International Business Commons^™

Organizational Structure And Knowledge-Practice Diffusion In The Mnc, Nathaniel C. Lupton, Paul Beamish

Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study aims to examine the interaction of formal and informal cross-border knowledge-sharing practices of four large multinational corporations (MNCs) in aerospace, software, IT services and telecommunications industries. The goal was to determine the manner in which coordination and control mechanisms facilitated knowledge transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies comprised secondary data and semi-structured interviews with corporate headquarters and subsidiary managers in large MNCs conducted in the USA, Canada, Mexico, China, India and Eastern Europe.

Findings

The primary finding of this study is that knowledge transfer mechanisms arise as a result of both formal and informal structures of the MNC. Formal …

Impacts Of China’S Foreign Direct Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Jian Zhang, Ilan Alon, Yanan Chen

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the impacts of foreign direct investment, as well as China’s FDI on GDP growth of Sub-Saharan African countries from a macroeconomic perspective. By using the data from 44 Sub-Saharan African countries from 2003-2010, our GMM results show that neither China’s FDI nor FDI net inflow in SSA has significant effect on economic growth of SSA countries. The possible explanations about the insignificant results include crowding out effect of China’s FDI on domestic investment, the declining in outward FDI in traditional sectors and rising in service sector which ignored in the current model, and the types of sectors …

Teaching International Business Via Social Media Projects, Ilan Alon, Ruwanthi Herath

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of an experiential learning technique coupled with social media in an international marketing course. It was conducted among 155 students placed in groups that were assigned to develop a YouTube video for use as a country branding marketing tool. Measured evaluations of the students’ perceptions of the experience reveal that it was both beneficial and positive, and it helped to promote an understanding of the importance of team work and the uses of technology. Factor analysis grouped the perceptions and attitudes regarding the exercise into four categories.The differences in perception …

The Internationalization Of Chinese Entrepreneurial Firms, Ilan Alon, Orly Yeheskel, Miri Lerner, Wenxian Zhang

Faculty Publications

This article uses the resource-based and internationalization theories to explain the export behavior of Chinese entrepreneurial firms. Based on multi-year data on Chinese firms from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), we show that contextualized resource-based theory can adequately explain some of the variation in export behavior among young Chinese firms. Exports by small Chinese firms are driven by the social and intellectual capital of the entrepreneur and their entrepreneurial proclivity, and the innovativeness/uniqueness of the product/offering.

Entrepreneurship In Emerging Markets: New Insights And Directions For Future Research, Ilan Alon, Daniel Rottig

Faculty Publications

In recent years, the entrepreneurship and emerging markets research streams have intersected. Emerging markets provide an opportunity to examine entrepreneurship in different contexts and forms. This article discusses the current literature that interconnects both research streams in general, comments on the contributions of the articles published in the special issue on entrepreneurship and emerging markets in particular, and sketches out future avenues for research. These contributions span several theoretical lenses, including institutional theory, internationalization theory, transaction cost economics, and the resource-based view, as well as multiple geographic regions, including China as the largest emerging economy and other countries in East …

The Moderating Effects Of Environmental Dynamism On The Relationship Between Dynamic Capabilities Strategy And New Venture Performance In An Emerging Market, Ilan Alon, Hao Jiao, Koo Chun Kwong, Yu Cui

Faculty Publications

Building from resource-based view, this study developed a model of the dynamic capabilities strategy in an emerging market, especially with a particular focus on the new ventures. We generated hypotheses based on this framework, linking them with new venture performance, with the moderation role of environmental dynamism. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of new ventures in the context of China's Yangtze River Delta Region. Empirical results showed that environmental sensing capability and changing and renewal capability had significant impacts on new venture performance. Additionally, environmental sensing capability, and changing and renewal capability both had a stronger impact on …

Chinese Overseas M&A: Overcoming Cultural And Organizational Divides, Francesca Spigarelli, Attilio Mucelli, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

This article contributes to the existing knowledge on the difficulties and critical aspects of the post-acquisition phase of an emerging market multinational. To establish the context, a literature review on multinational companies from emerging countries, and specifically on the internationalization initiatives of Chinese companies, is provided, along with a framework to analyze cultural and management-related differences related to mergers and acquisitions (M&As). This review and framework is followed by a case study of a Chinese motorbike M&A in Italy. The case illustrates how Chinese companies use Italy to access Western markets (and strategic logistical services), as well as a wide …

