Entrepreneurial English Competence and Competitiveness in Micro and Small Enterprises: A Linguistic Resource Conversion Perspective

Authors

  • Laili Rahmatul Fajri Universitas Islam Tasikmalaya Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66203/econovia.01210

Keywords:

entrepreneurial english communication competence, linguistic resource conversion, market interface capability, opportunity conversion, entrepreneurial competitiveness, micro and small enterprises

Abstract

Digitalization has expanded market connectivity for micro and small enterprises (MSEs), but access to geographically dispersed markets does not necessarily translate into competitive economic outcomes. A critical theoretical gap concerns how entrepreneur-held English communication competence becomes a venture-level capability capable of converting market possibilities into economic value. Addressing this gap, the article develops Entrepreneurial Linguistic Resource Conversion Theory (ELRCT), a middle-range explanation of linguistic resource conversion in owner-dependent MSEs. The theory integrates language-sensitive international business research, resource-based and dynamic capability perspectives, market-facing capability reasoning, and opportunity research to specify a conditional cross-level conversion mechanism. ELRCT conceptualizes Entrepreneurial English Communication Competence as a situated entrepreneurial resource that contributes to Market Interface Capability, which facilitates Opportunity Conversion and subsequently Entrepreneurial Competitiveness. Digital Market Embeddedness and Cross-Border Market Exposure delimit the strength of these conversion processes. By replacing direct proficiency–performance reasoning with a resource-capability-realization logic, ELRCT clarifies the linguistic microfoundations of market-facing capability and provides testable propositions for examining when linguistic resources acquire competitive economic value in MSEs.

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Published

06-07-2026

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): Adaptive Economic Transformation

Section

Conceptual Papers

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Copyright (c) 2026 Laili Rahmatul Fajri (Author)

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