Search results

This paper aims to explore the moderating role of materialism in the relationship between country image and product preference with particular reference to emerging economies.

Young consumers from a UK university were surveyed on their intention to buy three categories of products from six countries.

The findings show that the moderating role of materialism in the relationship between country image and product preference is contingent upon the type of product. Specifically, the results show that the effect of materialism as a negative moderator is very pronounced for high value products from emerging economies and less pronounced for low value products from emerging economies.

The findings highlight the role of materialism in purchasing behaviour and buyers' perceptions towards goods from emerging economies.

The findings show that materialism among consumers could be a major stumbling block for multinationals from emerging economies to enter markets in developed countries. The results suggest that multinationals from emerging economies should under‐emphasize the country of origin when marketing to young consumers high in materialism.

This is the first paper that examines the moderating effects of materialism in the relationship between country image and product preference on products from emerging economies.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that emerging economy enterprises face higher uncertainty in business operations compared to their counterparts in more developed economies. However, there is little empirical evidence on this issue. The objective of this study is to fill this void in the literature and examine whether there is an association between the level of development of home country economy of a multinational corporation and uncertainty about future earnings measured by dispersion in analysts' earnings forecasts. After controlling for various firm‐ and country‐level factors, I find that the forecast dispersion tends to be larger for emerging economy enterprises (i.e., non‐U.S. firms cross‐listed in the U.S. whose home country economy is better characterized as emerging) than for developed economy enterprises (i.e., non‐U.S. firms cross‐listed in the U.S. whose home country economy is better characterized as developed), despite the fact that the emerging economy enterprises tend to be more heavily followed by analysts. Overall, the evidence supports the view that business uncertainty tends to be higher in emerging economies and highlights inherent difficulties associated with predicting future firm performance of the emerging economy enterprises.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude of country, industry and firm‐specific effects for firms competing in emerging economies and also explore differences between high and low performers.

The authors use ANOVA methodologies on samples from firms competing in Latin America between 1990‐2006.

It was found that the firm‐specific effect is the most important one, and relatively equivalent in magnitude to the firm‐specific effects found in developed countries. Country and industry effects are less important than the firm‐specific effect. Contrary to previous studies that indicate that the country effect is relatively more important in emerging economies, the authors found that it is even less important than the industry effect, a result that has important implications for strategic management and international business theory. The source behind the strong firm‐specific effects might stem from their resources and capabilities to manage and take advantage of the institutional and macroeconomic environments. Further analysis indicates that the firm‐specific effect is relatively more important for firms showing high performance than for those firms showing low performance.

Through these findings the authors feel that further research is needed so as to arm future managers with a more clear and comprehensive strategy when doing business in a Latin American country. The paper's findings are specific for large public corporations in Latin America.

The paper allows managers to think about sources of competitive advantages in emerging economies.

The paper shows that, despite weak institutional contexts and highly volatile macroeconomic environments, managers in the region should be able to obtain substantial differences in economic performances within the region. Activities needed for such differentiation might differ from those carried out in developed countries, with more emphasis on managing institutional voids and periods of economic and political cycles but the result should be the same.

Do multinational enterprises evolve differently in emerging and developed economies? Although one camp argues that emerging economy multinationals are different from their developed country counterparts owing to the underdeveloped institutions in their home countries, another camp counters that they are the same and the existing international business theories can fully explain their strategies. A third camp suggests a more nuanced perspective by finding value in both approaches. In this introductory chapter, we review this debate and offer new perspectives on how to extend existing theories by accounting for four specific aspects of the home country institutional environments of emerging economies: breadth, depth, timing, and duration of exposure to institutional development. We then discuss how the chapters in this volume extend these ideas.

Extending prior studies which suggest that the disclosure practice of developed economy entities tends to be more transparent than that of emerging economy entities, this study investigates whether such differences in the degree of disclosure transparency translate into different levels of value‐relevance of their accounting summary measures (i.e., book values and earnings). Consistent with theories that link disclosure quality with the impact of disclosure on investors' decisions, the evidence indicates that the accounting summary measures of developed economy entities are more value‐relevant than those of emerging economy entities in the U.S. stock market. This finding has some implications for the current policy debate in IASB regarding accounting for emerging economy entities.

This chapter contributes to the existing literature on institutional theory and international business research by integrating the concepts of polycentrism and institutional learning to examine how MNEs from emerging economies invest in developed countries. We argue that equity-based market entry modes and non-equity-based modes create different needs for learning about economic, regulatory and political institutions; entry modes with or without local partners lead to different levels of institutional embeddedness and institutional learning speeds. Finally, the content of institutional knowledge also determines its transferability and adaptability. We emphasize the importance of recognizing the integrated nature of economic, regulatory and political institutions from a polycentric perspective and discuss their change in different situations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of Generation Y from advanced and emerging economies towards the country-of-origin (COO) of fashion products.

