- Manchester Business school, DBA, AlumnusThe University of Queensland, Australia, Strategy and International Business, Faculty Memberadd
- Find more about me here: https://ruitoliveira4.wixsite.com/mysite-cv/my-researchedit
In less than twenty years, China departed from a residual to the largest automotive producer in the world. However, the local Chinese automotive suppliers have not followed a similar path and maintain a residual presence on the automotive... more
In less than twenty years, China departed from a residual to the largest automotive producer in the world. However, the local Chinese automotive suppliers have not followed a similar path and maintain a residual presence on the automotive global value chain. After an analysis of the automotive global value chain, and its specificities in China, coupled with a research on the Chinese business system, some explanations emerged that justify the low relevance of the Chinese supplier in this industry. Nonetheless, the actual position of local automotive suppliers in China can be reverted if the right strategy is implemented. Drawing from the specificities of the Chinese business system and the automotive industrial constrains, the option for Chinese automotive suppliers is unconventional. To enter into the first-tier league of the automotive global value chain, Chinese suppliers need to embrace in international acquisitions of transnational suppliers, particularly in added value components such as electronics. These suppliers can be found in developed countries, many of these suppliers are owned by private equity firms that are looking for the best deal. Moreover, some of these suppliers are in need of financial support, due to the drawbacks of the 2008 financial crisis, which is what Chinese companies can provide without much restraints.
Research Interests:
The business systems approach stresses the role of institutions in shaping economic actors’ behaviour; we draw on this approach to assess the influence of the Chinese business system on the innovation activities of Chinese firms. We use... more
The business systems approach stresses the role of institutions in shaping economic actors’ behaviour; we draw on this approach to assess the influence of the Chinese business system on the innovation activities of Chinese firms. We use survey data from companies located in the Wuxi (Taihu) international science park. The findings reveal that on-park firms do perceive business systems constraints to innovation, mostly linked to lack of qualified personnel, financial constraints and lack of inter-firm collaboration. Results also show that on-park firms, who largely carry out innovation that is adaptive in nature, circumvent those constraints through open innovation, sourcing externally information for innovation activities.
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We compare how non-financial government support, versus knowledge gained through exporting, supports innovation in Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Analysis of panel data of 1,018 SMEs shows that government support for... more
We compare how non-financial government support, versus knowledge gained through exporting, supports innovation in Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Analysis of panel data of 1,018 SMEs shows that government support for staff training and technological development quality increases the likelihood of product and process innovation. Resource slack mediates the relationship between these non-financial government support measures and innovation, thus pointing to the importance of underutilized resources to enable the use of external sources of knowledge. Therefore, these policy measures are more efficient for emerging-market SMEs that can incorporate them. The negative moderation effect of exporting in the relationship between non-financial government support and process innovation suggests that policy-makers should limit the use of non-financial support when they design exporting policies for emerging-market SMEs.
Research Interests:
We foresee the I4.0 technologies as a source to foster change on multinational corporate purpose and as a mechanism to disseminate it across the different subsidiaries and its stakeholders. For example, the vertical integration processes... more
We foresee the I4.0 technologies as a source to foster change on multinational corporate purpose and as a mechanism to disseminate it across the different subsidiaries and its stakeholders. For example, the vertical integration processes that I4.0 can provide to multinationals have the potential to uncover social and environmental issues that multinationals, frequently as orchestrators, have in their operations.
Therefore, we still lack a holistic understanding of how such roll-outs of I4.0 can enhance fields that we know have a critical impact on social and environmental sustainability, such as the circular economy, organizations' social practices (within and outside the organization), and corporate purpose, and how such holistic approach works in a multinational environment. I4.0 is a particularly important mechanism to tackle the above mentioned critical problems because it will not only upgrade factory operations as before but, and for the first time in industry history, organizations will have the prospect to change their core business from production and selling products to provide solutions (Strozzi et al., 2017).
Therefore, we still lack a holistic understanding of how such roll-outs of I4.0 can enhance fields that we know have a critical impact on social and environmental sustainability, such as the circular economy, organizations' social practices (within and outside the organization), and corporate purpose, and how such holistic approach works in a multinational environment. I4.0 is a particularly important mechanism to tackle the above mentioned critical problems because it will not only upgrade factory operations as before but, and for the first time in industry history, organizations will have the prospect to change their core business from production and selling products to provide solutions (Strozzi et al., 2017).
