias is
no a p oblem in his s udy.
Fu he mo e, wi h he help o G*Powe so wa e (Memon e al., 2020),
we assessed i ou ini ial sample size (n = 172) mee s he minimum e-
qui ed o achie e he desi ed le el o s a is ical powe . Gi en ha he mos
complex eg ession in ou hypo hesized model has wo p edic o s, and as-
suming a medium e ec size o 0.15 and a powe o 0.80 being alpha 0.05,
a minimum sample size o 68 indi iduals is equi ed. Consequen ly, ou
inal sample highly exceeds he minimum equi ed. As o he esponden s’
cha ac e is ics, 102 indi iduals (59.3%) we e men and 70 (40.7%) women,
and he a e age age o esponden s was 42 yea s. 6.9% o hose su eyed
had a second-le el educa ion (seconda y school), 48.3% had a hi d-le el
educa ion (uni e si y deg ee), and 44.8% had a ou h-le el educa ion
(pos g adua e deg ee). I is also wo h no ing ha he en ep eneu s ep e-
sen nine di e en indus ies and ha 42.4% (n = 73) o hose acknowl-
edged ha hey had a PNE.

Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
557
Measu es and ques ionnai e design
The su ey consis ed o 36 ques ions di ided in h ee sec ions. The i s
sec ion se ed as an in oduc ion o he su ey and es ablished a ques ion in
which pa icipan s had o gi e hei consen o pa icipa e in he s udy. Sec-
ion wo con ained 25 ques ions e e ed o he main a iables o he s udy
(i.e., in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion, p oblem-sol ing skills) and o
a a iable ha was used as ma ke a iable, as well as wo con ol ques-
ions. Finally, he hi d sec ion includes 10 ques ions abou socio-
demog aphic and p e ious expe ience ac o s o esponden s.
The su ey was ini ially designed in English based on adap a ions o
p e iously alida ed scales. Then, i was ansla ed in o Spanish, as his is
he mo he ongue o he esponden s. Once ansla ed, he ques ionnai e
was judged by an expe panel consis ing o i e in e na ional en ep eneu s
and six schola s. Following he expe s’ sugges ions, mino adjus men s
we e made o adap he ins umen o he s udy con ex . As a inal s ep, he
su ey was back- ansla ed o English, and no di e ences ha a ec he
na u e o he o iginal scales we e ound. The majo i y o i ems we e meas-
u ed as closed ques ions using a se en-poin Like scale (1 = o ally disa-
g ee o 7 = o ally ag ee) excep o hose ques ions whe e esponden s
we e equi ed o espond ei he posi i ely o nega i ely (e.g., i hey ha e
had any nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience in he pas ) o whe e hey we e
equi ed o exp ess a speci ic esponse (e.g., hei age in yea s). Table 1
con ains a de ailed lis o he main a iables and i ems used in his s udy.
In e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion. To measu e ac i e and se endipi-
ous IOR, we adap ed p e ious scales de eloped by Kucke z e al. (2017),
Lo enz e al. (2018), and Nicolaou e al. (2009) o ou con ex . Ac i e IOR
was measu ed u ilizing six i ems ha cap u e he igid planning o ind
ele an in o ma ion abou he in e na ional ma ke , he delibe a e in es -
men in ime and esou ces, and he a emp o scan he in e na ional ma ke
cons an ly. Se endipi ous IOR was measu ed wi h i e i ems ha cap u e
he spon aneous eme gence o an IO, lack o in en ionali y o iden i y an
IO, and he sensi i i y and ale ness o disco e an IO in momen s o in-
sigh .
P oblem-sol ing speed and P oblem-sol ing c ea i i y
The measu e o hese wo cons uc s was assessed by adap ing he scales
de eloped by A uahene Gima and Wei (2011). Focusing on p oblems ha
in e na ional en ep eneu s encoun e du ing IOD, p oblem-sol ing speed
was measu ed wi h ou i ems ha add ess he quickness in inding and
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
558
implemen ing solu ions, and p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y was measu ed wi h
ou i ems, which e lec he cos -e ec i eness and no el y o he solu ions.
Pas nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience. As in p e ious s udies (e.g.,
La uen e e al. 2019), o measu e PNE esponden s epo ed whe he hey
ha e (yes o no) any nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience in he pas (e.g.,
closu e/sale/ ailu e o a business whose pe o mance was oo low o he
en ep eneu ’s expec a ions).
