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Despite the numerous benefits of adopting international construction joint ventures (ICJVs), effective operation of the joint ventures in Saudi Arabia is impeded by various limitations. Thus, this paper is aimed at determining, analyzing, and prioritizing these major limitations and to propose a strategy that can provide guidance on how best to promote the achievement of efficient joint ventures in international construction in Saudi Arabian construction industry.

Content analysis was augmented by the expert-based assessment process to identify the critical limitations while the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique was utilized to analyze and determine the hierarchical structure of the limitations. This is important in order to comprehend and describe the complex relationship between the limitations.

The results identified “selecting unsuitable partner”, “divergent organizational cultures, policies and procedures”, and “poor knowledge of local regulations by foreign partners” as the most critical limitations affecting the efficiency of joint ventures in international construction in Saudi Arabia.

The inclusion of many variables (limitations) increases the complexity of the ISM technique, which compels the researchers to consider reduced number of variables in establishing the ISM structural hierarchy. Other variables that were perceived to be less critical were not included in the development of the ISM structural hierarchy. On the other hand, the structural hierarchy was not validated statistically, and this requires the use of other linear structural relationship techniques like the Structural Equation Modeling to test the validity of the hypothetical ISM structural hierarchy. The proposed strategy to mitigate the limitations presented in this study was not validated, and this requires further study to verify the accuracy of the strategy.

The implications inferred in this study are better performing ICJVs in the execution of mega infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. The findings and managerial implications of the study are expected to further provide an invaluable guide that can support policymakers and all key stakeholders to establish efficient strategies and suitable measures that can enhance the successful implementation of ICJVs.

The findings of this study provide comprehensive understanding of the limitations affecting the efficiency of ICJVs in Saudi Arabia. This can assist in mitigating the potential impacts of these limitations and to advocate for the achievement of efficient joint ventures in international construction in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, there is a need to further develop a framework that can elucidate on the proposed strategy to promote better performing ICJVs in Saudi Arabia. Also, the further study will seek to investigate the influence of project duration, value, location, or ownership on the performance of the joint ventures in order to generalize the findings to all forms of ICJVs.

Most developing countries, such as Sri Lanka (SL), are now looking for the support of foreign construction companies for large-scale infrastructure projects in return for expertise and resources. Thus, foreign companies may enter into agreements with local contractors through joint ventures (JVs). However, the priorities of construction project stakeholders may differ, which may ultimately end up in conflicts. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the most suitable conflict management strategies for international construction JVs (ICJVs) considering the SL context.

The mixed method was used for the research choice by selecting a questionnaire survey and expert interviews. Completed questionnaires (n = 78) were analysed using statistical techniques. The expert interviews with six industry practitioners were piloted to increase the validity and credibility of survey findings through a triangulation process where the collected data was analysed through content analysis.

The findings confirm that JV parties should first seek collaborative solutions in a conflict and seek legal redress only when those efforts are unsuccessful. Collaborating and compromising were recommended as the most appropriate tactics if an informal approach to conflict management was chosen. Alternative dispute resolution and litigation were identified as formal conflict management strategies.

This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, will be the first of its kind in SL, which will lead to a better understanding of conflict management in IJCVs and will encourage other researchers to extend this study through further work.

Legal remedies are incorporated into international construction joint ventures (ICJVs) to mitigate contractual breaches. The effectiveness of remedies is predicated on two conditions; the comprehensiveness of the contract and its enforceability within the jurisdiction of interpretation. Relational-related weaknesses contribute to contracting parties placing a premium on the contract's capacity for mediating the relationship. However, contracts are not always enforceable. This study aims to examine means by which joint venture relational governance can be maintained under conditions of minimal legal recourse.

A relational contracting (RC) theory was used as the theoretical underpinning of the paper. Data were collected and analyzed following a multiple-case study approach from case projects in which ICJVs' was used.

The findings reveal (1) 17 relational and contractual governance problems; the main six being contractual flexibility, contractual joint venture system, contract reviewing, project conflict, national culture and leader–follower transgressions; (2) relational and contractual governance problems are managed differently, depending on financing sources and partners' national culture; and (3) that a developed RC-based framework comprising four stages is able to facilitate relational and contractual governance in ICJVs.

This study is novel in providing a guided approach to developing non-legal remedies for the mitigation of contractual breaches in ICJVs, grounded in theory and contextualized for the construction sector.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of organizational ambidexterity of foreign ventures in an emerging market. Organizational ambidexterity, the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation, represents a key innovation strategy. Yet, the driving factors of such innovation strategies for foreign ventures competing in emerging markets have been underresearched. In this study, unpacking the construct of organizational ambidexterity into two dimensions (i.e. the combined dimension [CD] and the balance dimension [BD]), the authors aim to investigate how firm-level and industry-level factors drive foreign ventures in pursuing exploration and exploitation and maximizing the benefits of both.

