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Full-Text Articles in Business

Multinational Family Firms’ Internationalization Depth And Breadth Following The Global Financial Crisis, Sebastian P. L. Fourné, Miriam Zschoche, Christian Schwens, Reddi Kotha Apr 2023

Multinational Family Firms’ Internationalization Depth And Breadth Following The Global Financial Crisis, Sebastian P. L. Fourné, Miriam Zschoche, Christian Schwens, Reddi Kotha

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines how large family firms react to a macroeconomic shock in terms of their internationalization depth and breadth. Building on new internalization theory and acknowledging the dysfunctional manifestations of bifurcation bias in large family-owned MNEs, we argue that an unexpected shock induces family firms to recombine their family firm-specific resources with their thus far underutilized or unequally treated nonfamily resources. This recombination allows most family firms to economize on bifurcation bias and leverage their resources as firm-specific advantages (FSAs) resulting in an increased depth and breadth of internationalization post shock (while some of them may continue to suffer …


Top Management Teams In International Business Research: A Review And Suggestions For Future Research, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Charmi Patel, Gokhan Ertug, Jiatao Li, Youtha Cuypers Apr 2022

Top Management Teams In International Business Research: A Review And Suggestions For Future Research, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Charmi Patel, Gokhan Ertug, Jiatao Li, Youtha Cuypers

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article reviews and critically assesses the large and diverse literature on top management teams (TMTs) that has focused on international business (IB) issues. We apply an organizing framework that centers around four key elements of TMTs – TMT composition, structure, processes, and governance – and the most commonly studied IB-related choices and outcomes. This framework allows us to synthesize the contributions of the literature on TMTs in IB and identify opportunities for future research. The contributions of our review are threefold. First, we offer a roadmap for navigating the large and diverse literature on TMTs in IB. Second, we …


Enhancing Students’ Global Competence Through International Business Study Missions, Mark Chong, Benjamin Gan, Thomas Menkhoff Dec 2020

Enhancing Students’ Global Competence Through International Business Study Missions, Mark Chong, Benjamin Gan, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article shares how an Asian University enhanced students’ global competence through international business study missions (BSMs). More specifically, it focuses on (i) how the design of these BSMs enabled “deep” learning beyond industry tourism and (ii) how 21st century competencies such as ‘global competence’ can be acquired through participation in short-term, faculty-led study missions.Using the case study approach, it critically analyses the learning goals and objectives, design decisions, implementation details and learning outcomes underlying three business study missions led by three instructors from the same university to the USA (New York), Germany (Berlin and Stuttgart), and South Korea (Seoul).The …


Reflections Of A Chief Strategy Officer In A Diversified Conglomerate, Nirmalya Kumar Dec 2020

Reflections Of A Chief Strategy Officer In A Diversified Conglomerate, Nirmalya Kumar

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

After a lifetime as an academic, I was hired as Chief Strategy Officer (“CSO”) at Tata, a colossal $100 billion group with more than a hundred companies and 650,000 employees worldwide. At first sight, the job of being strategy head for the Tata Group may seem rather different from my academic role, with implementation responsibility and ability being the key difference. But, it did not require much of an adjustment for two reasons. First, I was not the typical academic. For twenty years, as an external consultant, I had been working with top executives and helping them think through their …


When Do Host Country Nationals Help Expatriates? The Roles Of Identification With The Multinational Enterprise And Career Development Support By The Subsidiary, Sachiko Yamao, Toru Yoshikawa, Soo Min Toh, Daijeong Choi Sep 2020

When Do Host Country Nationals Help Expatriates? The Roles Of Identification With The Multinational Enterprise And Career Development Support By The Subsidiary, Sachiko Yamao, Toru Yoshikawa, Soo Min Toh, Daijeong Choi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

One of the concerns of host country nationals (HCNs) who work alongside expatriates in subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is their career prospects in the organization. This study advances the literature of expatriate management in MNEs by spotlighting the roles of the HCNs’ identification with the MNE and career development support received by the HCNs as key factors affecting the HCNs’ decisions to provide help to expatriates. According to the data collected in four countries (Australia, China, India, and Singapore), the HCNs’ identification with the MNE and their perceived subsidiary support for career development are positively related to their extra-role …


Making Connections: Social Networks In International Business, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug, John Cantwell, Akbar Zaheer, Martin Kilduff Jul 2020

Making Connections: Social Networks In International Business, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug, John Cantwell, Akbar Zaheer, Martin Kilduff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Insights from social network research have generated significant advancements in disciplines such as sociology, economics, and psychology. In comparison, the incorporation of social network ideas into international business (IB) research remains more limited. The purpose of this special issue is to foster further research on social networks in IB. In our introductory essay, we provide a brief overview of network research in the IB domain to give a sense of some of the major ongoing themes and to illustrate how the social network approach can provide fresh insights and add substantive value to the field. To emphasize the considerable potential …