Con ol a iables. We included i e con ol a iables in he s udy;
which a e, gende (1 = emale; 2 = male), educa ional le el ( i e le els),
age (in yea s), in e na ional business expe ience (1 = yes; 2 = no), and PNE
se e i y (numbe o imes he en ep eneu has had nega i e en ep eneu ial
expe iences). Ou logic was ha hese i e a iables ha e p e iously been
ecognized as ele an o explaining possible sou ces o a ia ion when
s udying en ep eneu ial and in e na ionaliza ion beha io (Mu nieks e al.,
2020; Shephe d e al., 2015; Wach & Głodowska, 2021).
Da a analysis app oach
PLS-SEM was used o conduc he da a analysis (Hensele e al., 2009).
Se e al a gumen s jus i y he use o his echnique in ou s udy. Fi s , PLS
is app op ia e when he esea ch is conce ned wi h p edic ing mo e han
one dependen a iable (Hai e al., 2019). Second, since PLS is based on
boo s apping echniques, i p o ides mo e ealis ic in e ences (Rigdon,
2016), making i pa icula ly p e e able o s udy p e iously unp o en ela-
ionships. As he hi d a gumen , PLS-SEM, compa ed o co a iance-based
s uc u al equa ion modeling (CB-SEM), usually p oduces smalle s uc u -
al coe icien s, hus p o iding mo e secu e hypo hesis es ing in less s udied
con ex s such as Andalusia (Reina z e al., 2009). Fo he es ima ion me h-
od, Mode A ( e lec i e measu es) was selec ed since i s usage is sugges ed
when co ela ed i ems a e expec ed (i.e., he i ems o a scale a e in e -
changeable) (Ja is e al., 2003) and because a ela ionship is expec ed o
occu om he cons uc o he indica o s (Diaman opoulos & Winklho e ,
2001). The so wa e used o ca y ou he analysis was Sma PLS 3.3.
Common me hod bias
Common me hod bias (CMB) could be a p oblem in su ey-based s ud-
ies when he same esponden answe s independen and dependen a ia-
bles. The e o e, we ook some p ocedu es o a oid and con ol o CMB.
Fi s , we applied a ious emedies ecommended by MacKenzie and Pod-
sako (2012) o mi iga e CMB om he e y design phase o he su ey
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
559
(e.g., p e es he ques ionnai e, gua an ee pa icipan s anonymi y, ask pa -
icipan s o hones y, ensu e pa icipan s knowledgeabili y). Second, once
he da a was collec ed, we applied he measu ed la en ma ke a iable
(MLMV) echnique o de ec and con ol CMB, which is ecognized as he
only e ec i e s a is ical emedy o ha pu pose (Chin e al., 2013). The
basis o he MLMV is ha i should be om a di e en uni o analysis and
a di e en domain han he a iables included in he hypo hesized model.
Thus, o con ol o CMB, we included he o ganiza ional exhibi ionism
scale de eloped by Hamedoglu and Po as (2012) as MLMV. Ca ying ou
he men ioned analysis, we can a gue ha he CMB is no a p oblem in ou
esea ch, since he esul s ob ained a e he inclusion o he MLMV show
ha (1) he model p esen s a wo se i han he o iginal model and (2) ha
he pa h coe icien s do no show signi ican di e ences be ween hem and
a e consis en wi h he o iginal es ima es.
Resul s
Measu emen model assessmen
As we used Mode A ( e lec i e measu es) as es ima ion me hod, i s , well-
es ablished adi ional measu es should be applied o e alua e he meas-
u emen model’s in e nal consis ency, eliabili y, and alidi y (Hai e al.,
2019). All indica o loadings a e abo e he minimum limi sugges ed in he
li e a u e o 0.707 (Ca mines & Zelle , 1979), and hus, indi idual i em
eliabili y is conside ed sa is ac o y. Rega ding C onbach’s Alpha and
composi e eliabili y (CR), all a iables ha e alues be ween 0.70 and 0.95,
which a e he minimum and maximum alues espec i ely o ake in o con-
side a ion (Hai e al., 2019; Nunnally, 1978). Besides, he AVE o all a i-
ables is abo e he 0.50 cu -o le el, which con i ms he con e gen alidi-
y o ou measu emen s (Fo nell & La cke , 1981). Table 1 shows all hese
alues. Disc iminan alidi y was e alua ed h ough he He e o ai -
Mono ai Ra io (HTMT) 0.85 c i e ion (see Table 2), which is s ic e in
compa ison wi h o he disc iminan alidi y measu es such as c oss-
loadings and Fo nell-La cke c i e ion (Hensele e al., 2015). The esul s
ob ained h ough all hese measu es con i m he alidi y o ou measu e-
men model and he e o e we can p oceed o e alua e he s uc u al model.
