Business Commons^™

A Process Model On The Formation Of Multinational Stategic Alliances, Gregory Osland, Attila Yaprak

Gregory E. Osland

Dr. Gregory Osland's contribution to Refik Culpan (ed.), Multinational Strategic Alliances. Binghamton, NY: International Business Press.

"Doing Business In China: A Framework For Cross-Cultural Understanding, Gregory Osland

Gregory E. Osland

The process of doing business in The People′s Republic of China can be understood better and improved through a conceptual model that identifies and explains critical elements of their culture. An attempt is made to fill a gap in previous work by integrating anthropological and political theory, pertinent literature, and experience in the Chinese context. The model reveals the importance of understanding how communication occurs cross‐culturally through language, material objects, and non‐verbal behaviour. The critical role of interpersonal relationships in China is discussed, highlighting the important factors of guanxi, face, group orientation, and deference to age and authority. The …

Multinationals In China: Responding To Host Government Pressures, Ingmar Bjorkman, Gregory Osland

Gregory E. Osland

Government pressures are thought to influence multinational companies' strategies. This study analyzes central government pressures regarding MNCs in China since 1990, particularly the pressures concerning operational modes utilized by foreign companies investing in China. The methodology utilizes in-depth interviews of MNC executives and government officials from the United States, Scandinavia, and China. The results indicate that the Chinese government has ratcheted up the pressure on MNCs to produce and source locally and that some MNCs are facing intense pressure to lobby their own governments on behalf of China. This article also provides insights for managers into government workings and provides …

Social Dumping As Marketization: Management Whipsawing In Europe’S Auto Industry, Ian Greer, Marco Hauptmeier

Ian Greer

[Excerpt] The focus of this paper is one slow-burning change in the organization of capitalism in Europe, marketization (Greer and Doellgast 2013, Hauptmeier 2011). We argue that a specific species of marketization, management whipsawing, is causing social dumping in the automotive sector. By management whipsawing we mean the staging of economic competition by large corporations with several production units in a way that extracts labor concessions by pitting local workers against each other in contests for investment and production. Multinational companies (MNC) were the first movers and developed various management whipsawing practices; however, the term was also used historically to …

Organized Industrial Relations In The Information Economy: The German Automotive Sector As A Test Case, Ian Greer

Ian Greer

This paper explores the effect of the information economy on industrial relations through the lens of the restructuring of German automotive sector. Historically, this sector has generated important insights about national “models” and the political economy of work. I argue that vertical disintegration has created new market-mediated boundaries that have undermined existing patterns of organized industrial relations.

Political Entrepreneurs And Co-Managers: Labour Transnationalism At Four Multinational Auto Companies, Ian Greer, Marco Hauptmeier

Ian Greer

This paper examines labour transnationalism within four multinational automakers. In our sample, we find different forms of labour transnationalism, including transnational collective bargaining, mobilisation, information exchange and social codes of conduct. We explain these differences through the interaction between management and labour in the context of the company structure; of particular importance are transnational coercive comparisons by management and the orientations of worker representatives as political entrepreneurs or co-managers. We conclude that, although intensified worker-side crossborder cooperation were not preventing wage-based competition in general (due to the lack of between-firm coordination), they have reshaped employment relations within these MNCs.

Optimal Patent Policy With Endogenous Cross-Border Acquisitions, Abhra Roy, Aniruddha Bagchi

Abhra Roy

The issue of optimal patent protection is of great importance since the inclusion of the trade related aspects of intellectual property rights accord into the purview of the World Trade Organization. Hitherto, the literature has focused on the optimal patent regimes from the perspective of developed and/or developing nations assuming that firms in different countries operate independently. We investigate the interaction between optimal patent regimes and cross-border mergers in a North–South framework. In this scenario, we show that forming cross-border mergers increase welfare and reduce the optimal patent length in both regions by reducing competition in the Southern market. As …

How Institutions And Business Strategies Affect Wages: A Cross-National Study Of Call Centers, Rosemary Batt, Hiroatsu Nohara

Rosemary Batt

This paper, drawing on a 2003-2006 establishment-level survey of 1,819 call centers in 15 countries, examines effects of industrial relations institutions and employer strategies on wage variation across coordinated, liberal, and emerging market economies. The authors find several contradictory patterns, which confirm theoretical predictions for some countries and contradict them for others, suggesting diverse institutional reactions to the emergence of a new economic activity. Consistent with prior research, Denmark, France, and Sweden exhibit patterns of low wage dispersion and no union wage premium, and the United States, Canada, and emerging market economies exhibit quite high levels of dispersion. Contrary to …

Can Uber In China Counter Local E-Taxis?, Jack Marr

Jack Marr

Alienated Politics: Labour Insurgency And The Paternalistic State In China, Eli Friedman

