Abstract
Despite the importance of returnee entrepreneurs’ prior international experience (RIE), we have limited understanding of its conceptualisation and effect on firm outcomes. Drawing on experiential learning theory, we propose that prior experience host country is a critical learning context in which RIE was culturally imprinted. We examine the impact of culturally imprinted RIE on a firms’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO), likelihood of becoming a born–globals (BG), and post–entry speed of internationalisation (PIS).
Data from 216 Chinese exporting SMEs show that RIE positively predicted a firm’s likelihood of becoming a BG and influenced PIS directly and indirectly through EO. Cultural distances between prior experience host country – returnees’ home country – firm export country pairs, moderate these relationships. Our findings have important theoretical implications for the conceptualisation of international experience, and practical implications for returnee entrepreneurship.