Research Interests:
Purpose-This paper extends the conceptualization of well-being as a staged social responsibility process by undertaking further conceptual development of these ideas as well as exploratory, smallscale international testing. Design-The... more
Purpose-This paper extends the conceptualization of well-being as a staged social responsibility process by undertaking further conceptual development of these ideas as well as exploratory, smallscale international testing. Design-The sample comprised 117 leaders from Alaska, India and Norway. Cluster analysis was used to determine systematic differences in the way leaders think about societal well-being (wellbeing action logics), and regression analysis was used to test positive and significant relationships between well-being action logics and stages of consciousness. Findings-Cluster analysis confirmed our three theoretically derived well-being action logics of top managers: compensatory, integral, and hybrid. We found preliminary empirical support for a systematic relationship between well-being action logics and stages of consciousness as per constructive-developmental theory.
Despite their global emergence, sharing economy businesses do not consistently experience favourable outcomes across different geographical regions. Additionally, since the sharing economy is considered a contemporary business mechanism,... more
Despite their global emergence, sharing economy businesses do not consistently experience favourable outcomes across different geographical regions. Additionally, since the sharing economy is considered a contemporary business mechanism, unlike the traditional business model, there is a lack of constructive business frameworks for these businesses to contemplate in order to maintain or advance their business operations. This is particularly the case with respect to emerging economies. Accordingly, our study provides a comprehensive systematic review of the relevant sharing economy literature to determine influential factors and their impacts on sharing economy business performance. Our findings suggest a diverse context classification and research trend within the existing sharing economy literature and, thereby, we conceptualise a sharing economy epistemology to enhance comprehension of the different forces and mechanisms in place. With that, we develop a conceptual model based on the strategy and institutional literature where we uncover differences for emerging markets. Finally, we suggest a future research framework for the sharing economy field.
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This research examines how organisational support mechanisms extended to expatriate families influence the adjustment of the expatriate, the spouse, and accompanying children. We present data from 173 accompanying expatriate spouses in... more
This research examines how organisational support mechanisms extended to expatriate families influence the adjustment of the expatriate, the spouse, and accompanying children. We present data from 173 accompanying expatriate spouses in China and 135 expatriates employed in foreign and local multinationals in China. We report on
Research Interests: China and Expatriates
Trained as an organizational psychologist, she is passionate about capability development at all levels. She investigates rich phenomenon over time using multiple sources of data, with a specific focus on meso level analysis. Her work has... more
Trained as an organizational psychologist, she is passionate about capability development at all levels. She investigates rich phenomenon over time using multiple sources of data, with a specific focus on meso level analysis. Her work has been published in top journals such as:
Research Interests:
China’s position as one of the most powerful nations in the world is undisputed. However, in an evolving landscape, China’s utilisation of a path-dependent business system may hinder the ability of the country’s institutions to undergo... more
China’s position as one of the most powerful nations in the world is undisputed. However, in an evolving landscape, China’s utilisation of a path-dependent business system may hinder the ability of the country’s institutions to undergo necessary change, which will have important implications for international business literature. Through business system theory, empirical evidence and a mixed methods approach, we discuss China’s business system explaining how the system may impair sustainable growth and the transformation required by a less dependent industrial society. Our research suggests that the Chinese business system is still very arrested due to its recent past, and the Chinese Communist Party has only partial interest in improving some of the most important bases for the development of modern enterprises, even if fostering a somewhat liberal economic approach. Since similar political (authoritarian) and economic (liberal) approaches are found elsewhere, we theorise on what we called an authoriliberal economic approach.
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It is assumed in the international entrepreneurship and international business literatures that firms entering overseas markets possess attributes that are unique and valuable, providing them with an advantage that offsets their liability... more
It is assumed in the international entrepreneurship and international business literatures that firms entering overseas markets possess attributes that are unique and valuable, providing them with an advantage that offsets their liability of foreignness. There is a further assumption that the market knowledge acquired through exporting is independent of export destination. We challenge these two assumptions in a longitudinal study of Vietnamese new venture firms. We report that innovation in these firms is ex-post exporting and not ex-ante as expected. The Vietnamese firms in our study that engage in exporting as international suppliers into global value chains show evidence of process innovation after exporting, but not of product innovation. We also report that exporting to advanced economies enhances process innovation, but that firms exporting to emerging economies neither innovate their processes nor products.
