A knowledge-based view on start-ups' export activities: the effect of business owner human and social capital

This study investigates the influence of a business owner’s human and social capital on the starting venture’s export activities. We examine general human capital, in terms of formal education and management experience, specific human capital, in terms of industry and start-up experience, and bonding and bridging social capital. Furthermore, building on the knowledge based view of the firm, we assume the relationships between the owner’s characteristics and the firm’s export activities to be moderated by the organization’s ability to acquire, assimilate, and exploit external knowledge – its absorptive capacity. Flemish start-ups form this study’s empirical setting. Our results indicate that a start-up’s export activities (1) are driven by the business owner’s formal education and start-up experience, and (2) are hampered by his or her management experience and bonding social capital. Moreover, the organization’s absorptive capacity appears to excavate the direct effect of any experience-related human capital variable (e.g. management, industry, start-up). Implications and opportunities for future research are suggested.