The typology of entrepreneurial exporters: has it all been said? An empirical approach using latent class segmentations

Abstract

The main aim of this work is to close the research gap that is the lack of a dominant typology of exporting firms in the area of international entrepreneurship (IE). It combines the principles of gradual or stage approaches, scale and scope, with those associated with international entrepreneurial behaviours: time to internationalisation and speed. Latent class segmentation is achieved using a sample of 136 Spanish exporting firms to uncover the nature and characteristics of the different exporters. The results enable us to identify four groups of exporters: true-born global exporters, early international and market concentration exporters, traditional exporters, and true born-again globals. The differences between these four groups are the earliness of their internationalisation, their pace of international expansion, their development of strategies for diversification or market concentration, and their level of international propensity. The results produce both academic and managerial contributions to the field of export activities.