The influence of structural holes and network closure in the internationalization process of rapid internationalizing firms

This study examines the development of social capital of nine cases in Greece and Scotland during their international operations. This paper sheds light on network closure and structural holes in order to comprehend how this mechanism can influence the internationalization process. We found that structural holes can be easily and rapidly bridged with the use of existing network relationships. We contribute to the International Business and International Entrepreneurship fields by introducing this mechanism into the context of rapidly internationalizing firms, namely International New Ventures.