This study adopts the hierarchical multiple regression approach using a sample of foreign ventures operating in high-tech manufacturing industries in China.

The authors find that the firm-level factor of strategic flexibility leads positively to the CD of organizational ambidexterity, whereas the industry-level factor of technological turbulence has a significantly positive impact on the BD.

This study provides important insights into the driving factors of organizational ambidexterity for foreign ventures competing in emerging markets.

Numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms have undergone considerable changes and adapted to the challenge of developing sustainable products and services. However, few studies have explored the factors that contribute to the success of external innovation and value co-creation strategies adopted by biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. The purpose of this study is to examine how biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries use value co-creation strategies to obtain external resources.

This study developed a conceptual framework based on the relevant literature. The study applied a resource-based approach, dynamic capability theory and a qualitative multiple-case study design to investigate several research questions; semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from 11 biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms in Taiwan, and the data extracted from the interview content were axially coded.

This study revealed that factors such as dynamic marketing capabilities and process optimization contributed to the success of the aforementioned strategies; several propositions were also developed on the basis of the literature review and coded data, thereby providing insights regarding the relative efficacy and propriety of various external innovation and value co-creation strategies and models in various situations and contexts. Firms and technology providers might enter a technology licensing agreement, establish a joint venture company; participate in a merger/acquisition depending on their size, research and development capabilities; or goals and time- and cost-related factors.

The main original contributions of this study are the proposed conceptual framework and the insights provided regarding the relative efficacy and propriety of different external innovation and value co-creation strategies and models in different situations and contexts.

This study aims to understand the dynamics underpinning the exit and re-entry strategies adopted by multinational enterprises (MNEs) in an emerging market, Pakistan.

This study undertook an in-depth historical case study of Yamaha Motorcycles, which had initially entered Pakistan as a joint venture but had then exited and re-entered as a wholly owned subsidiary.

This study found that, despite its status as a market leader and one of the older players in the Pakistani market, changing market dynamics in the 2000s – especially the increased competition brought by more affordable (inexpensive) Chinese motorcycles and the weak enforcement of industrial policies – had pushed Yamaha Motorcycles to exit. Another factor that had contributed to its exit were differences in risk perception and strategies with its local joint venture partner (a Pakistani business group). Hence, both firm-level and institutional factors had played significant roles in Yamaha’s market exit. This study further found that re-entering in a wholly owned subsidiary operation mode had been beneficial for the firm, as it gained a significant market share due to its focus on innovation and on capturing a market niche, which had earlier not been its main focus. The findings also suggest that opportunity logics and multiple forms of learning can be important for a firm’s re-entry into a host market – such as experiential (i.e. learning from experience) and vicarious learning (i.e. learning from other organizations, including suppliers and competitors) in an emerging market context, in which institutions evolve amid political and policy uncertainty. Finally, this study found that exit and re-entry timing is an important factor for the development of competitive advantage in a host market.

This study is among the few to have investigated the exit and re-entry strategies of MNEs in emerging markets. The relatively short time during which Yamaha Motorcycles had been out of the market had benefited it on its re-entry, as the firm had been able to capitalize on its prior learning and ties to suppliers’ networks.

This study aims to explore the effects of responsible international investment in a least developed country (LDC) on ethics and corruption in the local industry. While investment growth in least developed countries (LDCs) is essential to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, international investment in LDCs poses challenges, including corruption. The authors explore perspectives from relevant stakeholders on the influence, if any, on an LDC’s banking sector, of investment in the LDC by a multinational bank with an environmental, social and governance focus – using a case study of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) in Nepal.

The authors conducted thematic analysis on: focus groups with current and former SCB Nepal management; semi-structured interviews with Nepal banking regulator representatives; senior staff from SCB global divisions; and management of other commercial banks in Nepal.

Knowledge transfer, organisational enablers and constructive international competition contributed to the dissemination of best practices within the Nepal banking sector, supporting the notion of beneficial spill-over effects of multinationals on LDC host countries.

Practical insights will aid LDC governments, international businesses, investment funds and donor organisations seeking to invest in/assist LDCs with economic development.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this may be the first case study on ethics and anti-corruption practices of a multinational bank in a LDC. Through a practice-driven focus, the authors provide “on-the-ground” insights to better understand the complex nature of corruption.

This study aimed to identify a specific taxonomy of entry modes for international construction contractors and to develop a decision-making mechanism based on case-based reasoning (CBR) to facilitate the selection of the most suitable entry modes.

