Explore Entrepreneur's Personal Very First Export Decision Based on Bounded Rationality

This exploratory research first anatomizes entrepreneur's personal very first exportdecision processes. Major export decisions (MEDs) are treated as the basic components of thedecision process. The second step is to find out possible differences between first exportdecisions and subsequent export decisions with respect to the sequence and frequency of MEDs. Design/methodology/approach: We apply an in-depth case study approach. The data ofdecision processes of three entrepreneurs in different industries was collected through semi-structured interviews in 2017 and 2018. We applied a method to support interviewees' recallprocesses. Information related to MEDs was extracted to form the process data. We comparedthe sequence and frequency of MEDs in our cases with previous research conclusions. Findings: First, in all cases, there is at least one MED, which was made more than once in thedecision process. Second, none of the interviewed entrepreneurs had made the choice of localrepresentative. Third, although the export-production decision was not treated as MEDs by theprevious study, all interviewed entrepreneurs have expressed its importance. Without it the firstexports could not have been done. Our findings complement previous research conclusions. Research/practical implications: Entrepreneur's first export decision is unique. It influencessubsequent internationalization behaviours. Future researches and policymakers should payspecial attention to it. Instead of focusing on a single MED, future studies and export promotionprograms should apply a holistic approach to study and practically support the completedecision process that contains many MEDs, so that decision-makers can carry the exportprocess through to the end. Future scholarly works are needed to explore the cognitive processof reaching those MEDs in real-life to develop methods to support the decision-making process. Originality/value: The unit of analysis of our study is entrepreneur's complete personal firstexport decision process. Based on bounded rationality, it is necessary to study export decisionson the individual level.