Cross-Border Practice through the Lenses of Transformative Learning and Uses-and-Gratifications: An Empirical Study of Macao Entrepreneurs in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area positions Macao as an intermediary between mainland China and Portuguese speaking countries, and the coordination of formal institutions and social networks reduces cross border costs. Existing research privileges structure over process and lacks an explanation of how entrepreneurs translate external conditions into capabilities and sustained intention. Drawing on semi structured interviews and thematic analysis with ten Macao entrepreneurs who have cross border experience, this study advances two mechanisms. Situated internalization, comprising situational triggering and capability consolidation, explains how practice is reflected upon and sedimented as organizational knowledge. Motivation sustainment, comprising motivation matching and satisfaction assessment, explains how platform satisfaction is converted into sustained cross border operating intention. Together the mechanisms trace a causal chain linking learning and platform use and provide process indicators that are observable, comparable, and testable. The study operationalizes the alignment of policy and social networks into an actionable framework and offers empirical support and design levers for platform governance and for embedding entrepreneurial learning in practice.