Locked in or open door? Entrepreneurial scaling pathways for local and global scaling

Abstract

This editorial introduces the Entrepreneurial Scaling Pathways (ESP) framework – an integrative lens for examining how small firms move from nationally anchored operations to sustainable global scale. The ESP crosses two dimensions that repeatedly surface in the internationalisation and growth literature: the replicability of a firm’s business model and its intended geographic reach. Juxtaposing these axes yields three zones that capture the alternative trajectories, inflection points and hazards that confront growth‑oriented small- to medium-sized enterprises. To ground the discussion in the journal’s own scholarship, we identify ten recently published articles in the International Small Business Journal (ISBJ), complemented by foundational studies. Each ISBJ paper illuminates a different quadrant or transition within the ESP matrix; whether by showing how digital signalling stretches reach without heavy structure, how effectual network building compensates for still‑emergent routines, or how misaligned innovation pace can maroon a firm in over‑ambition. Together, these studies reveal scaling as a recursive choreography of capability building and market extension rather than a linear process of internationalisation. The editorial closes by mapping an agenda for future inquiry, emphasising the moderating role of home‑market institutions and the need for component‑level analyses of business‑model architecture. By threading the ESP framework through the ISBJ’s evidence base, we aim to stimulate future research that speaks simultaneously to the areas of international business, entrepreneurship and innovation, while offering practical insight for small firms that seek to move beyond their home markets.