ABSTRACT
The economic prospects of Indigenous businesses in Canada warrant an examination of their internationalization. This study compares internationalization drivers between self-identified First Nations and Métis entrepreneurs, and among Indigenous businesses located in different provinces. The internationalization drivers that we examine include strategic factors, network ties and start-up financing. We use a data set including a representative sample of Indigenous businesses in Canada. Our empirical results highlight that product and process innovation are significant drivers of internationalization independent of Indigenous ethnic group or geographical location. However, findings stress that the influence of business plans, network ties and start-up financing on internationalization are dependent on Indigenous ethnic groups or geographical location. Our findings contribute to the resource-based view theory and the literature on the internationalization of businesses.
