Business models of Italian entreprises in markets with high cultural distance. A focus on the chinese market: crucial relations, marketing strategies and performances

The aim of this paper is to identify and empirically analyze the factors that make international entrepreneurial business ventures (IEBVs) successful and lead to high performance. In particular, we focus on firms that operate in markets with high cultural distance. Literature on enterprise internationalization is abundant, albeit fragmented in various strands: international business, entrepreneurship, strategic management, network and marketing. Taking as reference the study of Kropp et al. (2006) wherein entrepreneurship, market and learning orientation are considered resources that potentially enhance the success of IEBVs, we develop an interpretative model that expounds all the elements that characterize a successful internationalization process. This model includes culture orientation that operates transversely and virtuously across all elements of the business model. The study objectives are achieved by means of a dyadic approach using quantitative and qualitative research involving entrepreneurs, which has enabled us to verify that an entrepreneurial orientation towards relationships, cooperation and local market culture has a positive effect on business performance