Early-life autonomy imprint as a driver of the learning advantage of newness in international new ventures

This study examines how the learning advantages of newness (LAN) emerge from organizational structures and strategic behaviours, and from entrepreneurs acting as learning agents. Despite extensive research on LAN, research on how formative childhood experiences shape the learning foundations of new ventures is limited. This study draws on imprinting theory to investigate how early experiences of autonomy leave enduring cognitive and behavioural imprints on entrepreneurs, fostering a disposition that supports the development of LANs. The study relies on an exploratory multiple-case study of ten early internationalizing technology firms, supported by 11 narrative-informed interviews with entrepreneurs and an abductive research strategy. Its findings identify childhood autonomy as an important antecedent of LAN development. Autonomy imprints operate through four organizational learning mechanisms: selective attention to novelty, distributed authority routines, psychological safety norms, and boundary-spanning searches. These mechanisms translate early-life experiences of autonomy into venture-level learning capabilities. The analysis further shows that resource slack strengthens those mechanisms by enabling broader exploration, experimentation, and knowledge development. This study extends imprinting theory by demonstrating that childhood autonomy constitutes a formative imprint with enduring consequences for organizational learning and international venture development. It also contributes to the learning advantages of newness literature by identifying a previously unexplored antecedent of LAN and revealing the organizational learning mechanisms through which founder imprints shape its emergence in international new ventures. Finally, this study offers practical insights for entrepreneurs by illustrating how formative experiences can be leveraged to cultivate sustainable learning advantages in global markets.