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
560
S uc u al model assessmen
To s a e alua ing he s uc u al model, we mus i s look a he global
adjus men model calcula ed by he S anda dized Mean Squa e Residue
(SRMR). Ou model a ains an SRMR o 0.063, a alue ha is below he
ecommended maximum limi o 0.080, and he e o e means ha ou model
has an app op ia e i (Hu & Ben le , 1999). F om he e, we e alua e he
s uc u al model by examining he sign, size, and meaning o he s uc u al
pa h coe icien s and he
2
,
which allow he assessmen o he ela ion-
ships’ s a is ical signi icance. 10,000 esamples (boo s apping echnique)
we e u ilized o gene a e -s a is ics o e alua e he s a is ical signi icance
o he pa h coe icien s.
As displayed in Table 3, h ee o he i s ou hypo hesized ela ion-
ships a e suppo ed, ha is, H1a, H1b, and H2b. Howe e , H2a is no sup-
po ed, as se endipi ous IOR shows an ex emely low
2
, unde he mini-
mum le el o 0.02. Thus, se endipi ous IOR and PS speed a e no associa -
ed. I should also be no ed ha H1a and H2b show a s ong e ec size,
while H1b shows a weak e ec size (Cohen, 1988). Addi ionally, o es i-
ma e H3 and H4, we applied he app oach p oposed by Rod íguez-En ena
e al. (2018), which examines whe he he es ima es o wo pa ame e s ha e
signi ican di e ences be ween hem. In his ega d, H3 and H4 a e sup-
po ed, which con i ms ou supposi ion ha ac i e IOR possesses a signi i-
can ly g ea e e ec on p oblem-sol ing speed han se endipi ous IOR. On
he con a y, se endipi ous IOR possesses a signi ican ly g ea e e ec on
p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y han ac i e IOR.
Fu he mo e, he R
2
and he Q
2
alues we e examined o assess he p e-
dic i e ele ance o ou model. Ou hypo hesized model appea s o possess
sui able p edic i e powe (in-sample p edic ion) o bo h endogenous a i-
ables. Indeed, PS speed (R
2
= 0.433) and PS c ea i i y (R
2
= 0.384) show
a mode a e R
2
signi icance (Hensele e al., 2009). Likewise, when analyz-
ing ou esea ch model’s p edic i e pe o mance (ou -o -sample p edic-
ion), ou model seems o possess an adequa e p edic i e pe o mance by
calcula ing Q
2
alues h ough PLS p edic (PS Speed – Q
2
= 0.314; PS c e-
a i i y – Q
2
= 0.268), sugges ing ha ou model can p edic exac alues o
indi idual cases (E e mann & Ta e, 2016). Mo eo e , i should be no ed
ha none o he i e con ol a iables ha e signi ican e ec s o e he de-
penden a iables and he e o e a e no sou ces o a ia ion. Indeed, by
including only he con ol a iables in a model, we con i m ha none o
hem un old signi ican e ec s and gene a e a he weak R
2
alues (0.050
o PS speed and 0.056 o PS c ea i i y).
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
561
Finally, we conduc ed a mul i-g oup analysis (Hensele & Fasso ,
2010) o es he mode a ing e ec o PNE on he ela ionships included in
ou hypo hesized model. Consequen ly, we spli he sample in o wo
g oups, in e na ional en ep eneu s wi h (n = 73) and wi hou (n = 99) PNE.
Be o e compa ing pa h es ima es ac oss g oups, i is necessa y o exam-
ine he measu emen in a iance o composi e models (MICOMs). In his
way, i can be assu ed ha he e ec o he in ensi y o PNE as a mode a -
ing a iable is limi ed o he pa h coe icien s o he s uc u al model and
no o he pa ame e s o he measu emen model. Thus, we apply he h ee-
s ep p ocedu e (i.e., (1) con igu al in a iance, (2) composi ional in a iance,
and (3) an assessmen o equal a iances and means) o examine he
MICOMs when using PLS (Ma hews, 2017). As Table 4 shows, he ull
measu emen in a iance o bo h g oups was achie ed o all a iables.
