Relatedness and entry mode choice in the context of entrepreneurial business entries

In this research we aim to study how established firms develop new entrepreneurial business entry. We based our hypotheses on the theoretical propositions arising from the entrepreneurship strategic management interface. Specifically, we analyse which factors influence the entry mode choice in entrepreneurial business entries. We consider three groups of determinant factors: industry, firm and transaction-related factors. We test our hypothesis in a Spanish firm sample of 197 entrepreneurial business entries. Our results allow us to describe in which circumstances firms are more likely to perform entrepreneurial business entries by low resource commitment and control modes, such as strategic alliances. As a result, a theoretical model is proposed to assess the entry mode choice in this type of entry. Thus, this study contributes to generating debate in this topic. © 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.