Search results

The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the concept of “strategic asset-seeking FDI”, which is frequently used in discussion of emerging economy multinational enterprises (MNEs), but it is challenged by some scholars. The author argues that he needs this category because an important type of foreign direct investment (FDI) is not captured by the other motives identified by John Dunning, namely, market-, efficiency- and natural-resource-seeking FDI.

The author illustrates the phenomenon of strategic asset-seeking FDI with case examples that form the starting point for his theoretical arguments.

Some FDI is undertaken explicitly with the aim to use assets acquired abroad to enhance the operations of the investor in other markets, including, notably, the investors’ home market. This contribution to capability-building processes of the MNE, indeed, constitutes an important and distinct type of investment motive.

The author concluded that Dunning’s typology remains a powerful tool to analyze contemporary business strategies, but it suggests refining the definition of the categories.

The aim of this chapter is to examine the profile of high-performing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Traditional Manufacturing Sectors (TMSs). The authors main contribution is to provide recommendations and benchmarks for prescribing a more robust model of internationalisation in these industries by specifying the types of internationalisation and innovation that better reinforce competitiveness. Our results, based on a sample of 132 SMEs, show that high-performing SMEs make more intense use of advanced operation modes that imply a closer interaction with the host country to access knowledge diversity, skills and work available in those markets. Moreover, compared to low-performing SMEs, and independently of their size and experience, these firms use a wide set of networking and marketing capabilities and develop innovations based on organisational changes that help to create new business models. After a number of years of forced adjustment and adaptation to a globalised context, the new model of high-performing SME in TMS could help to improve the global positioning of these firms in the long term.

First, this paper aims to argue that small- and medium-sized manufacturers’ (SMMs’) production-exploitation can generally and primary influence their choices of export marketing control modes (EMCMs). Building on this central argument, two other supportive production-related resources: “production-exploration” and “relationships with home suppliers” are argued that could moderate this proposed effect. Three EMCMs including independent, hybrid and integrated modes, are discussed. Second, this study also proposes that SMMs with an internal fit between their three-key production-related resources and their choices of EMCMs will outperform their counterparts that do not have such internal fit.

This study designed a multiple-source survey to collect data from 158 Taiwanese SMMs that are highly dependent on export sales.

The results support the argument and the study connects the resource-based view (RBV) to the B2B marketing literature to better understand the EMCMs of SMMs.

Drawing on the RBV, this study examines how the three-key production-related resources can influence SMMs’ choices of EMCMs of branding and channels, respectively.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence based on the social exchange theory. Drawing on the social exchange theory, this paper aims to investigate the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence. Specifically, the authors take a relational approach by introducing positive patient treatment as the mediator. The moderating role of organizational support in the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence is also considered.

The data of this study encompasses 536 nurses from 10 university hospitals in Turkey. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the proposed model.

The findings of this study support the negative effect of emotional labor on workplace violence and the mediating effect of patient-positive treatment. Moreover, when organizational support is low, the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence is strong. In contrast, the effect is weak when organizational support is high.

The findings of this study suggest that health-care administrators should offer more training to nurses to help them manage their emotions while interacting with their patients. This leads to positive interpersonal relationships, which, in turn, lowers workplace violence. Moreover, health-care administrators should pay more attention to the buffering role of perceived organizational support for those subordinates with low emotional labor and higher workplace violence.

The study provides new insights into emotional labor’s influence on workplace violence and the moderating role of organizational support in the link between emotional labor and workplace violence. The paper also offers practical assistance to nurses in the health-care industry interested in building positive patient treatment and trust with their patients and minimizing workplace violence.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate into the improvement strategies for lead time reduction of military aircraft major overhaul (enhance the overhaul task from present seven to nine-plus aircrafts as agreed to customer) for ABC Company.

