Mahsa Samsami

• Gartzia, Leire; Peña-Legazkue, Iñaki; Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2026). The Sustainable Impact of Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Communities. Business & Society. ISSN 0007-6503. doi: 10.1177/00076503261428783. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sustainable entrepreneurship—the pursuit of business opportunities that jointly create economic, social, and environmental value—offers a promising pathway to address societal challenges. Bridging sustainable entrepreneurship and women’s entrepreneurship literature, this study examines how diverse profiles of women entrepreneurs align environmental and social goals with the aspiration of venture growth, advancing firm objectives beyond purely financial performance. Using a sample of approximately 20,000 women entrepreneurs from 63 countries and applying hierarchical linear regression analysis, our results show that rural women entrepreneurs prioritize social and environmental concerns more than their urban counterparts, with younger rural women entrepreneurs showing a stronger focus on social and environmental impact. Women entrepreneurs can balance social, environmental, and economic Triple Bottom Line goals, but those in rural areas face greater obstacles, particularly those focusing on innovation efforts. These findings offer important implications for policymakers seeking to promote inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial environments, revealing the complex interplay between gender, age, and rurality and how these factors can shape sustainable impact and firm growth.

• Mahsa, Samsami; San-Martín, Paula; Palazuelos, Estefanía & Schøtt, Thomas (2025). Roles of digitalization in the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on innovation in startups: mediator, moderator, capability? Information Systems and E-Business Management. ISSN 1617-9846. 23, p. 785–807. doi: 10.1007/s10257-025-00709-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Digitalization is imperative for a startup to be competitive, management consultants assert. Accordingly, many entrepreneurs found startups on the basis of digital technology. Many others, however, are not digitalizing. This raises a question for research, what are the roles of digitalization, specifically for turning an entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial orientation into innovation performance in the startup? A globally representative sample of 22,508 entrepreneurs was surveyed by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, reporting on digitalization and likely sources and consequences. The effect of an entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial orientation upon innovation performance in the startup is found to be moderated but not mediated by digitalization. As a distinct and separate capability, digitalization, alongside entrepreneurial orientation, is promoting innovation performance. Findings contribute to accounting for the roles of digitalization in startups.

• Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2025). Immigrant entrepreneurs’ dual embeddedness in home- and host-cultures: cultural arbitrage in form of bicultural capital promoting business growth expectations. Cross cultural & strategic management. ISSN 2059-5794. p. 1–23. doi: 10.1108/CCSM-09-2023-0178. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose Immigrants moving from their home country to a host country are often considered disadvantaged with a liability due to their foreignness. However, dual embeddedness in two cultures may enable them to perceive entrepreneurial opportunities arising from the differences between these cultures, potentially recognizing more opportunities than those seen by natives in the host country, thus turning foreignness into an asset. This prompts the question of whether the experiences of immigrant entrepreneurs in two cultures create a form of bicultural capital that they utilize for cultural arbitrage, enabling them to recognize opportunities and foster growth in their businesses. Design/methodology/approach A globally representative sample of 56,728 entrepreneurs, including 4,989 immigrants, reported on their pursuits of growth for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. An immigrant’s bicultural capital is indicated by the cultural distance between their home country and host country, as estimated from the World Values Survey. Findings Bicultural capital is shown to foster growth expectations, as immigrants with extensive bicultural capital tend to have particularly high growth expectations, and these immigrants strive for greater growth than natives. However, institutional discrimination diminishes immigrants’ growth expectations. Originality/value The findings contribute to accounting for cultural arbitrage in entrepreneurship, specifically based on immigrant entrepreneurs’ bicultural capital and benefitting performance-related endeavors.