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Using survey data from companies located in the Wuxi (Taihu) international science park in China, we aim to analyze to what extent science park residents experience barriers to innovation and to what extent opening up the innovation... more
Using survey data from companies located in the Wuxi (Taihu) international science park in China, we aim to analyze to what extent science park residents experience barriers to innovation and to what extent opening up the innovation process allows them to overcome constraints and increase innovation performance. Findings indicate that surveyed firms that mostly undertake incremental innovation perceive many constraints and that the depth of external knowledge search-that is, the intensity of the relationship with external sources of knowledge-significantly influences innovation performance, mediating the relationships between innovation barriers and innovation performance. Our results allow us to explain how open innovation practices can be used to mitigate existing barriers, and therefore permeate the knowledge filter, and to theorize on the importance of institutional factors for open innovation theory in emerging economies. Tweetable headline: Is quality not quantity that matters! The intensity of relationships with external knowledge sources helps to mitigate innovation constraints, facilitate the flow of knowledge and enhance innovation performance in emerging market firms. We surveyed high-tech SMEs located in the Wuxi (Taihu) international science park in China to find out to what extent external firm barriers to innovation have an impact on the innovation performance of science park residents, and how open innovation strategies affect this relationship. Here the main implications: 1) Research: Institutional factors need to be considered when studying open innovation, particularly in an emerging country context. Results emphasize the importance of deeper external knowledge sources as one mechanism to mitigate institutional barriers. 2) Management: Human resource constraints are an important barrier for SMEs and managers should stimulate learning through reward systems and training that increase absorptive and innovative capacity ability. 3) Policy: Local officials responsible for the management of science parks in China should put more efforts in providing financial support by creating specialized venture capital and a better knowledge of risk analysis from the financial system.
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Highlights • Firms are willing to reveal if appropriability mechanisms are in place; • Revealing is associated with value creation for customers; • Financial markets do not perceive the value of revealing; • There are typologies on the... more
Highlights • Firms are willing to reveal if appropriability mechanisms are in place; • Revealing is associated with value creation for customers; • Financial markets do not perceive the value of revealing; • There are typologies on the relationships between appropriability and revealing. Abstract The open innovation literature provides compelling evidence of value being created from inbound knowledge flows. Missing from this conversation is an empirical understanding of why firms reveal intellectual property without immediate financial return. Revealing seems contrary to capturing rents from innovation. Using survey data and secondary data from a national intellectual property register and listed company financial reports, we find a significant positive relationship between appropriation and revealing, indicating a firm's willingness to reveal if robust appropriability mechanisms are in place. Revealing, in the presence of appropriability mechanisms, is also associated with higher value creation for customers but lower levels of value capture, as perceived by financial markets. We attribute the negative relationship with value capture to a misalignment between investors and managers regarding the role of revealing as an innovation strategy. We contribute to the open innovation and business model literatures with a typology of strategic relationships between appropriability and revealing, consisting of isolators, givers, takers and ecosystem developers.
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Highlights: • We merge the circular economy concept, blockchain, and Ostrom's framework; • We propose that MNEs change their business model to include dealing with their waste; • We advance a conceptual model with incentives and penalties... more
Highlights: • We merge the circular economy concept, blockchain, and Ostrom's framework; • We propose that MNEs change their business model to include dealing with their waste; • We advance a conceptual model with incentives and penalties using blockchain; • We develop a resources value loop that adds to the product life cycle theory; • We progress the circular economy by integrating it with emergent technologies. Abstract While a circular economy is increasingly being adopted in developed economies, with multinational corporations progressively adopting measures related to it, our knowledge of the reality in developing economies remains limited. Moreover, while new technologies, such as blockchain, might have important features that could impact circular economy frameworks, particularly in developing economies, their practical application remains to be seen, and academic literature is also scarce. This research addresses this gap and aims to provide conceptual clarity on how blockchains can be used in both circular and modified linear economy frameworks and the implications for social, environmental, and economic welfare. In order to do this, we have used two case studies from India to illustrate the application of this concept through a theoretical model based on Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom's seminal work regarding the eight design principles involving people's participation in protecting the commons. Merging the circular economy, blockchain, and Ostrom's seminal work, we advance a conceptual framework that allows us, from a holistic perspective, to create incentives and penalties for the different agents involved in the waste cycle, including the producers.