Is China’S Outward Investment In Oil A Global Security Concern?, Ilan Alon, Aleh Cherp

Faculty Publications

The dramatic increase in investment by Chinese SOEs in overseas oil assets is primarily driven by energy security concerns. Whether such investment will benefit or harm energy security of other countries is hotly contested. On one hand, this investment can supplement the overall lack of investment in the sector, benefiting all consumers. On the other hand, it may exacerbate environmental and political problems associated with fossil fuels.

The Globalisation Of Chinese Capital, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

The globalisation of Chinese capital will be one of the hallmarks of 21st-century economics, shaping debates over state capitalism, ‘free’ markets and international institutions. China internationalised its product markets and upgraded its manufacturing prowess towards the end of the 20th century by allowing inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and by promoting export trade. This was supported in part by cheap labour, and resulted in growing trade surpluses with key trading partners—particularly the US. Outward FDI was discouraged in order to preserve foreign reserves, and together these policies have helped China accumulate significant amounts of capital, now making it a multi-trillion …

The Impact Of Corruption On Firm Tax Compliance In Transition Economies: Whom Do You Trust?, Anna Alon, Amy M. Hageman

Faculty Publications

Tax compliance is an important issue for governments and the public alike. To meet public needs and fund public mandates, firms around the world are expected to comply with tax laws. Factors that are related to organizational (firm) tax compliance have not been sufficiently examined in the literature. Due to the increasing global influence of transition economies, factors associated with firm tax compliance in transition economies are particularly of interest. Based on a sample of over 5,000 firms from 22 former Soviet Bloc transition economies, we find that higher levels of corruption and higher levels of particularized trust (reliance on …

Regional Differences In Preferences For Managerial Leader Behavior In China, Romie F. Littrell, Ilan Alon, Ka Wai Chan

Faculty Publications

This study demonstrates the complexities of analyzing determinants of cultural differences between and within national cultures. Ralston, Yu, Wang, Terpstra, and He (1996) investigated geographic regional differences in values in China, finding significant differences among the regions. This study investigates geographic regional differences in preferred managerial leader behavior in four provinces. In 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire XII (LBDQ XII) was administered to people working in business organization in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province; Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province; Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province; and in the Macau Special Administrative Region, in the Peoples’ Republic of China. Significant …

Macroeconomic Prospects For China’S Outward Fdi, Ilan Alon, Tanya Molodtsova, Jian Zhang

Faculty Publications

This article presents evidence from panel data on overseas foreign direct investment (OFDI) by Chinese firms in 103 countries during 2003-2007. The data suggest that Chinese imports, unlike Chinese exports, stimulate investment in the country of origin. This article supports the theory that Chinese investment abroad is horizontal and designed to serve the Chinese local market (import platform investment). Estimates suggest that a 1% change in imports from China will lead to a 0.15% change in Chinese OFDI. We also find that an appreciation of the Chinese exchange rate will have a strong influence on firm entry decisions.

Social Burden, Social Venture Or Social Responsibility? A Reflection On Csr In China And Csr Strategy Suggestions For Multinational Companies In China, Mantian Wang, Rongming Ren, Guiyi Hu, Hongyong Lu, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

Thirty years into its reform and opening, the People’s Republic of China (referred to as China) has become aware of many international practices, including corporate social responsibility (CSR). Yet FOR Chinese enterprises, CSR seems similar to the heavy social burdens of THE state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The “cradle-to-grave” welfare system, notorious but standard in THE planned economy, played a role in the failure of most SOEs to compete with the new, burgeoning private sector. Although laws were promulgated to free the SOEs from their “social burdens,” the new township enterprises set a different example. Some of the latter even profited from …

Evolutionary Variations In Service Trade Barriers In Banking And Their Impact: The Case Of The Asean+3, Ilan Alon, Xiaobing Feng

