Search results

1 – 10 of over 5000
Book part
Publication date: 18 February 2013

Lilach Nachum and Michael Schmid

Purpose – We seek explanation for the existence of international activity in industries whose characteristics provide conflicting rationales for international expansion. In such…

Abstract

Purpose – We seek explanation for the existence of international activity in industries whose characteristics provide conflicting rationales for international expansion. In such industries, the competitive value of some industrial characteristics is magnified by international expansion, whereas the value of others is undermined by these moves. The tension is amplified in the presence of sustainability concerns and the quest for meeting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on case studies of the world's largest multinational enterprise (MNE) producers of hydropower plant equipment, which provide representative examples of MNEs in renewable energy industries. We examine the strategic balances that these MNEs strike to deal with the conflicting pressure of international strategy and their performance outcomes.Findings – The insights we generate from the case studies suggest that there might be plural ways to successfully address such tensions, and firms’ histories and competitive advantages shape the choices they make in the face of these conflicts.Implications – Our contribution is of notable merits in the contemporary world whereby the pressure for international expansion extends to industries whose characteristics both favour and inhibit international activity. We outline the distinctive impact that sustainability concerns have in this tension.Originality/value of chapter – Our study serves to deepen the understanding of international activity in the renewable energy sector, a relatively understudied sector, whose significance in the world economy and in international business is growing rapidly. It is novel in extending the tension of international activity to include sustainability and CSR concerns.

Details

International Business, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-625-5

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 21 October 2019

Mohamed Amal and Huaru Kang

The main objective of the present chapter is to address empirically the impacts of institutional distance (ID) on the multinationality level of firms from developing countries and…

Abstract

The main objective of the present chapter is to address empirically the impacts of institutional distance (ID) on the multinationality level of firms from developing countries and interpret how the interaction between ID and firm resources affects firms from developing countries. Using data of firms from developing countries, we estimated an empirical cross-section model. The results show that while cultural distance was not found statistically significant, ID, on the other hand, was statistically significant. The higher the distance between home and host country, the higher the multinationality of firms from developing countries. We also found a positive and statistically significant correlation between intangible resource and multinationality, which suggests a tendency toward new pattern in the internationalization of firms from emerging economies.

Details

International Business in a VUCA World: The Changing Role of States and Firms
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-256-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 September 2010

Bo Bernhard Nielsen and Sabina Nielsen

This paper offers a discussion of the key multilevel issues pertaining to the multinationality–performance (M–P) relationship. Arguably, one of the most important areas of…

Abstract

This paper offers a discussion of the key multilevel issues pertaining to the multinationality–performance (M–P) relationship. Arguably, one of the most important areas of research in international business, firm internationalization and its consequences are multilevel phenomena, influenced by forces at different managerial and structural levels: from the executive, subsidiary and firm, to the country and industry. We suggest that accounting for important factors at each level and for their cross-level interactions may help reconcile inconsistent findings and advance our understanding of the M–P relationship. Based on a critical review of the literature, we offer recommendations regarding the appropriate levels of theory, measurement, and analysis to guide future research.

Details

The Past, Present and Future of International Business & Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-085-9

Book part
Publication date: 13 August 2007

Jing Li

The application of real options theory to international strategy has surged in recent years. However, it is still a relatively new and loosely defined field, and there are several…

Abstract

The application of real options theory to international strategy has surged in recent years. However, it is still a relatively new and loosely defined field, and there are several constraints on practical applications of this powerful theory. To move forward this field, the paper first provides a systematic analysis of theoretical and empirical contributions of real options theory to three critical issues in international strategy: (1) valuing multinational networks, (2) assessing market entry modes, and (3) evaluating market entry timing. The paper further suggests that future studies can focus on a refined treatment of uncertainty and the development of a dynamic theory in international strategy. Five testable propositions are developed in these directions.

Details

Real Options Theory
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-7623-1427-0

Book part
Publication date: 28 March 2006

Kent Eriksson, Jukka Hohenthal and Jessica Lindbergh

Determining market channels is usually considered a discrete decision made by the expanding firm (e.g., Anderson & Coughlan, 1987; Bello & Gilliland, 1997; Solberg & Nes, 2002)…

Abstract

Determining market channels is usually considered a discrete decision made by the expanding firm (e.g., Anderson & Coughlan, 1987; Bello & Gilliland, 1997; Solberg & Nes, 2002). In reality, this decision is often limited by knowledge constraints and customer demands. We find an example of this in Gamma's attempt at entering the Italian market (Hohenthal, 2001).

Details

Relationship Between Exporters and Their Foreign Sales and Marketing Intermediaries
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-397-6

Book part
Publication date: 15 July 2009

Jiatao Li and Jing Yu Yang

Drawing on organization theory perspectives, this chapter investigates how multinational enterprises (MNEs) based in different home countries influence each other's foreign entry…

Abstract

Drawing on organization theory perspectives, this chapter investigates how multinational enterprises (MNEs) based in different home countries influence each other's foreign entry decisions. The proposition that the subsidiaries of multinationals from different countries constitute a reference environment and that this environment provides important information for potential new entrants was tested with panel data on foreign entries from 55 home countries into China from 1979 to 1995. The rate of new entries from a focal home country was found to correlate with the number of foreign subsidiaries already established by firms from other home countries with cultures similar to that of the focal home country. This was interpreted as reflecting transnational learning and competition. Uncertainty derived from home-host-country trade ties and cultural differences was shown to moderate this transnational mimetic learning.