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In the past two decades, digital technologies have substantially changed the ways in which individuals and firms communicate and transfer knowledge, with wide-ranging implications for organisations and institutions. From an organisational... more
In the past two decades, digital technologies have substantially changed the ways in which individuals and firms communicate and transfer knowledge, with wide-ranging implications for organisations and institutions. From an organisational perspective, the emergence of digital technologies has enhanced the materialisation of new business models (Foss and Saebi, 2017; Rachinger et al., 2019), the personalisation of products and services (Cenamor et al., 2017), the relation of trust between market agents and asymmetries of information (Urena et al., 2019), new products and services (Matt et al., 2015) and the pace of product life-cycles (Seetharaman et al., 2018), to name a few. This digital transformation has far-reaching implications for organisations but is particularly important to multinational enterprises (MNEs) as it allows them to reduce the liability of foreignness (Johanson and Vahlne, 2009), enhance knowledge creation and improve knowledge transfer and learning (Gaur et al., 2019), augment trust-building (Monaghan et al., 2020), build agile global value chains (GVCs) (Kano et al., 2020) and improve the speed of internationalisation (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994). All this results in a reduction of uncertainties and thus lowers the risk perception (Clarke and Liesch, 2017), which impels international commitment decisions.
An important new technology with potential for significant and wide-ranging impacts is blockchain. With this technology it is now possible to, for example, transfer the ownership of physical assets, such as cars and real estate, stocks, bonds and money over the internet through digital contracts (Andreesen, 2014). The changes that blockchain technology brings about leave academics, businesses and governments grappling with the consequences. Academic research has focussed on the economics of blockchains (Evans, 2014; Davidson et al., 2016) and blockchain use cases, especially in the financial, information and communications technology, and public sectors (Böhme et al., 2015; Friedlmaier et al., 2017; Tapscott and Tapscott, 2016). Because blockchain has multiple barriers to widespread adoption (Iansiti and Lakhani, 2017), researchers have explored regulatory barriers to the adoption of cryptocurrencies and smart contracts (Caytas, 2017; Werbach and Cornell, 2017) as well as technical barriers, such as scalability, interoperability, performance and data privacy (Hileman and Rauchs, 2017; Yli-Huumo et al., 2016). Tapscott and Tapscott (2016) argue that blockchain constitutes an institutional innovation, the “cryptoeconomy” – an economic system not defined by geographic location, political structure or legal system, but which uses cryptographic techniques to incentivise appropriate behaviour of participants in place of using trusted third parties (Pilkington, 2016). From this perspective, blockchains are platforms for building economic coordination using distributed ledgers augmented with computational features, such as money (cryptocurrencies), programmable contracts (e.g. smart contracts) and organisations made of software (DAOs, or distributed autonomous organisations). Thus, blockchain technology is not only innovative but also is a building block for new forms of economic governance and socio-political order (Davidson et al., 2016).
Despite the critical importance of digital technologies, such as blockchain and organisations’ digital transformations, the international business (IB) literature has been slow to unpack the implications for organisations’ internationalisation motivations and processes. Furthermore, and more recently, the emergence of fully digital organisations, such as digital platforms (Uber or Airbnb), social media (Facebook or Twitter), e-commerce (Taobao) or financial services (TransferWise), are still very much a black box to IB literature.
With this special issue, we aimed to uncover a small part of the necessary embracement that the IB field needs to achieve to be prepared to perform their societal role of informing managers, entrepreneurs, officials and other agents of change. To do so, we look specifically at the implications of blockchain technology in the IB field. While IB literature is lagging behind in the study of blockchain, MNEs are – and have been for some time – actively exploring blockchain’s potential, particularly in the financial (Böhme et al., 2015), compliance (Anjum et al., 2017), healthcare (Mettler, 2016), data protection (Finck, 2018) and logistics (Hackius and Petersen, 2017) contexts. In China alone, by the end of March 2020, a total of 35 MNEs (including Microsoft, Oracle, Mastercard, Sony, Intel and Walmart) applied for 212 blockchain-related patents (Global Times, 2020). As explained elsewhere (Finextra, 2017), banking and finance now account for some 30% of blockchain use cases, and nearly 70% of central banks are experimenting with blockchain technology. Entrepreneurial start-ups and initial coin offerings – a form of crowd funding made possible because of blockchain (Kastelein, 2017) – have been the drivers behind an unprecedented surge of innovation, ranging from new, competing protocols (e.g. Tezos and EOS) to smart contracts on Ethereum, decentralised applications (e.g. Telegram), and new currencies with unique features (e.g. monero and zcash) (Vereckey, 2018). Thus, and more than ever, we need to push the blockchain agenda and investigate its implications for IB. In the following sub-sections, we outline the key implications of blockchain technology in the context of IB.