Consequen ly, we nex applied a non-pa ame ic app oach, he pe mu a-
ion-based p ocedu e, o conduc mul i-g oup analyses h ough he e alua-
ion o he di e ences be ween he pa h coe icien s o wo g oups (Chin &
Dibbe n, 2010). The ad an age o his echnique is ha i is no based on
dis ibu ion assump ions, bu on a ough andomiza ion es in which a sub-
se o all possible da a pe mu a ions be ween g oups is made. In he pe mu-
a ion-based me hod, only a p- alue o he di e ences be ween he pa h
coe icien s lowe han 0.05 a he 5% le el indica es he exis ence o sig-
ni ican di e ences in he wo g oups, and hus i is he mos eliable me h-
od o conduc mul i-g oup analyses (Chin & Dibbe n, 2010; Hai e al.,
2018). As Table 4 illus a es, he e exis signi ican di e ences in wo o
he ou di ec e ec s on which mode a ion hypo heses we e pos ula ed.
H5a and H5b a e s a is ically suppo ed, while H6a and H6b a e no sup-
po ed. The e o e, PNE mode a es he ela ionships be ween ac i e IOR
and p oblem-sol ing skills bu does no a ec he ela ionships be ween
se endipi ous IOR and p oblem-sol ing skills. Pa h coe icien s, signi i-
cance le el, and R
2
o each subsample a e displayed in Figu e 2.
Discussion
We unde ook his s udy o ad ance he IE li e a u e by examining he ela-
ionship be ween IOR and p oblem-sol ing compe ence. In pa icula , we
pay special a en ion o whe he he wo IOR app oaches (i.e., ac i e IOR
and se endipi ous IOR) di e en ly in luence p oblem-sol ing speed and
c ea i i y and, hus, i hey a e a sou ce o he e ogenei y ha explains why
some in e na ional en ep eneu s sol e p oblems ha a ise du ing IOD as -
e and mo e c ea i ely. Mo eo e , we analyzed whe he PNE may be

Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
562
a sou ce o di e en ia ion ha mode a es he ela ionship be ween IOR
s yles and p oblem-sol ing skills. Ou indings, apa om ha ing ele an
heo e ical con ibu ions o he li e a u e, also ha e manage ial implica-
ions.
Theo e ical implica ions
As he i s con ibu ion, his s udy adds empi ical e idence ha con-
i ms ha he way an en ep eneu ecognizes an IO (ac i ely e sus se en-
dipi ously) di e en ly a ec s he de elopmen o he IO (c . Ci a egna e
al., 2014; Zhou, 2007). In pa icula , we o e ini ial insigh s on how ac i e
and se endipi ous IOR in luence en ep eneu s’ p oblem-sol ing compe-
ence o IOD. Ac i e IOR was ound o be posi i ely ela ed o bo h p ob-
lem-sol ing speed and c ea i i y, while se endipi ous IOR has a posi i e
ela ionship o p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y. Addi ionally, we ound ha se -
endipi ous IOR is mo e highly ela ed o p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y han
ac i e IOR, and on he con a y, ha ac i e IOR has a g ea e posi i e ela-
ionship wi h p oblem-sol ing speed han se endipi ous IOR. Indeed, al -
hough se endipi ous IOR does ha e a posi i e ela ionship wi h p oblem-
sol ing speed, his ela ionship is no signi ican .
The dynamic na u e o he o eign ma ke sugges s ha o compe e e -
ec i ely is i al o o e come he challenge and c i icali y o apidly de el-
oping he IO ma e ializa ion p ocess (Acedo & Jones, 2007). As such, he
posi i e e ec o ac i e IOR on p oblem-sol ing speed b ings new e i-
dence on he ele ance o in o ma ion ga he ing as a de e minan o he
apid de elopmen o IOs. Thus, his esul aligns somewha wi h p e ious
belie s ha IOs ecognized by ac i eness ha e a as e implemen a ion and
in e na ionaliza ion (Ci a egna e al., 2014) han hose ecognized by se -
endipi y which akes longe o be ma e ialized and in e na ionalized (De
Cle cq e al., 2012; Zhou, 2007). Wi h ou indings, we o e a possible
explana ion o his phenomenon, as i seems ha in se endipi ous IOR, he
p oblems ha appea ake longe o be sol ed by in e na ional en ep e-
neu s, which will esul in a la e implemen a ion o he IO. Indeed, ega d-
ing he non- ela ionship be ween se endipi ous IOR and p oblem-sol ing
speed, i appea s ha he limi ed knowledge abou he IO p e en s p ob-
lems ha a ise om being sol ed quickly. This inding con adic s p e ious
pos ula ions ha a i m ha en ep eneu s ha ecognized IOs se endipi-
ously use he sca ce a ailable in o ma ion o make imely decisions (E e s
& O’Go man, 2011; Kon inen & Ojala, 2011). Howe e , i is in line wi h
p io esea ch sugges ing ha en ep eneu s ha ecognized IOs se endipi-
ously need mo e hough ime o encoun e new in o ma ion om o eign
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
563
ma ke s be o e selec ing he igh solu ion (Chand a e al., 2009; Hohen hal
e al., 2003) which slowdowns p oblem-sol ing p ocess.