Eli D Friedman

Is there a labour movement in China? This contribution argues that China does not have a labour movement, but that contestation between workers, state and capital is best characterized as a form of ‘alienated politics’. Widespread worker resistance is highly effective at the level of the firm be-cause of its ability to inflict losses on capital and disrupt public order. But authoritarian politics in China prevent workers from formulating political demands. Despite the spectacular repressive capacity of the state, the central government has in fact responded to highly localized resistance by passing generally pro-labour legislation over the past decade. The …

China's Ebanks: A New Regime, Jack Marr

Jack Marr

Satisfaction With Airline Service Quality: Familiarity Breeds Contempt, Tamilla Curtis, Dawna Rhoades, Blaise Waguespack

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

The objective of this study is to investigate frequency-of-flight issues and the differences between frequent and non-frequent flyers’ levels of satisfaction and the importance attributed to overall airline service quality and select attributes. The results indicate that the level of satisfaction with overall airline quality and select attributes decrease the more passengers fly. Conversely, the level of importance attributed to airline amenities increased with flight frequency. Perceptions of airline quality may vary between different nationalities and different socioeconomic groups. Differences between the short- and long-haul flights, as well as domestic and international services could also exist. Airline managers need to …

Regional Jet Aircraft Competitiveness: Challenges And Opportunities, Tamilla Curtis, Dawna Rhoades, Blaise Waguespack

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

The regional jet aircraft is a unique market niche. Particularly suitable for providing capacity in the 30 to 90 seat range, these jets are often used to connect smaller airports to network carrier hubs, as well as to fill in during slow periods. The market is currently dominated by two manufacturers: Brazil's Embraer and Canada's Bombardier. Due to the nature of the global aircraft industry, Embraer and Bombardier are largely dependent on the international sale of their aircraft for steady revenue streams. Orders and deliveries of aircraft with fewer than 100 seats have grown rapidly over the past ten years. …

Corporate Brand Management In Higher Education: The Case Of Erau, Tamilla Curtis, Russell Abratt, William Minor

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

There is evidence in the literature that organizations struggle to formulate and implement their corporate branding strategies. This paper aims to provide an overview of the corporate brand building process in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was used in this study. A single case study of a private American university was used to gather information about their corporate brand building process. University administrators and documents were used to gain insights into their brand building process. Findings – The corporate brand building process addressed three key areas; web administration, program marketing and corporate brand positioning. The corporate brand building …

Entrepreneurial Burnout: Exploring Antecedents, Dimensions And Outcomes, C. David Shepherd, Gaia Marchisio, Sussie Morrish, Jonathan Deacon, Morgan Miles

Gaia Marchisio

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptually and empirically explore the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurial burnout – that is burnout related to the process of discovery or creation of attractive economic opportunities, the assessment of these opportunities, and the decision on the exploitation of opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a survey of entrepreneurs in New Zealand who were alumni of a university sponsored executive development course for owner-managers of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Findings – It is found that role stress is positively related to burnout and that burnout has a negative impact on organizational …

Trade Liberalisation, Economic Crises And Growth, Rodney Falvey, Neil Foster, David Greenaway

Rodney Falvey

Many economic reforms are undertaken at a time of economic crisis. But is this a good time for a country to undertake trade reform? In this paper we investigate whether an economic crisis at the time of trade liberalisation affects a country’s subsequent growth performance. We employ threshold regression techniques on five crisis indicators commonly used in the literature, to identify the relevant “crisis values” and to estimate the differential postliberalisation growth effects in the crisis and non-crisis regimes. We find that the magnitude of the acceleration in postliberalisation growth depends on the characteristics of the crisis. Although trade liberalisation …

Embedded Politics: Industrial Networks And Institutional Change In Post-Communism, Gerald Mcdermott

Gerald A McDermott

Embedded Politics offers a unique framework for analyzing the impact of past industrial networks on the way postcommunist societies build new institutions to govern the restructuring of their economies. Drawing on a detailed analysis of communist Czechoslovakia and contemporary Czech industries and banks, Gerald A. McDermott argues that restructuring is best advanced through the creation of deliberative or participatory forms of governance that encourages public and private actors to share information and take risks. Further, he contends that institutional and organizational changes are intertwined and that experimental processes are shaped by how governments delegate power to local public and private …

Transnational Integration Regimes As Development Programs, Laszlo Bruszt, Gerald Mcdermott

Gerald A McDermott

In drawing on recent advances in international and comparative political economy, this paper argues that diverging paths of institutional development among emerging market democracies are driven by the Transnational Integration Regimes (TIRs), in which a country is embedded. As development programs, TIRs differ in their effectiveness not simply in terms of their incentives and largess and more in terms of their emphasis on building institutional capacities, empowering a variety of domestic state and non-state actors via multiplex methods of assistance and monitoring, and their ability to merge monitoring and learning at both the national and supra-national levels. We develop a …

