Piaskowska-Lewandowska, Dorota AnnaDorota AnnaPiaskowska-LewandowskaTrojanowski, GrzegorzGrzegorzTrojanowski2016-10-032016-10-032012 the A2014-01-02British Journal of Managementhttp://hdl.handle.net/10197/8011This study examined how top management team's (TMT) international orientation influences perceptions of environmental uncertainty and how these perceptions impact international strategic decisions, in particular regarding ownership stakes taken in foreign acquisitions. We highlighted the need for the concept of TMT international orientation to encompass executives' formative-years' international experiences along with their international career experiences and nationalities. Empirical tests based on a sample of 2122 international acquisitions completed by 561 UK firms over the period 1999–2008 showed that TMT international orientation positively moderated the negative impact of cultural differences and host country risk on acquisition ownership stakes. The results underscored the importance of considering decision-makers' attributes due to their experiences at a young age, beyond their demographic characteristics or professional experience, in the context of international strategic choices. We also discussed some implications of one of the possible consequences of executives' formative international experience, namely biculturalism, for international business.enThis is the author's version of the following article: Piaskowska, D. & Trojanowski, G. (2012) "Twice as smart? The importance of managers' formative-years international experience for their international orientation and foreign acquisition decisions" British Journal of Management, 25(1) : 40-57 which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2012.00831.x.AcquisitionsTop management teamsFormative-years international experienceBiculturalismCultural distanceCountry riskJournal Article251405710.1111/j.1467-8551.2012.00831.x2016-09-02https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/