Title: Open innovation, market orientation, intellectual capital readiness and higher education institutions' internationalisation performance: the moderating role of entrepreneurial leadership

Authors: Ai-Cam Tran; Thu-Hien Thi Dao

Addresses: Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 300A Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, HCMC, Vietnam ' Department of International Business, Faculty of Business Administration, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, HCMC, Vietnam

Abstract: This study examines the impact of international market orientation (IMO), intellectual capital readiness (IC) - including its three components of human capital (HC), structural capital (SC) and relational capital (RC) - open innovation (OI) and entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on the internationalisation performance (IP) of higher education institutions (HEIs). Based on dynamic capability theory (DCT), we validate a proposed research model using a dataset (x = 178) drawn from direct and online surveys of managers of HEIs in Ho Chi Minh City. The SmartPLS4 was utilised for data analysis. The findings reveal that: 1) unlike EL, the factors IMO, IC, and OI significantly affect IP; 2) OI acts as both a direct determinant and a mediator of the relationships of IMO, IC and IP; 3) EL moderates the OI-IP link. This study enriches the DCT literature for the HEIs' context, with theoretical and practical implications for researchers, HEI managers, and policymakers in emerging economies.

Keywords: higher education institutions; HEIs; internationalisation performance; open innovation; dynamic capability theory; DCT; intellectual capital readiness; entrepreneurial leadership; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2025.148648

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2025 Vol.17 No.1, pp.132 - 160

Received: 09 Mar 2025
Accepted: 04 Apr 2025
Published online: 17 Sep 2025 *

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