This research has been conducted based on the available knowledge and extensive experience gained while working in the overhaul unit of the case organization for a long period of time. The research employs an integrated approach of multi-criteria decision method (in specific analytic hierarchy process (AHP)), theory of constraint (TOC) and simulation for M/M/1/K queuing environment for investigating the improvement strategies for lead time reduction in major overhaul of military aircraft. This has mainly included: Step 1: analysis of existing activity network using actual overhaul data; Step 2: ranking of constraint activities that most affects the lead time using AHP; Step 3: revised flow activity network using time buffers (TBs) concept of TOC; Step 4: mathematical model formulation for effective utilization of TB using single server finite queuing approach (M/M/1/K queuing environment); Step 5: discrete event simulation representing present overhaul conditions and revised overhaul conditions with different scenarios; and Step 6: sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results. The proposed methodology has been tested on an industrial case study dealing with an aircraft overhaul in India (namely ABC Company).

The proposed overhaul lead-time reduction plan points out the augmentation of resources in order to achieve more than 50 per cent reduction in lead time and waiting time under two scenarios – with overtime and without overtime.

An integrated approach proposed has so far been applicable to the specific aircrafts (Jaguar/Mirage/Kiran) of the ABC Company overhaul division. However, the particular methodology can be proved potentially useful and highly practical when applying to other aircraft types.

The results indicate several problems with the current overhaul strategies that need focused process improvements and a need for capacity augmentation for achieving the enhanced overhaul task of nine+ aircrafts per year with reduced overhaul lead time. The proposed approach also provides the maintenance planners with a platform for decision analysis and support often ignored the capacity augmentation.

This paper aims to derive and estimate a theory-based empirical specification that models a firm’s choices of its international diversification (ID) and product diversification (PD) and how they evolve over time in response to shocks that alter the relative cost and relative profitability of ID and PD.

We use longitudinal data on U.S. manufacturing firms from 1984 to 1999, a period of intense shocks associated with rapid globalization, to estimate a dynamic panel data Tobit model that permits lags in a firm’s adjustment to its optimal mix of ID and PD over time.

We find strong support for the theoretical framework underlying our empirical specifications and posited dynamics, with full adjustment estimated to require, on average, 1.5 years, a finding with implications for the time spacing of observations in empirical studies of ID and PD to avoid biased inferences. Among the globalization shocks during the time period studied, our results indicate that global competitive pressures and efficiency gains from global supply integration to be the more important factors driving U.S. firms toward greater ID relative to PD. Augmentation of firms’ organizational (managerial) and physical capital resources is also found to be important for supporting an expansion of ID relative to PD. Technological resource augmentation is instead found to favor expansion of PD relative to ID.

Our empirical specification is novel. It readily incorporates an often ignored but necessary theoretical condition that defines a firm’s optimal choices of its ID and PD, and it allows observed choices at a point in time to deviate from their optimal values.

Requirements of a project are found to change in various ways during the course of the same. Studies have investigated the effect of requirement volatility on different project parameters like effort, schedule, quality, etc. However, these studies have not looked into how different “patterns” of requirement volatility influence project quality; and which intervention strategies could be effective under the circumstances. This paper aims to address this issue.

The “system dynamics” approach has been used for carrying out the research. Based on a recent finding, we implemented different resource management policies on a validated software process model on waterfall systems development life cycle. Subsequently, we examined the efficacies of these resource management policies on project quality under requirement volatility.

Results indicate variations in quality metrics like error generation, error detection, and quality assurance effort across experimental scenarios as different patterns of requirement volatility and resource management policies impact the software project dynamics in different ways.

In absence of any imposed schedule penalty, the extent of variations in project parameters across the policy choices was not very significant. The results are also expected to differ depending upon the project development environment.

Findings are expected to assist project managers in deciding on the workforce augmentation plan that would favorably satisfy both the organization's objectives as well as the users' quality requirements under requirement volatility.

In present day context of shorter time to market and stringent quality requirements; meeting quality targets become difficult especially in scenarios where requirement volatility is a norm. This paper provides a dynamic view of the phenomenon of how quality gets affected; and explores the efficacy of different resource management strategies in improving quality under the experimental scenarios.