• Mahsa, Samsami; Legazkue, Iñaki Peña & Barakat, Shima (2024). The role of entrepreneurial ecosystems in reducing the gender gap of entrepreneurial intention and exit rates. European Journal of International Management. ISSN 1751-6757. doi: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.10060155. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami; Kolaly, Hoda El; Gonzalez-Pernia, Jose Luis & Boutaleb, Fatima (2024). Gender roles shaping the entrepreneurial mindset: embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and impacted by the pandemic. European Journal of International Management. ISSN 1751-6757. doi: 10.1504/EJIM.2022.10060156. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami (2023). Business angels' ties with entrepreneurs in traditional and secular-rational societies: China, Egypt and Iran contrasted Germany and Norway. European Journal of International Management. ISSN 1751-6757. 21(2), p. 234–255. doi: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.133426. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami; Tønnessen, Øystein & Flåten, Bjørn-Tore (2023). Entrepreneurial orientation confronting disruption: embedded in networks in Iran and Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of International Management. ISSN 1751-6757. 21(2), p. 192–219. doi: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.133427. Full text in Research Archive
• Širec, Karin; Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2023). Born Globals and Born Sustainables: Motives of Accumulating Wealth and of Making a Difference in the World. Organizacija (Journal of Management, Informatics and Human Resources). ISSN 1318-5454. 56(4), p. 342–351. doi: 10.2478/orga-2023-0023. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background/Purpose: This study investigates the distinct entrepreneurial motivations driving export activities andsustainability pursuits in Slovenian businesses, with a particular focus on differences between newborns and ma-ture enterprises. The study proposes that entrepreneurs who prioritize wealth accumulation are more likely to en-gage in export activities, particularly those running startups, under the pressures of global trade. Conversely, inlight of the shifting cultural values towards sustainability, it is hypothesized that entrepreneurs who are committed tomaking a difference in the world will be more inclined towards sustainability engagement, a tendency that may bemore pronounced in startups.Methods:To test these hypotheses, linear regression modelling, using data collected from the Global Entrepre-neurship Monitor survey of businesses in Slovenia was employed.Results: Newborns, in comparison to mature businesses, are more engaged in both exporting and sustainabilitypursuits. Interestingly, the motives behind these activities differ significantly. Exporting is primarily driven by the pur-suit of wealth accumulation, while sustainability engagement is motivated by the desire to make a positive differencein the world.Conclusion: These findings provide valuable insights into the unique characteristics of internationalization andsustainability pursuits in startups versus mature businesses. They highlight the role of distinct entrepreneurial moti-vations in shaping business practices, contributing to the literature on entrepreneurship and business sustainability.

• Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2022). Past, present, and future digitalization around the world: Leading, catching up, forging ahead, and falling behind. Naše gospodarstvo. ISSN 0547-3101. 68(3), p. 1–9. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami; Tønnessen, Øystein & Flåten, Bjørn-Tore (2022). Entrepreneurial orientation confronting disruption: Embedded in networks of enterprises in Iran and Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of International Management. ISSN 1751-6757. doi: 10.1504/EJIM.2022.10048400. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2022). The spiral of innovating and digitalization: Innovation shaped by early and recent digitalization and shaping intended future adoption. International Reveiw of Entrepreneurship. ISSN 2009-2822. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami & Wagner, Ralf (2021). Investment decisions with endogeneity: A Dirichlet tree analysis. Journal of Risk and Financial Management. ISSN 1911-8066. 14(7), p. 299–299. doi: 10.3390/jrfm14070299. Full text in Research Archive

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• Singer, Slavica; Šarlija, Nataša; Rebernik, Miroslav; Hojnik, Barbara Bradač & Mahsa, Samsami (2023). Entrepreneurship and Well-being: Exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the lenses of GEM and other indicators. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. ISBN 9783031191800. 188 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Singer, Slavica; Šarlija, Nataša; Martinez, Alicia Coduras; Peterka, Sunčica Oberman; Rebernik, Miroslav & Hojnik, Barbara Bradač [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). GEM Lenses on UN SDGs, Entrepreneurship and Well-being: Exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals through the lenses of GEM and other indicators. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. ISSN 9783031191800. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami; Kolaly, Hoda El & Schøtt, Thomas (2022). Business angels’ ties with entrepreneurs: Embedded in traditional and secular-rational cultures. In Audretsch, David B (Eds.), Developments in Entrepreneurial Finance and Technology. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800884335. p. 182–198. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahsa, Samsami & Schøtt, Thomas (2023). The Entrepreneurial Tradition: Institutionalized in a Culture and in a Family. Navigating from Gold to Green. Universitetet i Agder. ISSN 9788284271354. Full text in Research Archive
• Fernández-Laviada, Ana; Calvo, Nuria; Mahsa, Samsami; Neira, Isabel; Atrio, Yago & Barros, Esther (2022). Informe GEM España 2021/22.  Editorial de la Universidad de Cantabria. Full text in Research Archive
• Amanda, Elam; Baumer, Benjaminn; Schøtt, Thomas; Mahsa, Samsami; Amit, Kumar Dwivedi & Baldegger, Rico J. [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2021/22 Women's Entrepreneurship Report : From Crisis to Opportunity. Global Entrepreneurship Research Association. Full text in Research Archive
• Elam, Amanda; Baumer, Benjamin S.; Schøtt, Thomas; Mahsa, Samsami; Dwivedi, Kumar & Baldegger, Rico J. [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). GEM 2021/22 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report From Crisis to Opportunity. Global Entrepreneurship Research Association. Full text in Research Archive

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