Outward internationalization of private enterprises in China: The effect of competitive advantages and disadvantages compared to home market rivals

This study uses the resource-based view of a firm to examine the outward internationalization of private firms in China. We investigate the extent to which advantages/disadvantages of resource endowment and organizing capability of Chinese private enterprises (relative to both state-owned enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises at home) may drive outward internationalization and affect their risk-taking tendency when going international. Our analyses of 553 Chinese private enterprises show that a Chinese private firm's likelihood of venturing abroad is associated with resource endowment advantages vis-à-vis foreign-invested enterprises, organizing capability advantages vis-à-vis state-owned enterprises, and organizing capability disadvantages vis-à-vis foreign-invested enterprises. These same advantages (or disadvantages) in organizing capabilities also increase a firm's likelihood of choosing a high-risk entry mode. We also find that a firm's resource endowment and organizing capabilities interact with each other and mutually enhance each other's effect on the likelihood of outward internationalization.