An important new technology with potential for significant and wide-ranging impacts is blockchain. With this technology it is now possible to, for example, transfer the ownership of physical assets, such as cars and real estate, stocks, bonds and money over the internet through digital contracts (Andreesen, 2014). The changes that blockchain technology brings about leave academics, businesses and governments grappling with the consequences. Academic research has focussed on the economics of blockchains (Evans, 2014; Davidson et al., 2016) and blockchain use cases, especially in the financial, information and communications technology, and public sectors (Böhme et al., 2015; Friedlmaier et al., 2017; Tapscott and Tapscott, 2016). Because blockchain has multiple barriers to widespread adoption (Iansiti and Lakhani, 2017), researchers have explored regulatory barriers to the adoption of cryptocurrencies and smart contracts (Caytas, 2017; Werbach and Cornell, 2017) as well as technical barriers, such as scalability, interoperability, performance and data privacy (Hileman and Rauchs, 2017; Yli-Huumo et al., 2016). Tapscott and Tapscott (2016) argue that blockchain constitutes an institutional innovation, the “cryptoeconomy” – an economic system not defined by geographic location, political structure or legal system, but which uses cryptographic techniques to incentivise appropriate behaviour of participants in place of using trusted third parties (Pilkington, 2016). From this perspective, blockchains are platforms for building economic coordination using distributed ledgers augmented with computational features, such as money (cryptocurrencies), programmable contracts (e.g. smart contracts) and organisations made of software (DAOs, or distributed autonomous organisations). Thus, blockchain technology is not only innovative but also is a building block for new forms of economic governance and socio-political order (Davidson et al., 2016).
Despite the critical importance of digital technologies, such as blockchain and organisations’ digital transformations, the international business (IB) literature has been slow to unpack the implications for organisations’ internationalisation motivations and processes. Furthermore, and more recently, the emergence of fully digital organisations, such as digital platforms (Uber or Airbnb), social media (Facebook or Twitter), e-commerce (Taobao) or financial services (TransferWise), are still very much a black box to IB literature.
With this special issue, we aimed to uncover a small part of the necessary embracement that the IB field needs to achieve to be prepared to perform their societal role of informing managers, entrepreneurs, officials and other agents of change. To do so, we look specifically at the implications of blockchain technology in the IB field. While IB literature is lagging behind in the study of blockchain, MNEs are – and have been for some time – actively exploring blockchain’s potential, particularly in the financial (Böhme et al., 2015), compliance (Anjum et al., 2017), healthcare (Mettler, 2016), data protection (Finck, 2018) and logistics (Hackius and Petersen, 2017) contexts. In China alone, by the end of March 2020, a total of 35 MNEs (including Microsoft, Oracle, Mastercard, Sony, Intel and Walmart) applied for 212 blockchain-related patents (Global Times, 2020). As explained elsewhere (Finextra, 2017), banking and finance now account for some 30% of blockchain use cases, and nearly 70% of central banks are experimenting with blockchain technology. Entrepreneurial start-ups and initial coin offerings – a form of crowd funding made possible because of blockchain (Kastelein, 2017) – have been the drivers behind an unprecedented surge of innovation, ranging from new, competing protocols (e.g. Tezos and EOS) to smart contracts on Ethereum, decentralised applications (e.g. Telegram), and new currencies with unique features (e.g. monero and zcash) (Vereckey, 2018). Thus, and more than ever, we need to push the blockchain agenda and investigate its implications for IB. In the following sub-sections, we outline the key implications of blockchain technology in the context of IB.