Details

Managing, Subsidiary Dynamics: Headquarters Role, Capability Development, and China Strategy
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-667-6

Book part
Publication date: 22 December 2016

Katiuscia Vaccarini, Francesca Spigarelli, Christoph Lattemann, Federico Salvatelli and Ernesto Tavoletti

Chinese foreign direct investments (FDI) to developed countries, such as Germany, seems to follow unique rules, which are different to traditional international business (IB…

Abstract

Purpose

Chinese foreign direct investments (FDI) to developed countries, such as Germany, seems to follow unique rules, which are different to traditional international business (IB) practices in terms of entry modes, speed of internationalization, and target countries. To shed light on these unique rules, we analyze motivation and location choices of FDI from China to Germany by describing a sample of five companies from the environmental industry.

Methodology/approach

A multiple case study research design is adopted. The study is based on five Chinese companies investing in Germany in the environmental industry through FDI (Greenfield Investment and Merger and Acquisition). Chinese managers were interviewed on the basis of semi-structured questionnaires.

Findings

According to the main findings from the interviews, when investing in Germany, managers take into account a series of factors. Chinese firms go global for traditional motives such as market-seeking purposes and with the aim of improving their production process through skills and know-how acquisition. Additional motives, such as labor cost and fiscal incentives are not considered relevant as factors for internationalizing. Entry mode choices are mainly driven by legal factors in the environmental industry.

Originality/value

The analysis is conducted at industry level with the aim to contextualize the results within the environmental sector. The case studies are focused on Chinese investments in Germany.

Details

China and Europe’s Partnership for a More Sustainable World
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-331-3

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 May 2013

Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson

Purpose — Analyze and assess the actions taken by the government of Iceland prior to a banking crisis that resulted in the collapse of Iceland’s largest banks in October 2008. Was…

Abstract

Purpose — Analyze and assess the actions taken by the government of Iceland prior to a banking crisis that resulted in the collapse of Iceland’s largest banks in October 2008. Was the government’s behavior prior to the crisis dishonest in the sense that it deliberately tried to fake reality or was the government honest but incompetent in the sense that it did not see the problem coming, and was therefore not trustworthy?Design/methodology/approach — Review of the existing literature, analysis, and assessment of this literature. Case study of Iceland.Findings — The government showed negligence and made mistakes by not taking credible actions to manage risks following a rapid cross-border expansion of Iceland’s largest banks. This had severe consequences and resulted in the collapse of the largest banks in October 2008. Instead of addressing the problems in the economy the government launched a PR campaign and the analysis of various scholars may have helped to justify inaction. According to the Special Investigation Commission (SIC),1 the government did not address an obvious problem and could perhaps on that basis be charged with dishonesty, including faking reality with PR campaigns. As some scholars put it, the authorities gambled for resurrection, and failed. The analysis carried out by a number of other scholars who downplayed the problem may have confused the government and it may have been honest in its inaction. In that situation one can argue that the government was honest but incompetent and not trustworthy, as according to the SIC and several international scholars the problem was obvious.Research limitations/implications — This is a case study. The study does not present results that can be evaluated on the basis of statistical significance and generalized. Some of the lessons, however, can have a wider relevance than for Iceland only. This is especially true for small countries with a large banking sector, using its own currency, and with limited fiscal space to support the banks during a crisis.Practical implications — The combination of a risk seeking behavior of businesses, in this case in the banking sector, and inactive or negligent governments can result in the collapse of a country’s economy. The Icelandic government should encourage and enforce more risk mitigation via regulations, monitoring, and supervision of the private sector’s cross-border activities. This does not only apply to the banking sector but also to other sectors such as the energy sector.Social implications — Less risk seeking behavior and more risk mitigating actions can stabilize Iceland´s economic growth in the medium and long term, and reduce the risk of an economic collapse that typically has severe social consequences.Originality/value — The so-called Viking spirit of Icelandic business people accompanied with aggressive risk taking and bold business behavior can be very detrimental for a small economy especially when global economic and financial crisis hit.

Book part
Publication date: 25 August 2006

Ya-Ru Chen

Japanese and American management is 95 percent the same, but differs in all important respects.Takeo Fujisawa, Co-founder of the Honda Motor Corporation.

Abstract

Japanese and American management is 95 percent the same, but differs in all important respects.Takeo Fujisawa, Co-founder of the Honda Motor Corporation.

Details

National Culture and Groups
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-362-4

Book part
Publication date: 4 August 2017

Frank Elter and Svein Ulset

This chapter develops a multi-path theory of diversified international expansion that explains how multiple wave-shaped performance curves are created as multinational companies…

Abstract

This chapter develops a multi-path theory of diversified international expansion that explains how multiple wave-shaped performance curves are created as multinational companies expand into increasingly distant and dissimilar countries. According to this theory, multinational mobile network operators (MNOs) recover from over-diversified expansion by improving their local adaptation strategies by means of reconfiguring the value chain and entering local partnerships, by improving their global replication capabilities or by concentrating expansion to clusters of similar country markets. Three dynamic propositions are developed and exemplified concerning MNOs’ diversified international expansion. Implications for international diversification research finalize the chapter.

1 – 10 of over 5000