Thus, ou indings yield he pa adox ha while se endipi ous disco e y
accele a es he ecogni ion o IOs (C ick & Spence, 2005), i appea s ha
o IOs iden i ied in his way, in e na ional en ep eneu s will ake longe o
ind and implemen solu ions o IO de elopmen and exploi a ion ela ed
p oblems. Ins ead, while iden i ying an IO h ough ac i eness akes ime
and e o , sol ing p oblems ha a ise in hese oppo uni ies will be as e .
Ul ima ely, hese indings imply ha iden i ying IOs in one way o ano he
condi ion he speed o p oblem esolu ion, impac ing in e na ional oppo -
uni y exploi a ion and i m pe o mance (Giampaoli e al., 2017).
Rega ding p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y, e en i we ound i o be posi i e-
ly ela ed o bo h ac i e and se endipi ous IOR, se endipi ous IOR is a be -
e p edic o o implemen ing c ea i e solu ions, which aligns wi h ou
p io e lec ions. Se endipi ous IOR leads en ep eneu s o an open-ended
app oach o p oblem-sol ing, which indeed is be e sui ed o his end by
enabling analogical easoning p ocesses and he connec ion o knowledge
o igina ing in di e en con ex s (Muelle & Shephe d, 2016). Al hough
en ep eneu s wi h an ac i e IOR p edisposi ion may gene a e a lis o pos-
sible “new o he i m” solu ions based on hei sys ema ic sea ch on in e -
na ional ma ke s, he solu ions hey apply will usually be based on p ede-
ined p oblem-solu ion pai s wi h limi ed c ea i i y (A uahene-Gima &
Wei, 2011; Vaghely & Julien, 2010). Ou indings suppo he iew ha he
elaxed s anda ds o se endipi ous disco e y will allow in e na ional en e-
p eneu s o a i e a new p oblem-solu ion pai s, as hey possess an imagi-
na i e and uncon en ional way o hinking ha leads o gene a ing o iginal
and unique ideas (Hilme sson & Papaioannou, 2015; Vaghely & Julien,
2010). Likewise, c ea i e p oblem-sol ing does encompass no only he
o iginali y and no el y o he implemen ed solu ions bu also he ac ha
hese a e cos -e icien (A uahene-Gima & Wei, 2011). Ou indings add o
he li e a u e ha sugges s ha en ep eneu s ha ha e ecognized an IO
se endipi ously end o implemen lowe -cos ideas, as hey a e mo e likely
o use he a ailable esou ces o ma e ialize hei business oppo uni ies
(Hilme sson e al., 2021b; S enholm & Renko, 2016).
Does PNE ma e ? As a second con ibu ion, ou indings e eal ha he
na u e o he pas expe ience o in e na ional en ep eneu s plays a ole in
some o he p oposed ela ionships. In pa icula , he p oblem-sol ing
speed o ac i e en ep eneu s dec eases when hey ha e su e ed a PNE,
bu hei p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y inc eases. These indings con i m ha
PNE has dicho omous e ec s on en ep eneu s, ei he posi i e o nega i e
(c . Dias & Teixei a, 2017; Walsh & Cunningham, 2017). Conce ning
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
564
p oblem-sol ing speed, ou esul s ag ee wi h Shephe d (2003) and La-
uen e e al. (2019) as PNE will lead o a lack o con idence and isk- aking
p opensi y ha inhibi he use o knowledge acqui ed du ing ac i e IOR
limi ing he numbe o solu ions conside ed and hus leng hening solu ion
implemen a ion. Rega ding p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y, he PNE will ha e
he opposi e e ec as i will in ensi y he use o acqui ed knowledge o ind
and ma e ialize mo e inno a i e solu ions (Ellis e al., 2006; La uen e e
al., 2019). Hence, ou esul s sugges ha PNE does no ha e a unique im-
pac on en ep eneu s’ skills. In his s udy, we can conclude ha PNE
ha ms skills ha in ol e a lack o e lec ion, such as ha ing o ake ac ion
quickly, and ha i will ha e a posi i e e ec on skills ha in ol e mo e
e lec ion, such as c ea i i y.
