Oh, the places you’ll go: A schema theory perspective on cross-cultural experience and entrepreneurship

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that there is a meaningful link between overseas experience and entrepreneurial activity. However, we find very limited inquiry at the individual-level into why cross-cultural exposure seems to enhance proclivities to engage in entrepreneurship. Drawing from Schema Theory, we argue that breadth of cross-cultural experience cultivates entrepreneurial intentions through the role of alertness—a set of schematic aptitudes for spotting commercial potential. Using a sample of lay individuals from the U.S. (N ​= ​581) with diverse entrepreneurial and overseas experience, we find support for our model. Our findings help explain why cross-cultural experiences can be so impactful for nascent venturing. The greater the diversity of foreign cultural exposure one attains, the greater it expands scanning and search, association and connection, and evaluation and judgment schemata salient to the pursuit of new venture opportunities.

Highlights

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  Breadth of cross-cultural experience is paticularly influential for stimulating entrepreneurial intentions.

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  ‘Scanning and search’ and ‘evaulation and judgement’ schemas play a key mediting role in transforming overseas experiences into entrepreneurial intentions.

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  Accumulating a diverse range of cultural exposures in foreign countries can be valuable for boosting alertness to entrepreneurial opportunities.