Advantages of Foreignness: Benefits of Creative Institutional Deviance

Abstract

The liability of foreignness has long been acknowledged as a key concept in international business research. Departing from the cost side of foreignness, this chapter explores intangible benefits of foreignness exclusive to multinational enterprises in a host country in addition to tangible benefits such as preferential tax policies. Intangible benefits of foreignness are defined as advantages of foreignness so as to distinguish from assets of foreignness – tangible benefits of foreignness. Drawing on institutional theory and social comparison theory, we propose that advantages of foreignness can lead to important firm-specific performance-related outcomes, which have been generally underestimated in the international business literature.

Citation

Shi, W. and Hoskisson, R.E. (2012), "Advantages of Foreignness: Benefits of Creative Institutional Deviance", Tihanyi, L., Devinney, T.M. and Pedersen, T. (Ed.) Institutional Theory in International Business and Management (Advances in International Management, Vol. 25), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 99-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-5027(2012)0000025012