In he case o passi e in e na ional en ep eneu s, ha ing a PNE does
no in luence he ela ionship be ween se endipi ous IOR and p oblem-
sol ing compe ence. Al hough he e a e sligh di e ences be ween he wo
g oups conside ed, he e ec is no s a ically signi ican . We o e an ex-
pos explana ion o such a non- ela ionship. The esul may indica e ha in
o ui ously iden i ied IOs, he impac o p io expe ience-based ac o s
ega ding en ep eneu s’ skills is no sound (Yamakawa & Ca don, 2015).
Thus, he inding could be explained om he poin o iew ha in se en-
dipi ously disco e ed IOs, he e is al eady plen i ul unce ain y, ambigui y,
and isk a e sion (Casillas e al., 2009; Chand a e al., 2020; Chand a e al.,
2015) ha e en i en ep eneu s ha e su e ed a PNE, i does no add e en
mo e u bulence o hei hinking. In his way, i appea s ha iden i ying
IOs h ough se endipi y will make in e na ional en ep eneu s implemen
solu ions slowly and cau iously enough and use di e gen hinking and
a ailable esou ces o deli e no el and cos -e icien solu ions.
Conclusions
D awing on oppo uni y iden i ica ion and en ep eneu ial cogni ion heo-
ies, his s udy p o ides new insigh s in o he IOR p ocess and i s e ec s by
examining i he way en ep eneu s ecognize an IO (ac i ely o se endipi-
ously) di e en ly in luences en ep eneu s’ p oblem-sol ing speed and
c ea i i y. Mo eo e , we ha e analyzed i PNE plays a mode a ing ole in
hese ela ionships. Using da a om 172 Spanish in e na ional en ep e-
neu s, we ha e ound ha ac i e IOR is posi i ely ela ed o p oblem-
sol ing speed and c ea i i y, while se endipi ous IOR has a posi i e ela-
ionship solely wi h p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y. Fu he mo e, we ha e
demons a ed ha en ep eneu s wi h an ac i e IOR p edisposi ion sol e
Oeconomia Cope nicana, 13(2), 541–579
565
p oblems as e han hei passi e coun e pa s, bu ha on he con a y,
en ep eneu s wi h a se endipi ous IOR p edisposi ion sol e p oblems mo e
c ea i ely. Addi ionally, we ha e ound ha PNE can ac as a mode a o by
dec easing he impac o ac i e IOR on p oblem-sol ing speed bu inc eas-
ing he impac o ac i e IOR on p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y. Rega ding se -
endipi ous IOR, ha ing o no a PNE does no mode a e i s ela ionship
wi h ei he p oblem-sol ing speed o c ea i i y. In sho , ou indings sug-
ges IOR s yles and PNE as sou ces o he e ogenei y o en ep eneu s’
p oblem-sol ing skills.
Manage ial implica ions
Ou s udy o e s se e al manage ial implica ions o in e na ional en e-
p eneu s. They should be acknowledged ha iden i ying IOs ac i ely o
se endipi ously will di e en ly in luence hei p oblem-sol ing compe-
ence. Likewise, he ac o ha ing a PNE may in luence hei p oblem-
sol ing compe ence. Rega ding p oblem-sol ing speed, hey should be
awa e ha in ac i ely iden i ied IOs hey will be p one o sol e p oblems
as e , which could ansla e in o as e implemen a ion o he IO and,
he e o e, o being mo e compe i i e in he in e na ional ma ke . Those
en ep eneu s who ac i ely iden i y IOs possess ele an ma ke in o -
ma ion ha allows hem o an icipa e a se ies o solu ions o add ess u u e
p oblems, hus speeding up hei esponse o hese di icul ies. Thus, ou
indings jus i y he esou ces ha in e na ional en ep eneu s in es in ac-
qui ing knowledge o iden i y an IO delibe a ely, o example, h ough
in e na ional ma ke esea ch. Howe e , in e na ional en ep eneu s o he
i ms whe e hey ope a e mus conside ha ha ing su e ed an en ep e-
neu ial ailu e will dec ease he quickness o p oblem-sol ing since i will
educe he con idence in e na ional en ep eneu s ha e in he in o ma ion
hey hold. Likewise, en ep eneu s who ha e ecognized an IO se endipi-
ously should be awa e ha hey will equi e mo e hough e o and ime
o acqui e new in o ma ion be o e sol ing he p oblems ha a ise, i espec-
i e o whe he o no hey ha e su e ed a PNE. The e o e, hey should
bea in mind ha se endipi ous IOs will ake longe o ma e ialize. Indeed,
his addi ional ime needed could jeopa dize new en u e su i al and/o
company pe o mance.