Research Interests:
It is well known that innovation benefits firms, and that openness may enhance these benefits. Yet, few studies consider how firms’ institutional context and different economic systems moderate openness and innovation outcomes in new... more
It is well known that innovation benefits firms, and that openness may enhance these benefits. Yet, few studies consider how firms’ institutional context and different economic systems moderate openness and innovation outcomes in new ventures, which arguably are most exposed to institutional constraints. Comparing data from a liberal (Australia) and central market economy (China), and using search breadth as a measure of openness, we empirically test the influence of external firm pressures on the relationship between openness and innovation outcomes in new ventures. Our results show that the well-established positive relationship between openness and innovation is market dependent and that, in emerging economies, it can be negative. Our findings demonstrate the importance of institutions and national economic systems in explaining open innovation in different contexts—a point not yet addressed by the open innovation literature.
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Open innovation (OI) refers to the inbound and outbound flows of knowledge beyond the boundary of the organization, which can be in the form of pecuniary or non-pecuniary exchanges. Investigation into pecuniary and inbound innovation... more
Open innovation (OI) refers to the inbound and outbound flows of knowledge beyond the boundary of the organization, which can be in the form of pecuniary or non-pecuniary exchanges. Investigation into pecuniary and inbound innovation types has advanced rapidly, but non-pecuniary outbound OI (free revealing) has received less attention. Presenting a scale developed through a systematic literature review, expert testing and exploratory factor analysis, we show that revealing is reflected by five motivational factors, namely seeking complementary capabilities, product diffusion, strategic spillovers, product enhancement, and co-creation with firms. Regression models show that these factors influence the variety of innovation types and shareholder expectations of value capture through future returns.
Research Interests:
Research summary: By adopting a phenomenon-based research approach, we examine the case of an emerging market supplier upgrading its position in the automotive global value chain (GVC) through the acquisition of a technologically advanced... more
Research summary: By adopting a phenomenon-based research approach, we examine the case of an emerging market supplier upgrading its position in the automotive global value chain (GVC) through the acquisition of a technologically advanced firm from a developed market. Drawing on GVC and social integration literature, we explore the role of social integration adopted by the emerging market acquirer to achieve upgrading through acquisition. We develop a conceptual framework where we explain the different social integration mechanisms that emerging market multinationals employ before and after acquisitions to achieve upgrading.
Managerial summary: When analyzing an emerging market firm acquiring a developed market firm we found that social integration is a key factor that enables knowledge transfer, particularly if no formal or structural integration occurs. This suggests that the development of mechanisms to facilitate strong socially integrated relationships with acquired firms is central for such type of acquisitions. Our research shows that emerging market firm managers need to put in place combinations of social integration mechanisms during different phases of the acquisition. Environmental and cognitive social integration mechanisms are crucial for gaining initial legitimacy. Furthermore, affective social integration is important for initiating process and functional upgrading, while cognitive social integration mechanisms become important for initiating inter-sectorial upgrading.
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Upgrading; Social Integration; Emerging Market; China; Global Value Chains
Managerial summary: When analyzing an emerging market firm acquiring a developed market firm we found that social integration is a key factor that enables knowledge transfer, particularly if no formal or structural integration occurs. This suggests that the development of mechanisms to facilitate strong socially integrated relationships with acquired firms is central for such type of acquisitions. Our research shows that emerging market firm managers need to put in place combinations of social integration mechanisms during different phases of the acquisition. Environmental and cognitive social integration mechanisms are crucial for gaining initial legitimacy. Furthermore, affective social integration is important for initiating process and functional upgrading, while cognitive social integration mechanisms become important for initiating inter-sectorial upgrading.
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Upgrading; Social Integration; Emerging Market; China; Global Value Chains
Research Interests:
Since the end of Great Recession about a decade ago, the 20 biggest emerging market economies have become the drivers for global outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) (Casanova and Miroux in Emerging Market Multinational Report,... more
Since the end of Great Recession about a decade ago, the 20 biggest emerging market economies have become the drivers for global outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) (Casanova and Miroux in Emerging Market Multinational Report, 2017), and these capital outflows are increasingly directed toward developed countries in form of international mergers and acquisitions (Thomson Reuters in Mergers and acquisition review, 2018; UNCTAD in World investment report: investment and new industrial policies. United Nations 646 Publications, New York, 2018). Particularly China has become a key player in the global market for corporate takeovers since the turn of the century. The country already constitutes the world's second largest economy (and largest emerging economy) for OFDI through international mergers and acquisitions, second only to the United States. In fact, the total transaction value of outbound international mergers and acquisitions of emerging market multinational corporations (EMNCs) from China amounted to nearly US$256 billion in 2016, with particular focus on target companies in developed economies (Casanova and Miroux in Emerging Market Multinational Report, 2017). Due to the significant capabilities gap between EMNCs from China and developed market companies, however, international acquisitions of the latter by the former require a unique post-acquisition integration approach that differs from those prescribed by extant research. In addition, due to the unique institutional environment of China, which is characterized by a considerable oversight and influence of the central government on the foreign market entry and location decisions by Chinese companies that are conducting outward
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Retail firms are increasingly tapping into value from bi-directional use of social media, alongside its traditional marketing purpose. While the innovation literature has established the benefits of involving customers in the development... more
Retail firms are increasingly tapping into value from bi-directional use of social media, alongside its traditional marketing purpose. While the innovation literature has established the benefits of involving customers in the development of products/services through open innovation, the role of social media in innovation is not well understood. Accordingly, we investigate how social media drives innovation in retail businesses. Using data from 414 firms, we find that social media positively relates to radical and incremental innovation, mediated by multiple digital channels and moderated by digital capabilities. Consequently, we propose a social media dynamic capabilities framework to guide future research.