Foreign Subsidiary Csr As A Buffer Against Parent Firm Reputation Risk, Nan Zhou, Heli Wang Jul 2020

Foreign Subsidiary Csr As A Buffer Against Parent Firm Reputation Risk, Nan Zhou, Heli Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines the influence of parent firm reputation risk on the level of corporate social responsibility activities of foreign subsidiaries. We first argue that a strong reputation risk spillover occurs from parent firms to their foreign subsidiaries due to the high visibility of multinationals, the control of parent firms over their subsidiaries, and the liability of foreignness associated with foreign firms in host countries. Then, we argue that subsidiaries may resort to CSR in their host country to reduce the spillover effect. Thus, we hypothesize a positive relationship between parent firm reputation risk and foreign subsidiary CSR activities. Moreover, …


Strategic Intent Of Obor: Enhancing Energy Supply Resilience, Loon Ching Tang, Joyce M. W. Low Feb 2020

Strategic Intent Of Obor: Enhancing Energy Supply Resilience, Loon Ching Tang, Joyce M. W. Low

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Since the launch of the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative in 2015, China has announced its intention to invest in major infrastructure projects to promote trade and co-operation with its trading partners along OBOR. This paper examines the current level of trading and key projects underway along OBOR so as to provide insights to understand its strategic intent. In particular, a network model is constructed to analyze the impact to China current and future demand for energy under various conditions especially during prolonged periods of supply uncertainties. Since these key projects are closely connected to the current and proven …


Introduction: Understanding The Transformational Power Of China's Belt And Road Initiative, Yue Wah Chay, Thomas Menkhoff Sep 2019

Introduction: Understanding The Transformational Power Of China's Belt And Road Initiative, Yue Wah Chay, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This book features several introductory readings about the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), a strategic development initiative launched by the Chinese Government under the leadership of President Xi Jinping in 2013 to jointly build an economic belt along the Silk Road. Some of the key objectives of BRI, previously known as One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or Silk Road Economic Belt, include promoting infrastructure development, trade and investments in Asia, Europe and Africa. BRI is a gigantic development initiative whose key components include the creation of several interconnected economic land corridors (=belts): China–Mongolia–Russia; China–Central Asia– West Asia, China–Pakistan, the China–Indochina …


China’S Belt And Road Initiative And Asean’S Maritime Cluster, Hans-Dieter Evers, Thomas Menkhoff Dec 2018

China’S Belt And Road Initiative And Asean’S Maritime Cluster, Hans-Dieter Evers, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper centres around China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and makes a case for further examining the possible effects of the complementary ‘Maritime Silk Road’ on Southeast Asia’s maritime clusters with reference to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Port development with “Chinese engagement” from Port Klang in Malaysia to Sri Lanka to Gwadar in Pakistan to some Gulf state ports to Piraeus in Greece provides a string of valuable pearls in the form of harbours from which adjoining areas can be serviced through feeder vessels or railway lines by Chinese government-linked companies. Whether China’s heavy investments in land and maritime …


Board Representation In International Joint Ventures, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug, Jeffrey J. Reuer, Ben Bensaou Apr 2017

Board Representation In International Joint Ventures, Ilya R. P. Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug, Jeffrey J. Reuer, Ben Bensaou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Relatively little attention has been paid to boards in international joint ventures (IJVs), and the composition of these boards in particular. We examine the determinants of foreign partners' representation on IJV boards in order to advance our knowledge of this facet of IJV governance. We argue that a foreign partner's representation on the IJV board is related to its equity contribution. However, we hypothesize that this relationship is moderated by IJV and host country characteristics that affect the importance of the internal and external roles IJV boards serve. These results provide insights into the conditions under which a partner might …


Institutional Regime Shift In Intellectual Property Rights And Innovation Strategies Of Firms In China, Kenneth Guang-Lih Huang, Xuesong Geng, Heli Wang Mar 2017

Institutional Regime Shift In Intellectual Property Rights And Innovation Strategies Of Firms In China, Kenneth Guang-Lih Huang, Xuesong Geng, Heli Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study develops a novel conceptual framework to understand the differential impact of formal institutional regime shift in intellectual property rights on the innovation and patenting strategies of Chinese and Western firms operating in China. We argue that to the extent that Chinese firms have been deeply embedded in China’s informal institutions, they are less responsive to formal institutional changes than Western firms operating in China. Using the major China patent law reform of 2001 as an exogenous event, we find results consistent with our key arguments: With the strengthening of the previously weak (utility model) patent protection, Chinese firms …