Rega ding p oblem-sol ing c ea i i y, in e na ional en ep eneu s o he
i ms o which hey wo k should no ice ha whe he hey disco e IOs
ac i ely o se endipi ously, hey will be able o sol e he p oblems ha
a ise c ea i ely. Howe e , i IOs a e disco e ed o ui ously, he e will be
a g ea e endency o implemen inno a i e solu ions. The openness in
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Acknowledgmen s
This publica ion is pa o he R&D p ojec PID2020-119994RB-I00, inanced by
MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/. This esea ch was also unded by he Anda-
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Uni e si y o Alme ia.
Annex
Table 1. Su ey i ems and measu emen model e alua ion
Cons uc /i ems
Weigh
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α
CR
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Please indica e you le el o ag eemen wi h each o he ollowing s a emen s ega ding he iden i ica ion o he business oppo uni y ha you a e
cu en ly pu suing (de eloping) in he in e na ional ma ke .
Se endipi ous in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion (SIOR) ( e lec i e)
0.903
0.928
0.721
I had a “s a e o ale ” o special sensi i i y o de ec he
oppo uni y in he in e na ional ma ke
0.260*
0.879*
I is di icul o explain how I came up wi h he in e na ional business idea; i jus came o me
spon aneously
0.234* 0.828*
I go he in e na ional business idea om
con e sa ions wi h o he people
0.192*
0.774*
I had he in ui ion o iden i y he oppo uni y in he in e na ional ma ke
0.250*
0.886*
Al hough i was no my in en ion, I iden i ied he oppo uni y o ini ia e a new business in he
in e na ional ma ke
0.238* 0.874*
Ac i e in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion (AIOR) ( e lec i e)
0.916
0.933
0.704
I esea ched in e na ional ma ke s o iden i y he business oppo uni y h ough an
o ganized/me hodical p ocess
0.181* 0.795*
I
in en ionally sea ched o cus ome needs o which I ha e de eloped a solu ion subsequen ly
0.195*
0.834*
In he sea ch o he in e na ional oppo uni y, I ook my ime
0.164*
0.770*
I examined and ques ioned exis ing solu ions (own and/o compe i o s’) in a pu pose ul way o
gene a e a new in e na ional business idea
0.218* 0.884*
I looked o in o ma ion o gene a e new ideas o p oduc s o se ices ocused on he
in e na ional ma ke
0.208* 0.847*
I egula ly analyzed he
in e na ional en i onmen o ind a business oppo uni y
0.220*
0.898*
Table 1. Con inued
Cons uc /i ems
Weigh
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CR
AVE
Re e o hose momen s when you ha e expe ienced in e na ional ma ke - ela ed p oblems (i.e., p oblems du ing he in e na ionaliza ion p ocess), du ing
he de elopmen o he business oppo uni y ha you a e cu en ly pu suing in he o eign ma ke (i.e.,, a e ha ing iden i ied he oppo uni y in he
in e na ional
ma ke ) and indica e you deg ee o ag eemen wi h he ollowing s a emen s
P oblem-sol ing speed (PSS) ( e lec i e)
0.885
0.921
0.744
I belie e I was quick o de ine, ind, and implemen solu ions o he p oblems ha a ose in he
in e na ional ma ke
0.297* 0.847*
I quickly came up wi h di e en al e na i e solu ions o each p oblem ha a ose in he
in e na ional ma ke
0.293* 0.892*
I usually ound and implemen ed a app op ia e imes an app op ia e numbe o al e na i e
solu ions o he p oblems ha a ose in he in e na ional ma ke
0.293* 0.876*
Fo e e y p oblem ound in he in e na ional ma ke , I had
many solu ions
0.276*
0.836*
P oblem-sol ing c ea i i y (PSC) ( e lec i e)
0.874
0.913
0.724
The solu ions I ound and implemen ed o he p oblems ha a ose in he in e na ional ma ke
we e cos
-
e icien
0.249* 0.816*
The solu ions o he p oblems ha a ose in he in e na ional ma ke we e usually inno a i e and
o iginal
0.343* 0.871*
I usually ound solu ions o hese p oblems ha had a lowe cos han expec ed
0.284*
0.862*
In gene al, I ound and applied c ea i e solu ions o he p oblems ha a ose in he in e na ional
ma ke
0.295* 0.855*
No e: * Signi ican a he 1% le el.