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The starting premise of this article is that within existing approaches the nature of the interrelationship between components of wellbeing is both under-conceptualized and under-measured. This paper contrasts three perspectives of... more
The starting premise of this article is that within existing approaches the nature of the interrelationship between components of wellbeing is both under-conceptualized and under-measured. This paper contrasts three perspectives of wellbeing component interrelationship. The first and most common is a hierarchical approach, which prioritizes economic wellbeing and uses this to fund attainment of other components of wellbeing, such as social and environmental. A second perspective, which we call aggregation approaches, list dashboards of wellbeing components and average them. Both of these approaches emphasize the dependence and independence of the underlying components respectively. In this paper we develop a conceptualization of wellbeing based on the interdependence of eight components: economic, environmental, social, cultural, psychological, physical, spiritual and cultural. Our theory of interdependence is a multarity-based view of wellbeing which sees the latter as emerging from the integrated leveraging of at least four fundamental polarities: economic and environmental, physical and psychological, material and spiritual and social and cultural. Wellbeing costs increase and value creation opportunities lost when interdependence between components is ignored.
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze the formal political, legal and economic institutional legitimacy challenges for (US-based) multinational corporations (MNCs) attempting to enter the Cuban market, discuss the key local... more
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze the formal political, legal and economic institutional legitimacy challenges for (US-based) multinational corporations (MNCs) attempting to enter the Cuban market, discuss the key local constituencies in Cuba that are able to grant legitimacy and sketch out respective strategies to deal with each of these formal institutional challenges. Design/methodology/approach-A qualitative research approach comprising semi-structured executive interviews was used, combined with the analysis of media accounts and recent governmental policies and developments. The authors interpreted the gathered data and information based on institutional theory. Findings-This paper sketches out specific legitimacy challenges for (US-based) MNCs when entering Cuba and discusses strategies to manage these challenges. Research limitations/implications-The authors provide an application of institutional theory in the specific context of Cuba and so demonstrate the value of applying this theoretical lens to better understand the local legitimacy processes in this particular emerging market environment. Practical implications-This study presents a framework of strategies (US-based) MNCs may use to inform their entry strategies into the Cuban market, based on an analysis of the local institutional environment, legitimacy pressures and constituencies able to grant or withdraw the approval and support of foreign MNCs. Originality/value-This paper is an original application of institutional theory to the emerging market of Cuba using a qualitative research approach, and so contributes to an emerging stream of research studying this market context from an academic and practical perspective.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to guide future researchers and practitioners into the process of interviewing in the Chinese context. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used is an empirical critical reflection.... more
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to guide future researchers and practitioners into the process of
interviewing in the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used is an empirical critical reflection.
Findings – The authors identified 11 major themes such as how to get an interview, antecedents of the interview, building rapport, complexity, language, interview settings, interview procedure, stages, probing and sensitive topics, selection of respondents and post-interview.
Research limitations/implications – The location of the interviews.
Practical implications – Guide foreigner researchers and managers on how to conduct interviews in
China.
Social implications – The context matters, and only with a specific approach some can perform well and achieve the interview objectives. Doing so, the researcher or practitioner will not create situations that might be problematic for her/him and the interviewee. Based on the above, the authors’ research decreases potential social tensions that interview situations can create.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other researcher has studied the specificities of interviewing in China, which brings originality and value to the authors’ research.