Multinational Firms And Cash Holdings: Evidence From China, Weijun Wu, Yang Yang, Sili Zhou Feb 2017

Multinational Firms And Cash Holdings: Evidence From China, Weijun Wu, Yang Yang, Sili Zhou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

To adapt to globalization, Chinese multinational firms have more exploitation of cash. This paper shows that Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs) do not hold significantly more cash relative to domestic firms unless these multinationals heavily relay on the foreign sales. In addition, the multinationals of non-State-Owned Enterprises (Non-SOEs) exhibit the insignificant difference in cash holdings for non-multinationals. We also find that Chinese MNCs invest more but are less profitable, especially in non-SOE subsample. Overall, we conclude that the need of cash liquidity of multinational corporations in China is different from those in U.S.


Nationalism And International Disputes In China: Implications For Transnational Corporations As Corporate Diplomats, Lisa Tam, Soojin Kim Jan 2017

Nationalism And International Disputes In China: Implications For Transnational Corporations As Corporate Diplomats, Lisa Tam, Soojin Kim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

For decades, the territorial dispute between China and Japan over the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands has caused diplomatic deteriorations in Sino-Japanese relations. When there is extensive media coverage on news about the dispute, nationalist sentiments in both two countries would be triggered and could be expressed through detrimental behaviors towards transnational corporations (hereinafter TNCs). While TNCs play a significant political function as corporate diplomats for their home countries, they are subject to the risk of crises when their home countries are involved in political and economic conflicts with the foreign countries in which they have operations. Against this backdrop, …


Tapping The Power Of Local Knowledge: A Local-Global Interactive Perspective, Shenxue Li, Mark Easterby-Smith, Majorie A. Lyles, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark Jun 2016

Tapping The Power Of Local Knowledge: A Local-Global Interactive Perspective, Shenxue Li, Mark Easterby-Smith, Majorie A. Lyles, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Existing theories of international business and strategy do not fully explain how local knowledge disadvantage faced by foreign investors can be mitigated. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study into four MNCs to investigate the micro-processes of how they generated value from their dispersed sources of local knowledge in China. The results suggest an interactive model: that MNCs employed management processes encompassing three strategically interconnected efforts—global knowledge penetration, local-global knowledge blending, and local-global knowledge integration. The model highlights the interplay between global and local knowledge and challenges extant research that solely focuses on the transfer of either home-based or local knowledge.


How Do We Adopt Multiple Cultural Identities? A Multidimensional Operationalization Of The Sources Of Culture, Badri Zolfaghari, Guido Mollering, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Graham Dietz Apr 2016

How Do We Adopt Multiple Cultural Identities? A Multidimensional Operationalization Of The Sources Of Culture, Badri Zolfaghari, Guido Mollering, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Graham Dietz

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Given the shortcomings of unidimensional accounts of culture that are based on nationality, this paper builds on and steps beyond current multidimensional conceptualizations of culture in order to provide first empirical evidence for a multidimensional operationalization of culture. It shows the multiple and simultaneous sources of cultural values (i.e., Family, Nationality, Urban/Rural Background, etc.) that individuals draw from in order to behave in accordance with their social setting. This contributes to our understanding of how and when individuals adopt multiple cultural identities. As the first attempt to operationalize the 'mosaic' framework of culture proposed by Chao and Moon (2005), this …


The Effects Of Within-Country Linguistic And Religious Diversity On Foreign Acquisitions, Douglas Dow, Ilya Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug Apr 2016

The Effects Of Within-Country Linguistic And Religious Diversity On Foreign Acquisitions, Douglas Dow, Ilya Cuypers, Gokhan Ertug

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article explores how within-country diversity of both language and religion influences the ownership structure of foreign acquisitions. Commentators have acknowledged the potential importance of “within-country diversity,” but to date this issue has received minimal empirical attention. We propose that diversity plays two distinct roles. Namely, diversity within the host country may be an additional source of behavioral uncertainty and information asymmetry, over and above the effects arising from cross-national differences. Moreover, diversity within the home country may increase the cognitive complexity of the decision makers, moderating the firm’s response to the distance and diversity of the host country. Results …


How Product Attributes Influence Internationalization: A Framework Of Domain- And Culture-Specificity, Terence P. C. Fan, Alex Tai Loong Tan Jan 2015

