Founding Team Structure: A Critical Resource for Internationally Oriented Start-ups in the Era of Political Uncertainty

Abstract

In this study, we consider war-related disruptions (and the continuing political isolation) as a catalyst for the global connectivity of national entrepreneurial ecosystems. We examine 771 Israeli early-stage start-ups to evaluate the relevance of the founding team structure to the internationalization process of startups and the success of internationally oriented new ventures. We consolidate and apply conceptual perspectives from Upper Echelon, Resource-Based View, and Human Capital theories to exemplify the critical role of the founding team composition in the development of effective governance structures in start-ups, particularly those with international commercial aspirations. We also contribute to the ongoing debate in the entrepreneurship literature regarding the control-related benefits of sole ownership versus the skill-related advantages of founding teams.