Table 2. Disc iminan alidi y (HTMT)
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Se endipi ous IOR
2. Ac i e IOR
0.392
3. P oblem
-
sol ing speed
0.213
0.724
4. P oblem
-
sol ing c ea i i y
0.657
0.075
0.264
Table 3. S uc u al model esul s
Hypo hesis Impac o On Pa h
coe icien
- alue
2
Hypo hesis
suppo ed
H1a+
Ac i e IOR
PS speed
0.675
12.571***
0.702
Yes
H1b+ Ac i e IOR PS
c ea i i y
0.183 2.565** 0.047 Yes
H2a+ Se endipi ous
IOR
PS speed 0.055 0.875 0.005 No
H2b+ Se endipi ous
IOR
PS
c ea i i y
0.661 11.486***
0.620 Yes
H3
Ac i e IOR
> Se endipi ous
IOR
PS speed 0.620
a
9.493*** -- Yes
H4
Se endipi ous
IOR > Ac i e
IOR
PS
c ea i i y 0.478
a
5.526*** -- Yes
No es: Two- ailed es .
a
Coe icien di e ences.
** Signi ican a he 5% le el.
*** Signi ican a he 1% le el.

Table 4. Resul s o he MICOMs p ocedu e and Mul i-g oup analysis based on pe mu a ion es
S ep 1 S ep 2 S ep 3a S ep 3b
Composi ional In a iance Equal Va iances Equal Means
Cons uc Con igu al
In a iance
O iginal
Co ela ion 5% Pa ial
MIE
Va iance-
O iginal
Di e ence
(PNEW-
PNEN)
2.5% 97.5% Equal
Mean-
O iginal
Di e ence
(PNEW-
PNEN)
2.5% 97.5% Equal Full
MIE
SIOR
Yes
0.999
0.997
Yes
-
0.108
-
0.283
0.269
Yes
-
0.084
-
0.297
0.300
Yes
Yes
AIOR
Yes
1.000
0.998
Yes
-
0.256
-
0.306
0.282
Yes
0.176
-
0.310
0.292
Yes
Yes
PSS
Yes
0.998
0.998
Yes
-
0.321
-
0.365
0.350
Yes
0.190
-
0.305
0.303
Yes
Yes
PSC
Yes
0.998
0.996
Yes
-
0.093
-
0.397
0.367
Yes
-
0.196
-
0.302
0.299
Yes
Yes
Di ec e ec s on
Endogenous
Va iables
PNEW PNEN Pe mu a ion Signi ican
R
2
Di ec E ec p- alue
R
2
Di ec E ec p- alue
p- alue
PSS
0.301
0.533
H5a: AIOR
0.547
0.000
0.777
0.000
0.030
Yes
H6a: SIOR
0.076
0.435
0.094
0.302
0.892
No
PSC
0.478
0.375
H5b: AIOR
0.363
0.000
0.077
0.442
0.044
Yes
H6b: SIOR
0.603
0.000
0.651
0.000
0.680
No
No es: SIOR: Se endipi ous in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion; AIOR: Ac i e in e na ional oppo uni y ecogni ion; PSS: P oblem-sol ing speed; PSC: P oblem-
sol ing c ea i i y; PNEW: In e na ional en ep eneu s wi h pas nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience subsample; PNEN: In e na ional en ep eneu s wi hou pas
nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience subsample; Pa ial MIE: Pa ial Measu emen In a iance Es ablished; Full MIE: Full Measu emen In a iance Es ablished.
Figu e 1. Concep ual model
Figu e 2. The model’s pa h coe icien s and R
2
s (PNEW g oup and PNEN g oup)
No es: PNEW: In e na ional en ep eneu s wi h pas nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience subsample;
PNEN: In e na ional en ep eneu s wi hou pas nega i e en ep eneu ial expe ience subsample.
***Signi ican a he 1% le el.