How Product Attributes Influence Internationalization: A Framework Of Domain- And Culture-Specificity, Terence P. C. Fan, Alex Tai Loong Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper introduces two important dimensions of product attributes in the context of internationalization: domain- and culture-specificity. Products can be high or low in domain- or culture-specificity, thereby being one of four broad categories in a two-by-two matrix. This framework of product attributes helps explain a series of gradations on how cultural difference influences the difficulty of selling a product internationally. By examining four cases, one from each of these categories, this paper shows that different product attributes affect the difficulty or ease with which the products of these firms were internationalized. While all four cases were able to derive …


Rethinking Cross-Border Talent Management: The Emerging Markets Perspective, Tejpavan Gandhok, Richard Raymond Smith Nov 2014

Rethinking Cross-Border Talent Management: The Emerging Markets Perspective, Tejpavan Gandhok, Richard Raymond Smith

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A closer look at the relatively little understood issue of how and why emerging market MNCs manage their senior talent for international growth leads us to question the conventional wisdom on talent management practices.


Refocusing The Lens: Singapore's Private Enterprises In China, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Ye Zhang Jan 2014

Refocusing The Lens: Singapore's Private Enterprises In China, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Ye Zhang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In recent years, financial and political instabilities have cooled economic growth in many regions. Even in this context, however, areas of strong growth remain; none, arguably, more prominent than ever-developing and increasingly affluent China, which is today a vastly different environment than even several years ago. More than ever, a wealth of opportunity subsists in this ancient land – and businesses must be able to adapt and seize these opportunities. Thus we turn towards Singapore private enterprise in China, to study once more the efficacy of the city-state's internationalization strategies in the context of the private enterprises which must eventually …


Adapting To Change: The State Of Singapore Private Enterprise In China, Wilfred How, Caroline Yeoh Jan 2014

Adapting To Change: The State Of Singapore Private Enterprise In China, Wilfred How, Caroline Yeoh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

One of the most affluent and developed nations in its region, the city-state of Singapore relies largely on tapping global resources for economic growth, to ameliorate its tiny land area and accompanying lack of natural resources. Its current prominence is to a great degree owing to an early recognition of the need for such, and a well-documented stratagem of expanding its foreign direct investments (FDIs) as a means to stimulate economic development (Huff, 1995; Murray and Pereira, 1995) and strengthen the city-state’s ‘external economy’ - one which saw the island progress through a number of distinct phases of overseas investment …


Market Orientation, Embeddedness And The Autonomy And Performance Of Multinational Subsidiaries In An Emerging Economy, Xiaoying Li, Xiaming Liu, Howard Thomas Dec 2013

Market Orientation, Embeddedness And The Autonomy And Performance Of Multinational Subsidiaries In An Emerging Economy, Xiaoying Li, Xiaming Liu, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper develops a conceptual framework for market orientation, embeddedness, autonomy and performance of multinational subsidiaries in an emerging economy. We argue that internal and external embeddedness has different performance implications for export- and local market-oriented multinational subsidiaries. Our results, based on a sample of 233 multinational subsidiaries from China, indicate that while external embeddedness has a positive impact on specialized resources of both types of subsidiary, such resources only positively affect the performance of local market-oriented subsidiaries. By contrast, internal embeddedness has a negative impact on specialized resources of both types of subsidiary. Managerial and policy implications are discussed.


The Singapore Experience In The Gcc: Notes From Singapore Inc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How Jul 2013

The Singapore Experience In The Gcc: Notes From Singapore Inc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The city-state of Singapore's roadmap for internationalization of local companies into the GCC region has, arguably, made its mark; recently crossing the milestone of 100 local companies that have, to date, found business opportunities in this foreign and exotic land. Actually taking these opportunities, however, has proven more complicated, with cultural differences and highly dynamic local business environments posing unforeseen challenges to Singapore companies – producing a test of adaptability that has returned rather mixed results. Of particular interest are government-linked companies (GLCs), among the largest and the first of Singapore's entrants into the region; perceived as more structurally rigid, …


The State-Enterprise Experience In The Gcc: Whither Singapore Inc.?, Wilfred How, Caroline Yeoh Jul 2013

The State-Enterprise Experience In The Gcc: Whither Singapore Inc.?, Wilfred How, Caroline Yeoh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The city-state of Singapore's roadmap for internationalization of local companies into the GCC region has, arguably, made its mark; recently crossing the milestone of 100 local companies that have, to date, found business opportunities in this foreign and exotic land. Actually taking these opportunities, however, has proven more complicated, with cultural differences and highly dynamic local business environments posing unforeseen challenges to Singapore companies – producing a test of adaptability that has returned rather mixed results. Of particular interest are government-linked companies (GLCs), among the largest and the first of Singapore's entrants into the region; perceived as more structurally rigid, …


