Title: Drivers of bricolage behaviour in internationalising SMEs: the role of sensemaking and institutions

Authors: Anna Vuorio; Maria Ivanova-Gongne; Lasse Torkkeli

Addresses: LUT University (Lappeenranta Campus), LUT Business School, Lappeenranta, Lahti, Finland ' Åbo Akademi, Turku, Finland ' LUT University (Lappeenranta Campus), LUT Business School, Lappeenranta, Lahti, Finland; Turku School of Economics, Turku, Finland

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine what drives entrepreneurial behaviour and sensemaking in international entrepreneurship, a topic noted for its importance but that has hitherto been mostly ignored in the international entrepreneurship literature. The study focuses on explaining the antecedents of bricolage behaviour in internationalising Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and applies structural equation modelling on a sample of internationally operating SMEs originating from Finland. The findings indicate that both institutions and sensemaking predict bricolage behaviour amongst international enterprises. More specifically, communication of sensemaking enhances both bricolage ability and confidence. The regulatory dimension of the institutional environment has a positive effect on bricolage ability, while the cognitive environment enhances communication of sensemaking. The study adds a novel contribution to international entrepreneurship literature by applying a behavioural lens and being the first to establish the antecedents of bricolage behaviour in internationalising SMEs.

Keywords: sensemaking; bricolage; behavioural lens; international entrepreneurship; institutions; SMEs; SME internationalisation; Finland; quantitative; structural equation modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2025.144619

European Journal of International Management, 2025 Vol.25 No.3/4, pp.543 - 566

Received: 15 Jul 2023
Accepted: 18 Mar 2024
Published online: 25 Feb 2025 *

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