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While innovative work practices (IWPs), such as self-directed teams and performance related pay, have become commonplace in firms around the world, little is known about their nature and effects in emerging market countries. This study uses new data collected from face-to-face interviews with large samples of workers from two manufacturing firms in Lithuania in 2005 mainly to investigate hypotheses concerning the effects of IWPs on firm and worker outcomes. In these cases we find: (i) the range of IWPs is limited though particular IWPs, notably self-directed teams, are strongly evident; (ii) in view of the historical legacy, the incidence of some outcomes, notably monitoring, was surprisingly high; (iii) typically self-directed teams positively impact worker outcomes, notably job satisfaction and employee involvement, though effects on monitoring and effort are less frequent; (iv) typically equity ownership and bonuses do not affect worker outcomes, though positive impacts on effort and peer monitoring sometimes are found; (v) the evidence for complementary effects of teams and performance pay or financial participation is very weak. In the main, these findings do not support the mutual gains theory that IWPs positively impact both firm and worker outcomes.

The chapter addresses two research questions. Firstly, where does the line between the highly internationalised small and medium enterprises (SME) and micromultinationals (mMNE) lie? Secondly, what are the success factors and hindrances to the process of becoming an mMNE? How to internationalise being a small company and build prosperous relationships on the foreign and domestic market on the way to becoming mMNE?

The single company longitudinal case study of a furniture producer from Poland is analysed. Data for the case was collected using six detailed interviews.

Due to different networking possibilities, which are often based on long-term but not formalised cooperation, sometimes the line between the highly internationalised SME, formally using only exporting and the mMNE is very narrow. The analysis corroborates the former studies concerning factors of the successful establishment of mMNEs, drawing attention to the importance of entrepreneurship and networking. However strong embeddedness in domestic relationships may constitute, at the same time, a driver as well as a hindrance in the process described.

The case study examines in detail the process of becoming an mMNE which may be used for teaching purposes regarding new organisational forms in international business.

This article supports managers in their attempts to organize effective export strategies. Exporting is not just an initial low-commitment internationalization strategy that leads naturally into higher commitment entry modes such as FDI or acquisitions. For many firms, location advantages do not justify foreign direct investments and they therefore decide to service foreign markets from their domestic markets. But despite the relevance of this internationalization mode, there does not seem to be much consolidated knowledge about the organization of successful export strategies. As a result, firms are not just confronted with the choice between export or FDI but with numerous distinct strategic exporting alternatives. The article unfolds as follows: after a brief introduction on the relevance of international trade and the characteristics of export strategies, we describe four distinct export archetypes: (1) export manager, (2) centralistic export developer, (3) export skimmer, (4) integrated export developer. This article concludes with a discussion on the impact different export models have on firm performance.

Defined as local manufacturing systems, industrial districts have been recognized as particularly important for the location of firms’ manufacturing activities intertwined with innovation processes. The debate on the internationalization of production has stressed the low value related to manufacturing within value chain activities (smile framework), emphasizing the need to focus on high value-added activities (R&D or marketing). Following multinational enterprises’ internationalization strategies, also district firms have progressively offshored their production phases in the past years. However, recent studies focused on backshoring have revamped the attention on the domestic control of production for firms’ competitiveness. This chapter explores district firms’ location choices for manufacturing activities between local and global. Based on an empirical analysis of about 260 Italian district firms specialized in mechanics, furniture, and fashion and supported by a case study investigation, our results show that despite district internationalization processes, a non-negligible amount of firms still carry out – in-house or through outsourcing – production activities at district level. Larger firms couple district production and long-term upstream outsourced internationalization activities. The district system confirms its role of pooling specialized competences and product know-how, being decisive for firms’ innovation and responsiveness to national and international markets. Backshoring, instead, is a very limited phenomenon and linked to upgrading strategies.

This chapter explores the role of diversity in the emergence of circular business models by focusing on circular economy innovative born-global start-ups. Diversity refers to a wide range of characteristics that differentiate an individual or group. These include legally protected and/or demographic characteristics, such as age, as well as identity-shaping characteristics, such as cognitive traits and experience. Diversity in organizations has been mostly explored in terms of the former, i.e., culture, age or ethnicity as a key factor in organizational innovation and enhanced performance. This chapter offers a more holistic view on the role of diversity in relation to emerging circular business models. It shows how diversity of previous knowledge, experience, ethnicity and the shared ideation of the organization's founders can be used as compatible and complementary inputs, which can lead to the emergence of a global circular business model by using integration, coordination and fast scaling up. The analysis is on the level of firm micro-foundations. Using data from three circular born-global companies from a single country context, the study identifies different types of diversity as contributing to the emergence of these business model and their configuration. We conclude that circular born-global business models are nurtured by the shared ideation and values of the business model founders, while the design of the business model is enabled by the diversity of competences and capabilities stemming from the founders' knowledge, past experience and diaspora networks. Such a perspective suggests that managers need to adopt a holistic approach in employing diversity in business model configuration in relation to common drivers and ideation, and organizational purpose.

This chapter describes the journey of the Furniture Resource Centre Group, a social enterprise based in Liverpool in the UK, to continually seek to create increased social value. By putting what our stakeholders' value at the forefront of the mission, the Group has adapted, and succeeded (and at times failed) to increase the value of activities to those that matter most. This has seen the Group recognised as a leader in managing the impacts of its activities – winning countless awards – but maintaining a relentless drive to create more value, the Group will never stop working to improve what they do. The lessons here will help enterprises of all forms to see how social value can be at the very centre of what they do.

The contemporary dynamics impose companies to both innovate and internationalize at the same time while remaining competitive in the international marketplace. With this context in mind, Industry 4.0 technologies have the potential to increase the competitiveness of companies, leading to a new era of “Manufacturing Renaissance.” Recently, conceptual studies have speculated on possible impacts of the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in terms of international business. However, empirical studies on this topic are still lacking. Through a multiple case study approach, this study presents exploratory qualitative research investigating the relationship between Industry 4.0 and the internationalization of companies. The analysis of 16 Italian manufacturing exporting companies, which have adopted some of these technologies, has revealed a more intriguing relationship compared to the one presented in current literature, and thus has opened avenues for future research on this issue.

The literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the environment has paid little attention to the role of home country factors in shaping the global practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs). By analyzing the interface between FDI and the environment from a Danish perspective, this chapter seeks to cast light on this issue. Denmark is a small, highly open economy dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises servicing specialized niche markets for consumer products or large industrial customers. What makes the case of Danish FDI in developing countries interesting from an environmental perspective is that environmental issues for the past three decades have had an exceptionally strong position on the Danish political agenda and have earned Danish environmental regulation a reputation as among the toughest in the world. The question is whether and how this strong environmental home base has spilled over into the environmental practices of Danish MNEs in developing countries. The chapter describes how the issue of corporate environmental responsibility in developing countries reached the Danish agenda with great force in the late 1990s, embroiling a number of Danish MNEs in damaging public battles. The chapter then moves on to review the – embryonic – literature on environmental practices of Danish MNEs. The chapter concludes by discussing whether and how the environmental practices of Danish MNEs may be traced back to distinct aspects of the Danish home country context.