Data science industry is a multidisciplinary field that deals with a large amount of data and derives useful information for taking routine and strategic business decisions. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between pricing models, engagement models, and firm performance (FP). This study also aims at uncovering the most effective pricing model and engagement model for improving FP.

Indian data scientists were the respondents of the study. A total of 213 responses were carefully chosen. The data were analyzed using structural equations on Statistical Package for Social Sciences-Analysis of Moment Structures (SPSS-AMOS) version 25 software.

The findings of the study suggested the positive and significant impact of pricing models and engagement models on FP. Value-based pricing strategies have the maximum impact on FP. On the other hand, managed services have a higher influence on FP.

By developing a multi-faceted framework, this study is a novel contribution to the field of business strategy, especially for the data science industry.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how an increasingly intertwined international geography of ownership affects renewal activities and processes, including innovation, in established local companies that have shifted into foreign ownership. The authors develop a framework for the relations between (foreign) ownership and local renewal activities and processes (including innovation). The authors focus on access to resources for renewal, the development of capabilities for innovation and change, and local mandates to pursue renewal. Based on case studies of eight formerly Swedish-owned mid-size manufacturing companies that have shifted into and remained under foreign ownership during most of the 2010s, the authors develop a framework concerned with the relations between (foreign) ownership and renewal activities and processes in local firms.

Multiple intensive case studies of eight previously Swedish-owned mid-sized manufacturing companies to gain qualitative insights into the resource, capabilities and mandates for renewal under new ownership conditions. Empirical data collected primarily through semi-structured interviews and complemented with secondary material, including annual reports (2010–2018), databases, press releases and information on company websites. Empirical data were analyzed thematically to isolate key findings pertaining to renewal. At the core of the analysis process was the gradual creation of a framework that stipulates the relations between (foreign) ownership and firm renewal activities and processes.

The companies are endowed with liberal but conditional mandates to pursue strategic innovation in their original sites and draw on a stronger resource repertoire within their ownership spheres. In comparison to the established international business (IB) literature, the authors add considerations about how local aspects interact with international ones to form global distribution of renewal activities in our time. To economic geographers and innovation scholars, consideration of the local and its importance in renewal activities and processes is certainly not new, but we show how ownership is an important aspect that conditions some of the strategic interactions that companies have with their “outsides”.

Contributes to the burgeoning conversation between IB and economic geography disciplines. Emphasizes a deeper local aspect to the IB literature, partly how companies access resources and capabilities from the ownership sphere at points that suit their renewal efforts and partly the persistence of path-dependent aspects of local companies even as they get acquired by multinationals. Emphasizes ownership and mandate aspects to the literature in Economic geography, which tends to focus on regional/non-regional assets for renewal and innovation. Findings show that the non-regional assets are, in fact, two distinct categories as ownership becomes internationalized: assets within and outside the ownership sphere.

The purpose of this paper is to address foreign market entry mode as a way to enhance firm’s knowledge base, providing new insights into traditional explanations of entry mode choice for soft services. The authors offer an alternative knowledge-based approach to assess foreign investment decisions by considering the role of resource-augmenting (direct investment) and resource-exploiting strategies (licenses). In addition, the authors untie the type of experiential knowledge, i.e., host country and mode experience, to analyze its interactions with environmental uncertainties such as cultural distance.

Based on a customized database of the Spanish Global Hotel industry covering practically all foreign entries until 2012, the authors use regression analysis to test the proposal.

The authors demonstrate how in hotel chains (a) cultural distance influences the use of high resource-augmenting modes, due to both the difficulties in transferring the knowledge to third parties but also the imperative need of learning from local markets and (b) how strong brands tend to use resource-augmenting modes in their first steps abroad as a strategy to achieve a minimum level of resource basis to exploit it in a later stage.

The findings question the appropriateness of prior assumptions from traditional internationalization process theories for soft services MNE and provide an alternative approach to assess entry mode choice in this context.