Management Review

›› 2018, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (12): 63-75.

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Study on the Relationship among Dual Network Embeddedness, Ambidextrous Entrepreneurial Learning and the Growth of Returnee Entrepreneurial Firms

Peng Wei1, Jin Dandan1, Fu Zhengping2   

  1. 1. Business School, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164;
    2. Business School, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275
  • Received:2017-03-27 Online:2018-12-28 Published:2018-12-21

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Abstract:

Existing studies indicate that both local network embeddedness and overseas network embeddedness have significantly positive effect on the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms, but the internal mechanism of dual network embeddedness affecting the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms is still unclear. This paper integrates social network theory and entrepreneurial learning theory to construct a conceptual model on the relationship among dual network embeddedness, ambidextrous entrepreneurial learning and the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms. Then this paper empirically testifies the conceptual model by using both hierarchical linear regression and structural equation modeling methods based on the questionnaire data of 227 returnee entrepreneurial firms from 8 national-level returnee entrepreneurial park in the south of Jiangsu province. The results show that dual network embeddedness has a significantly positive impact on the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms and ambidextrous entrepreneurial learning plays a significant mediating role on the relationship between dual network embeddedness and the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms. Moreover, the mediating effect of exploitative entrepreneurial learning on the relationship between local network embeddedness and the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms is stronger than exploratory entrepreneurial learning while the mediating effect of exploratory entrepreneurial learning on the relationship between overseas network embeddedness and the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms is stronger than exploitative entrepreneurial learning. The research result opens the black box of the effect of dual network embeddedness on the growth of returnee entrepreneurial firms and also has great implication for Chinese returnee entrepreneurial firms to embed dual networks to achieve growth.

Key words: dual network embeddedness, ambidextrous entrepreneurial learning, returnee entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial firm, firm growth