Trust Between International Joint Venture Partners: Effects Of Home Countries, Gokhan Ertug, Ilya Cuypers, Niels G. Noorderhaven, Ben M. Bensaou Apr 2013

Trust Between International Joint Venture Partners: Effects Of Home Countries, Gokhan Ertug, Ilya Cuypers, Niels G. Noorderhaven, Ben M. Bensaou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Trust is an important factor in interorganizational relations. Interorganizational trust in cross-border relationships is likely to be influenced by the home countries of both partners. Using data on 165 international joint ventures (IJVs), we show that the perceived trustworthiness of an IJV partner is influenced by the general propensity to trust in the trustor's home country. Moreover, the trustworthiness perceived by a focal parent firm is also affected by the home country of the other IJV partner. This second effect is mitigated by experience between the partners.


Collectivistic Norms And International Entrepreneurship: A Tale Of Two Clans, The Wenzhounese From China And The Chettiars From India, Wee Liang Tan Jan 2013

Collectivistic Norms And International Entrepreneurship: A Tale Of Two Clans, The Wenzhounese From China And The Chettiars From India, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

There is a need in the field of international entrepreneurship for ideas and theory developed from within the SME field and less reliance on that developed in the field of international business and large firms. This paper seeks to address this gap but examining the two groups of international entrepreneurs from China and India: the Wenzhou people and the Chettiars. These two groups began internationalising in the past before globalisation became a norm in the colonial days and before when ships sailed along trade winds. It seeks to draw lessons from these two groups: their collectivistic norms and practices.


Asia In The Middle East: The Internationalization Of Singapore Private Firms Into The Gcc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Simin Sharmaine Neo Oct 2012

Asia In The Middle East: The Internationalization Of Singapore Private Firms Into The Gcc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Simin Sharmaine Neo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Internationalization efforts into the GCC as a national initiative tend to be spearheaded by a vanguard of government-linked companies (GLCs), usually assisted in their entry through various connections, political or otherwise. As large companies with the presumed reliability of government backing, these GLCs tend to be involved in larger-scale, more critical, and more iconic projects. It is a matter of fact, however, that while internationalization may be led by large-scale and attention-grabbing GLCs, the vast majority of FDI and economic activity is, in the long term, entrenched in the activities of private companies. As such, it must logically follow that …


Organizational Identity And Capability Development In Internationalization: Transference, Splicing, And Enhanced Imitation In Tesco’S Us Market Entry, Michelle Lowe, Gerard George, Oliver Alexy Jul 2012

Organizational Identity And Capability Development In Internationalization: Transference, Splicing, And Enhanced Imitation In Tesco’S Us Market Entry, Michelle Lowe, Gerard George, Oliver Alexy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Entry into international markets is a challenging process that fundamentally tests existing capabilities. During this entry process, capability gaps arise that need to be bridged to exploit the commercial opportunity and grow the business. Using a global retailer, Tesco plc, as a case study and employing grounded theory development techniques, we find that to achieve growth, two organizational attributes become critical—structural coherence of the firm’s capabilities and organizational identity. We identify three processes of capability development during market entry—transference, splicing and enhanced imitation. Further, actions and processes that maintain or adapt organizational identity serve as moderators of the relationship between …


Singapore’S State-Enterprise Network In The Gulf Region: Boom, Bane Or An Ongoing Game, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Febbry Lasgon Jul 2012

Singapore’S State-Enterprise Network In The Gulf Region: Boom, Bane Or An Ongoing Game, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Febbry Lasgon

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Singapore’s state-enterprise network has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of Singapore's internationalization efforts; most recently in the city-state's newest area of focus, the Gulf region. This paper, as part of our series on this topic, studies the city-state’s determined efforts to encapsulate economic space for Singapore-based firms to expand beyond the region through a lens on the Singapore government-linked companies (GLCs), in the context of the unique ‘Arabian allure’ of the GCC economies. Our results show that while the government ‘endorsement’ appears to provide a distinct advantage, the strategic advantages created in the Singapore-styled projects remains uncertain; …


Singapore Business And The Gulf: Un Tour D’Horizon, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred How Jul 2012

Singapore Business And The Gulf: Un Tour D’Horizon, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred How

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Never more newsworthy in business circles has been the Gulf Region than in recent decades; from the region's vast economic strength and meteoric development, to the events of the financial crisis and the ongoing 'Arab spring'. A rich environment in every way – business, cultural, and socio-political – the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) provide a fascinating subject for academic study from a wealth of perspectives. Some of these perspectives are well-explored; others, markedly less so, the business dimension of this unique and complicated market regrettably among them. While a favored subject of our own research, the comparative …