Abstract
Drawing upon upper echelon theory, we examine how strategic renewal capability impacts the relationships between top management team composition – team size and team gender diversity – and early internationalizing firms’ (EIFs) performance. Utilizing a sample of 195 EIFs, derived from the Bangladeshi apparel industry, we empirically test these hypothesized relationships. We find that the top management team’s gender diversity positively EIFs’ performance, and that its effect is also channelled through their strategic renewal capability. Our study advances theoretical understanding by highlighting that gender diversity in top management team contributes to EIFs’ performance, but team size does not matter. We further establish the critical role of strategic renewal capability in influencing the performance outcome of EIFs.