Exploring critical challenges in international entrepreneurial orientation: Evidence of immigrant-owned SMEs in an emerging market

Despite the undoubted role of immigrant-owned SMEs in promoting international entrepreneurship (IE), some main factors challenge their orientation for IE. This study tries to recognise and explore the challenges that target international entrepreneurial orientations (IEO) of immigrant-owned SMEs. We conducted this chapter in two studies applying a combined exploratory and confirmatory approach. The first study involves the Delphi method for exploring and forecasting significant challenges. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the indicators extracted from the first study for the second study. The panellists of the Delphi method consist of 14 immigrant-owners of SMEs and academic professors. In addition, a sample of 112 survey observations was collected from immigrants in Iran for the CFA analysis. The findings indicate 25 challenges in three critical indicators; proactiveness, risk-taking and innovativeness for IEO. The result contributes to the knowledge of immigrant entrepreneurship and IE in recognising IEO challenges among immigrant entrepreneurs. Also, by identifying and ranking the most influential factors in IEO, this research will help immigrant entrepreneurs to increase their awareness of the internationalisation process. Finally, the results provide practical implications for decision-makers in the current and future IE and immigrant-owned firm sectors