EXPRESS: Entrepreneurs’ Social Ties and International Digital Entrepreneurial Marketing in SME Internationalization

Abstract

Digitalization has enabled entrepreneurs to adapt digital tools to create opportunities and reach customers in international markets. Yet, we have little understanding of international digital entrepreneurial marketing in the global marketplace. Drawing on social network theory, we investigate how entrepreneurs’ social ties and firms’ international digital entrepreneurial marketing influence SME internationalization. Based on multiple case study methodology, the results suggest that entrepreneurs’ bonding and bridging ties facilitate different dimensions of international digital entrepreneurial marketing. That further enhances the intensity and geographic scope of SME internationalization. SME internationalization also reinforces entrepreneurs’ accumulation of social ties. Our study contributes to international marketing research by developing the dimensions of the international digital entrepreneurial marketing concept, and exploring its important role in SME internationalization.