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While much prior research has focused on Japanese multi‐national corporations’ (MNCs) marketing strategies, little is known about the factors that influence Japanese MNCs’ foreign market entry mode choice. In this study, a survey of Japanese MNCs is conducted in order to assess the factors that are the most influential in the foreign market entry decisions of Japanese MNCs. Using bargaining power theory, eight factors are identified in the study. The findings indicate that five of the eight factors (stake of the host country, need for local contribution, riskiness of the host country, resource commitment, and host government restrictions) are significant predictors of Japanese MNCs’ entry mode choice and that bargaining power theory is of value in predicting the entry mode choices of Japanese MNCs.

The multilingual MNC provides a promising territory for enhancing the dialogue between organization theory and International Business. We draw parallels between research on the multinational corporation and that on the multilingual corporation. Our review shows that the changing conceptualizations of the MNC toward a network model have carved space for language-sensitive research in International Business. We scrutinize this stream of research from the viewpoint of three organization theory lenses: the role of language in organizational design and architecture, in identity building and culture, and in organizational political systems, and comment on future research.

The purpose of this study is to address the research gap and quantitatively examine how the psychological contracts (PCs) between Japanese expatriates and Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) influence the expatriation success of both Japanese expatriates and Japanese MNCs.

This study constitutes exploratory research, using a quantitative analysis as the main research method and a qualitative approach as a complement. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and data from 100 Japanese expatriate respondents were analyzed.

The results indicate that the fulfillment of PCs is indeed important for expatriation success. The age factor of expatriates also has significant impact on expatriation success. There is no complementary relationship between the fulfillment of Japanese expatriates and MNCs.

Other organization variables may also be considered. Future research could also examine organizations' perceptions of Japanese expatriates' fulfillment of PCs. It is necessary for developing advanced methods to conduct increasingly precise research and provide improved methodological contributions.

The efforts of both individual expatriates and MNCs are therefore indispensable to achieve successful expatriation. Attention should be paid to the training and development of younger expatriates.

This study allows the author to address the gap in studies regarding the expatriation success of both Japanese MNCs and expatriates from the perspective of PCs. This study has created a scale to measure the expatriation success. This study explores the interaction effect of the fulfillment of PCs by expatriates and MNCs, which has not been addressed in the literature on expatriation success.

Purpose – Multinational corporations (MNCs) are often presented as harbingers of global practices, thus promoting a process of convergence between different national business systems. However, this view disregards the fact that MNCs, too, are rooted in countries of origin, and that this may have an enduring influence on the practices employed within these organizations. This chapter aims to throw new light upon this issue.

Methodology – Using a survey methodology we compare company practices for around 150 MNC subsidiaries from four different countries (the USA, the UK, Germany, and Japan) at two points of time (1995 and 2002).

Findings – Our findings show that even the most internationalized companies in the world continue to show unique country patterns. In particular, strong differences between US and Japanese MNCs endure. However, MNCs from the US and from the UK, already very similar in 1995, have become even more alike in 2002. German MNCs show an interesting picture. While remaining similar to Japanese MNCs (and very different from their US and UK counterparts), in some limited respects German MNCs seem to have adapted to the US/UK practices.

Originality – Previous studies, focusing at different groups of countries and different practices, and conducted at various points in time, have been insufficiently cumulative to form a basis for firm conclusions. This study provides a systematic comparison of MNC company practices at two points in time.

Drawing on empirical data from two studies of 119 Japanese affiliates located in the United States and Europe, this chapter focuses on three fundamental questions: (1) What organizational factors influence performance of the overseas affiliates of Japanese MNCs? (2) What impact does expatriate staffing have on the affiliate’s performance? (3) What factors influence expatriate staffing patterns in Japanese MNCs? The empirical results lend support to the hypothesis that MNCs characterized by global integration and local responsiveness will outperform less transnational competitors, although there are significant differences between the American and European subsamples on the impact of expatriate presence on affiliate performance. In addition, there is no support for the life-cycle prediction that age or parent company experience influences expatriate staffing levels or for the resource dependence prediction that integration with the parent influences expatriate presence. These results and their implications are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to extend the understandingof how family logic is transferred through mundane practices across the subsidiaries of a Japanese multinational corporation (MNC) in different national contexts.

In order to fulfil this purpose, a comparative qualitative case study was adopted with emphasis on actors’ interpretations.

Through qualitative data analysis, three findings and their theoretical significances can be summarised. First, it was found that the constellations of family, market and religion logics were transferred differently. This is significant for Japanese management scholars since it illuminates the importance of actors who perceive the (non-) necessity of logics in a Japanese MNC facing institutional dualities. Second, it was found that the family logic is enacted at different levels and with different boundaries. This is significant for both institutionalists and international business scholars since it highlights the strong influence of language and religion in the transfer of logics from one country to another. Third, it was found that the enactment of the family logic greatly affects the acceptability of Japanese management practices. This is significant for business managers since it further proposes an intimate relationship between Japanese management practices and the meanings attached to the family logic.