E-Commerce Patterns In South Asia: A Look Beyond Economics, Nir Kshetri, Nikhilesh Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia

Conflicting and complex forces are shaping the diffusion patterns of the Internet and e-commerce in South Asia. Drawing upon the literature on institutional theory, we explore the drivers and inhibitors of the Internet in South Asian countries. We examine the influence of the three pillars of institutions (Scott, 1995) on the digital world of South Asia. The paper discusses how regulatory, normative, and cognitive institution–such as laws, relationships, culture, and habit–have shaped the diffusion patterns of the Internet and e-commerce in South Asia.

Regional Integration And Transnational Labor Strategies Under Nafta, Maria Cook

Maria Lorena Cook

[Excerpt] This paper argues that while the internationalization of the economy has tended to weaken national labor movements, the internationalization of domestic politics may expand the traditional arenas for strategic action for labor unions. In particular, the North American Free Trade Agreement has been portrayed by some of its many critics as representing the consolidation of a neoconservative or neoliberal project that will not only shape the future economic development of the region, but also constrain its social policies and limit its political options (Grinspun and Cameron 1993: Chapter 1). However, these same critics have also noted that the debate …

What's Your Pitch? The Power Of Wow! (Worksheet For The Webinar On January 18, 2011), Connie Reimers-Hild

Connie I Reimers-Hild, PhD, CPC

Elevator pitches are created to sell your idea, business, product or service in 30 seconds or less (the time it takes to go from the first floor to the top of the building in an elevator). A great pitch has the power to help anyone...from a University employee to a new entrepreneur to a team working in a high-growth firm.

It’s important to develop and practice an effective pitch, complete with an awesome "Wow Factor," so you are ready to use it under fire (pretend you just stepped onto an elevator with Warren Buffett or Bill Gates)!

This interactive webinar …

The Cultural Dimensions Of Italian Leadership: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance And Masculinity From An American Perspective, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

This article provides a cultural analysis of Italian leadership from a cross-cultural perspective. Americans view Italian leaders with cultural lenses and stereotypes often exaggerated by the media. Effective cross-cultural, business and international relations with Italians and Italian descendants require awareness of the true cultural dimensions beyond stereotypes and media portraits. Through the examination of Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE studies), this study reviews the cultural dimensions called power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity in relation to Italian leadership. From a cross-cultural and American standpoint, the author provides a cultural analysis of globally …

Human Rights-Based Sustainable Development Practical And Theoretical Reflection On The Strategic Centrality Of Human Rights In Pursuing Sustainable International Development, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

As sustainability is linked to social responsibility, sustainable development is inherently linked to human rights. The social, economic, cultural and environmental struggles among indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico, speak of the centrality of human rights in achieving sustainable development. This paper addresses the theoretical and practical implication that human rights have if placed at the center of sustainable development models. Through an examination of the Sustain-Able Chiapas Program (among Maya and Zapatista communities) and the insights of Dr. Alfredo Sfeir Younis (the first environmental economist of the World Bank) the paper offers innovative insights into a right-based model for achieving …

Responsible Management Education In Practice: The Principles And Processes For Educating Socially Responsible And World Engaged Leaders, Marco Tavanti

Marco Tavanti

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) offer a platform for institutional commitment and leadership engagement toward business ethics and poverty alleviation. The author reviews the principles in light of a need for a renewed management education centered on social responsibility, sustainability and partnership values. The PRME present a possibility for universities to engage with United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other multi-stakeholder partnerships. The participating institutions share a commitment for a renewed management education where private organizations become positive agents for world benefit. The process of adopting and integrating the PRME into existing programs …

Gfc: Origin, Consequence And Cost, Mohamed Ariff, Ahmed Khalid

Ahmed Khalid

No abstract provided.

Poverty Reduction And Vincentian Higher Education Institutions, Marco Tavanti, Craig Mousin

Craig B. Mousin

Dr. Marco Tavanti and Craig Mousin discuss with Dr. Scott Kelly the university's responsibility for poverty reduction as expressed in the conferences and special number of Vincentian Heritage "What would Vincent do? Vincentian Higher Education and Poverty Reduction"

Scaling Up Microfinance, Chicago Microfinance 2011, Karen Ahmed

Karen Hunt Ahmed

No abstract provided.

Chicago Microfinance Conference 2011, Karen Ahmed

Karen Hunt Ahmed

No abstract provided.

Business Ethics As Rational Choice, John Hooker

John Hooker

No abstract provided.

Nasaba Convention 2010, Karen Ahmed

Karen Hunt Ahmed

No abstract provided.