According to the experience orientation of the construction industry, a CBR entry mode decision model was established, and based on successful historical cases, a two-step refinement process was carried out to identify similar situations. Then the validity of the model is proved by case analysis.

This study identified an entry mode taxonomy for international construction contractors (ICCs) and explored their decision-making mechanisms. First, a two-dimension model of entry mode for ICCs was constructed from ownership and value chain dimensions; seven common ICC entry modes were identified and ranked according to market commitment. Secondly, this study reveals the impact mechanism of the ICC entry mode from two aspects: the external environment and enterprise characteristics. Accordingly, an entry mode decision model is established.

Firstly, sorting out the categories of entry mode in the construction field, which provide an entry mode list for ICCs to select. Secondly, revealing the impact mechanism of ICC entry mode, which proposes a systematic decision-making system for the selection of ICC entry mode. Thirdly, constructing a CBR entry mode decision-making model from an empirical perspective, which offers tool support and reduces transaction costs in the decision-making process.

The study on entry modes for ICCs is still in the preliminary exploratory stage. The authors investigate the entry mode categories and decision-making mechanisms for ICCs based on Uppsala internationalization process theory. It widens the applied scope of Uppsala and promotes cross-disciplinary integration. In addition, the authors creatively propose a two-stage retrieval mechanism in the CBR model, which considers the order of decision variables. It refines the influence path of the decision variables on ICCs' entry mode.

This study aims to demonstrate the importance of organizational networks in organizational performance is relatively rich; less understood are processes in organizational networking that entrepreneurs and organizations use in making sense of rapidly changing contexts for organizational performance.

This study conducts an exploratory organizational-level narrative analysis into firms’ experiences in two major emerging markets (EMs), namely, Russia and India – to identify organizational networking processes in the midst of institutional upheavals. The study is based on in-depth case studies of firms in EMs sourced from interview data from senior management and consolidated with secondary data.

The authors find that initially firms rely on informal networks (including blat/svyazi and jaan-pehchaan/jan-pehchan) and later formal (in the form of bureaucratic followed by proprietary) networks to make sense of the changes and uncertainties in turbulent environments. The authors also demonstrate the cyclical nature of strategic sensemaking in the process of developing organizational networks for performance.

The study has a number of theoretical and practical contributions. First, it extends the well-established business networking construct to a more inclusive organizational networking construct. Second, it demonstrates that sensemaking is dependent on interorganizational networking from the outset and throughout the growth of an organization in turbulent markets – from informal to formal bureaucratic and proprietary networks. Finally, this study is unique in documenting the entire process of sensemaking from scanning to performance as well as successfully demonstrating the cyclical nature of sensemaking.

Research for the case study was conducted using a combination of semi-structured interviews and secondary data sources.

This case traces the international expansion of Sadowsky Guitars’ bass guitar product line. Roger Sadowsky is one of the most respected instrument makers in the world and gained early acclaim for his outstanding repair and restoration work on guitars and basses. Some of his early clients included Prince, Will Lee (The Tonight Show), Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith, Jason Newsted of Metallica, Eddie Van Halen and Marcus Miller. Roger’s reputation and the demand for his instruments led to some customers having to wait for more than a year to obtain the chance to purchase a Sadowsky instrument, while others were unable to do so due to financial constraints. In 2003, Roger made the decision to form Sadowsky Japan to begin the contract manufacturing of more affordable Sadowsky instruments in Tokyo, Japan. As the company grew in size, Roger realized he was becoming more focused on running a business than building instruments. Furthermore, his Japanese partners were only interested in serving the Japanese market. This required him to handle the sales and distribution in the remaining parts of the world. In December of 2019, he announced a new, exclusive licensing agreement and distribution partnership between Sadowsky Guitars and Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG. The new agreement allowed Roger to continue running the Sadowsky NYC Custom Shop while Warwick would take over building and distributing the Metro instruments and a less-expensive, Chinese-built version of the MetroExpress instruments.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level courses related to marketing and consumer behavior. The case walks students through a real-life scenario when the founder of a well-known musical brand sought to expand internationally as a way to meet growing market demand. Students are asked to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the five key international market entry strategies: exporting, licensing, contract manufacturing, joint ventures and investment (equity/acquisition).

The case works well in the classroom, even if people are unfamiliar with the musical instrument retail industry. Participants are most likely aware of some of the artists and musicians mentioned in the case. Some may also be or know musicians. The instructor should be able to quickly engage participants in a lively discussion about Roger Sadowsky’s vision for his instruments and the opportunities and challenges of expanding product offerings and increasing market share.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.