The originality of this work stems from an updated comparative qualitative study of the management of a Japanese MNCs’ subsidiaries across different countries, providing in-depth insights for international business, Japanese subsidiary management and institutional logics perspectives.

This paper aims to conceptualise a framework of “transnational human resource management” (HRM) and to demonstrate the validity of the model.

Evidence is drawn from survey of 93 large Japanese multinational companies (MNCs). Data are analysed through descriptive statistics, hierarchical multiple regression analyses and mediation effect analyses.

The analysis reveals that the practices for normative and systems integration are associated with increasing levels of social capital and geocentric staffing, respectively, and the social capital and geocentric staffing fully mediate the relationship between normative and systems integration and transnationality.

The research extends the integration theory in international HRM and demonstrates the validity of our framework for transnational HRM. The authors also shed light on the reality of the integration aspects of international HRM in Japanese MNCs.

Since the onset of globalisation, many multinational corporations (MNCs) have been increasingly opening up subsidiaries in several host nations. While the entry of MNCs in some nations has been generally unproblematic, that has not been the case in every host nation. Fears of neocolonialism and postcolonial anxieties are very real phenomena in many parts of the world. When it comes to such resistant environments, MNCs need to be especially careful in how they conduct their public relations activities. This qualitative study of two MNC subsidiaries in India – Hindustan Lever Limited (of Unilever) and Maruti Udyog Limited (of Suzuki Motor Corporation) – explores, in context, the phenomenon of MNC public relations in this host nation that has a history of resistance to MNCs. The authors conclude that MNCs can be successful in potentially resistant host environments through culturally attuned involvement, intervention and respect for the local that is proven through socially responsible performance over time. This is an important message for MNCs starting up in new host environments. Descriptive details elucidate the specific public relations activities of the two MNCs in the Indian business and cultural environment. Overall, the findings have heuristic value for transnational public relations theory building since they suggest that an MNC’s organisational culture and approach to communication and relationship cultivation are important variables that shape how it practises public relations in host nations around the world.

The purpose of this perspective paper is to answer the question of why some multinational corporations (MNCs) do not evolve and fail to avoid retrogression by natural selection in international business (IB) and to introduce eight papers selected for this special issue.

The authors conceptually discuss the reasons for MNC failure by illustrating key motivations behind foreign direct investment (FDI) undertaken by MNCs based on internalization theory, the OLI paradigm and the OILL (i.e. OLI plus the learning motivation) paradigm. Then, the authors develop an evolutionary perspective to explore the survival of the fittest in the global markets and the natural selection of MNCs.

The eight papers selected for this special issue expand the authors’ understanding of globalized organizations' challenges, evolution and decline as well as offering a distinct opportunity to reconsider diverse extant theories about MNCs by suggesting an extension that accounts for the rise of various globalized organizations particularly in and from emerging markets.

Despite increased numbers of MNCs, which struggle to survive and are faced with great risk of failure, the authors’ understanding of them still remains in infancy. While scholars have investigated diverse topics related to MNCs, existing studies have developed theories predominantly emphasizing MNC success. Thus, conventional theories in IB such as internalization theory and the OLI paradigm may not be sufficiently applicable to explain the phenomenon of MNC failure (i.e. MNC decline). Based on authors’ discussions, the authors believe this is an appropriate time to refine mainstream IB theories by concurrently considering both evolution and retrogression.

HRM practices in foreign subsidiaries have been the subject of much attention in recent years. However, research on HRM practices by subsidiaries of multinationals (MNCs) has so far focused largely on subsidiaries of western multinationals in western and or emerging economies. The authors have little knowledge concerning HRM practices of subsidiaries of multinationals from emerging economies in developed western countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine HRM practices of MNCs from emerging economies operating in western developed countries.

Survey.

A blend of practices has been adopted by the subsidiaries, ranging from emulating home country practices, adapting host country practices, and a Melange of home and host country practices.

First, HRM practices used by emerging economy MNCs in an advanced economy have been identified. Second, the results suggest that MNCs from emerging economies behave differently from MNCs from developed countries such as Japan, the USA and Western European countries. Past research shows that MNCs from advanced economies such as Japanese MNCs in the UK tend to transplant the ideas and practices of so‐called excellent human resource management systems from their own parent companies. However, Taiwanese MNCs deliberately adopt a varied HR approach to operate in an advanced economy as a result of dual pressures of home and host country effect. Consequently, apart from strategic issues wholly made by headquarters in Taiwan, other HR practices either adapt to local practices or use a hybrid style.