The study was conducted by employing a qualitative research method. Virtual interviews in a chat room and e-mail interviews were conducted with 53 participants from 21 advanced and emerging economies.

The findings indicated that most Generation Y consumers perceive that fashion products made in advanced economies are of better quality compared to those made in emerging economies. However, most Generation Y consumers from advanced economies did not only pay attention to the quality of the products but also to associated ethical issues. In contrast, most Generation Y consumers from emerging economies only paid attention to functional issues. Furthermore, Generation Y’s perceptions of COO also influence their attitudes and behaviour towards the fashion products made in their own country.

This research brings a valuable insight to global fashion marketers about different perceptions between Generation Y consumers in advanced and emerging economies towards COO.

The majority of COO research has been conducted quantitatively and based on one or a small number of nationalities. Qualitative studies which investigate the perceptions of Generation Y from advanced and emerging economies towards COO are still limited. Thus, this study can contribute to the development of research into COO.

The purpose of the study is to heighten intrinsic advantages, dis-advantages, being enjoyed by emerging country firms and the motivational factors that influence multinational enterprises (MNEs) to establish long-lasting relationship with emerging economies. The study also highlights the steps initiated by India by executing reform friendly foreign direct investment policy to attract foreign investments.

The study is descriptive in nature, based on secondary data, sourced from various reports of India Government and the Central Bank of India.

The Indian economy has undergone profound and substantial liberalization and made sweeping reforms in most of its sectors besides adopting internationalization policy agendas to upkeep their domestic firms in “going global”. However, India needs to amend the existing restrictive labour and land laws besides providing efficient employable workforce. India further needs a less cash economy, which ultimately marches into digitized credit system to build India as one of the best attractive countries in the eyes of global investors.

As the study is based on secondary data, it may be general, in explicit and may not be perfect in concluding decision.

MNEs play a major force in driving globalization of the world economy. However, MNEs face a variety of complex and multiple challenges in establishing strategic control over emerging economies. In spite of all odds, MNEs generate and capture value to host country firms by applying unique business models besides combining with or buying a foreign business.

Investment flows to India for the past 15 years (2005-2019) are critically analysed to justify research questions. Further, in the literature “Preparedness of India”, a lot of new interesting insights, incorporated.

This study aims to examine the role of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) in attracting higher foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the major emerging economies namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) from the source developed, developing and other emerging economies over a period of 18 years from 2001 to 2018.

To estimate the results, panel data regression on a gravity-knowledge capital model has been used. To account for the problem of endogeneity we have used the two-step difference Generalised Method of Moments estimator proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991).

We find that contradictory to theory and expectations, BITs result in a fall in FDI inflows in BRICS economies. BITs ratified by BRICS economies are not able to provide a sound and secure investment environment to foreign investors, thereby discouraging FDI in these economies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the impact of BITs on FDI inflows into the emerging BRICS economies. Further, the impact of BITs on FDI flows among developed nations, i.e. north-north FDI and from developed to developing countries, i.e. north-south FDI has already been studied by many researchers. But so far, no study has examined this impact on FDI among developing and emerging economies (south-south FDI), despite an increase in FDI flows among these economies. Therefore, this study seeks to overcome the limitations of previous studies and tries to find out the impact of BITs on FDI inflows in BRICS economies not only from source developed but also from source developing and other emerging economies.

The purpose of this paper is to describe co-devolutionary processes of multinational enterprise (MNE)/emerging economy institutional relationships utilizing concepts from “old” institutional theory as well as the institutional aspects of socially constructed realities.

The authors develop a set of propositions that explore the new concept of a co-devolutionary relationship between MNEs and emerging economy institutions. Guided by prior research, the paper investigates MNE/emerging economy institutional co-devolution at the macro-(MNE home and host countries), meso-(MNE industry/host country regulative and normative institutions) and micro-(MNE and host country institutional actors) levels.

MNE/emerging economy institutional co-devolution occurs at the macro-level via negative public communications in the MNE’s home and host countries, at the meso-level via host country corruption and MNE adaptation, and at the micro-level via pressures for individual actors to cognitively “take for granted” emerging economy corruption, leading to MNE divestment and a reduction in new MNE investment.

By characterizing co-devolutionary processes within MNE/emerging economy institutional relationships, the research augments co-evolutionary theory. It also assists in developing more accurate specification and measurement methods for the organizational co-evolution construct by using institutional theory’s foundational processes to discuss MNE/emerging economy institutional co-devolution.

The research suggests the use of enhanced regulation, bilateral investment treaties and MNE/local institution partnerships to stabilize MNE/emerging economy institutional relationships, leading to more robust progress in building emerging economy institutions.

The research posits that using the concepts of institutional theory as a foundation provides useful insights into the “stickiness” of institutional instability and corruption in emerging economies and into the resulting co-devolutionary MNE/emerging economy institutional relationships.