Keywords China,Interviewing,Qualitativemethods,Criticalreflection
interviewing in the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used is an empirical critical reflection.
Findings – The authors identified 11 major themes such as how to get an interview, antecedents of the interview, building rapport, complexity, language, interview settings, interview procedure, stages, probing and sensitive topics, selection of respondents and post-interview.
Research limitations/implications – The location of the interviews.
Practical implications – Guide foreigner researchers and managers on how to conduct interviews in
China.
Social implications – The context matters, and only with a specific approach some can perform well and achieve the interview objectives. Doing so, the researcher or practitioner will not create situations that might be problematic for her/him and the interviewee. Based on the above, the authors’ research decreases potential social tensions that interview situations can create.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other researcher has studied the specificities of interviewing in China, which brings originality and value to the authors’ research.
Keywords China,Interviewing,Qualitativemethods,Criticalreflection
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The emergence of China as one of the most important nations is undoubted. However, the path-dependent business system that the country possesses may challenge the transformation that Chinese institutions are trying to achieve. Using the... more
The emergence of China as one of the most important nations is undoubted. However, the path-dependent business system that the country possesses may challenge the transformation that Chinese institutions are trying to achieve. Using the business system theory and empirical evidence, through a mixed-methods approach, we explain the Chinese business system and how this will challenge sustainable growth and the required transformation of a less dependent industrial society. Our research suggests that the Chinese business system is still very arrested due to its recent past, and the Chinese Communist Party has only partial interest in improving some of the most important basis for the development of modern enterprises. The institutions remain acting where they should not and do not assure some of basis of contemporary societies. The lack of important institutional arrangements, formal and/or informal, will dictate the next decade of the Chinese economy, and unless important institutional changes occur, we argue that China will not be able to retain their elevated levels of economic growth.
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The rapid rise of Chinese outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) since the turn of the century has recently been fueled by a post-Recession wave of international mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by Chinese firms in developed economies.... more
The rapid rise of Chinese outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) since the turn of the century has recently been fueled by a post-Recession wave of international mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by Chinese firms in developed economies. This considerable wave originated from recent institutional changes in China, which entailed a new geopolitical focus on OFDI in strategically important international markets, and specifically impelled private firms to invest in developed economies through international M&As. Due to the significant capabilities gap between Chinese acquirers and target firms in developed markets, however, these transactions require a unique post-M&A integration approach that differs from those prescribed by extant, primarily Western-based research on the topic. Using a qualitative research approach based on executive interviews and information gathered through secondary data sources, this paper examines the acquisition of the German Preh GmbH by the Chinese Joyson Company, Ltd. and provides an in-depth analysis of the post-M&A implementation approach used by the involved companies. Building on institutional theory and social capital theory to analyze and interpret the gathered qualitative data and information, this paper develops a supportive partnering approach for implementing M&As by Chinese private firms in developed markets, and discusses the academic and practical implications of this new approach.
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Internationalization of emerging market firms (EMFs) is challenging pre-eminent theories. This article argues that no single existing theory adequately explains EMFs’ pattern for overseas investment. Using case studies and a multi-level... more
Internationalization of emerging market firms (EMFs) is challenging pre-eminent theories. This article argues that no single existing theory adequately explains EMFs’ pattern for overseas investment. Using case studies and a multi-level approach, our research suggests that EMFs can be categorized into four different clusters based on different rationales, objectives, and motivations. Our findings suggest that existing theories can be useful for explaining the process of internationalization, but this holds only for specific clusters. This is of particular importance for EMFs since the presence and influence of the state on EMFs internationalization is both critical and diverse from developed economies.
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In the recent past, Vietnam has dramatically increased its investment relationship and trade with the United States. At the same time, United States foreign direct investment and trade with China has been decreasing. This is even more... more
In the recent past, Vietnam has dramatically increased its investment relationship and trade with the United States. At the same time, United States foreign direct investment and trade with China has been decreasing. This is even more significant when we are in a period of internal growth within the United States. Using comparative business system analysis theory and a mixed method approach we conclude that Vietnam is turning into the new China for United States firms due to the fewer differences that exist between their business systems. The Chinese business system has major differences when compared with the economic system of the United States, whereas the Vietnam system has closer resemblance to the United States system. We have laid out inferences of our arguments for future research, particularly in the area of institutional comparative advantage.