Faculty Publications

Although there has been extensive research on the ASEAN+3 countries, which reveals a synchronisation of economic policies, including exchange rate management policies, research on the regional pattern of trade policies in the banking sector is limited. We evaluate the trade barriers in banking and their evolution, using data from three sequential surveys conducted by the World Bank and surveys by other international organisations. We find that the country dispersions in trade-restricting policies are stable over time. Moreover, we find no evidence of moves in the direction of liberalisation in the sector. The economic modelling undertaken provides an indication of the …

Consumption Behavior Of Chinese Urban Residents During Economic Transition: Intermittent And Cyclical Fluctuations, Xiaotong Jin, Shengliang Deng, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

Although in recent years researchers have attempted to examine the consumption behavior of Chinese residents during economic transition, there still exists a clear gap in the literature to adequately explain the consumption behavior of Chinese urban residents during economic restructuring. This paper, attempting to shed some light on this relationship, proposes a hypothesis of Chinese urban resident consumption behavior during economic transition in China and examines the hypothesis using quantitative models. The conclusion suggests that the consumption of Chinese urban residents is guided by traditional Chinese civilization, and this results in intermittent and cyclical fluctuations in consumption behavior during systemic …

Internationalization, Market Forces, And Domestic Sectoral Institutionalization, Ilan Alon, Demetris Vrontis, Murat Hakan Altintas, Hans Ruediger Kaufmann

Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the influence of micro environmental international entrepreneurship and the macro-environmental market forces on domestic institutionalization of the industrial sector. In doing so, the paper examines the moderating effect of the degree of internationalization on the relationship between domestic market forces and domestic sectoral institutionalization.

Consumption Behavior Of Chinese Urban Residents During Economic Transition: Intermittent And Cyclical Fluctuations, Ilan Alon, Xiaotong Jin, Shengliang Deng

Faculty Publications

Although in recent years researchers have attempted to examine the consumption behavior of Chinese residents during economic transition, there still exists a clear gap in the literature to adequately explain the consumption behavior of Chinese urban residents during economic restructuring. This paper, attempting to shed some light on this relationship, proposes a hypothesis of Chinese urban resident consumption behavior during economic transition in China and examines the hypothesis using quantitative models. The conclusion suggests that the consumption of Chinese urban residents is guided by traditional Chinese civilization, and this results in intermittent and cyclical fluctuations in consumption behavior during systemic …

U.S.-Based Fast-Food Restaurants: Factors Influencing The International Expansion Of Franchise Systems, Ilan Alon, Liqiang Ni

Faculty Publications

Studies of international franchising are scant, but increasing, and can be divided into two streams of research: those focusing on environmental predictors of internationalization and those focusing on strategic, firm-level characteristics. Examingin the latter category, this study empirically explores a set of firm-level attributes as predictors of decision-making on whether or not firms seek international expansion. using longitudinal data from Bond's Franchise Guide 2001-2000, we draw on a sample of U.S.-based fast-food franchise systems to test our hypotheses. Specifically, out database is comprised of 1,058 observations of 158 chains and we estimate a semi-parametric logistic modlel for international franchising. The …

Assessing The Export Competitiveness Of Chinese Industries, Marc Fetscherin, Ilan Alon, James P. Johnson

Faculty Publications

This article presents a framework for measuring, illustrating and comparing industry export competitiveness that takes into account (i) industry specialization, (ii) industry export growth rate and (iii) relative industry size. We apply the framework to a data set of 97 different industries from China over a 5-year period (2001–2005). According to our results, over 70 per cent of Chinese industries are ‘dynamic’, meaning that their export growth is higher than the world average export growth. Almost 50 per cent of the Chinese industries examined are competitive in global markets, with 20–25 per cent of the world export market share in …

30 Years Of Foreign Direct Investment To China: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review, Marc Fetscherin, Hinrich Voss, Philippe Gugler

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to examine how scholarly research on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the People’s Republic of China has evolved and been shaped using bibliometrics analysis of 422 journal articles published in 151 journals between 1979 and 2008 on that topic. The literature is dominated by the fields of Economics, followed by Business and Management, Planning and Development and International Relations, which together account for 95% of all publications. Ten percent of the most productive journals are responsible for 40% of all publications and 63% of all citations received. By means of citation mapping, four main …

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

Faculty Publications

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 …

Dimensionality Of Business Ethics In China, Marc Sardy, J. Mark Munoz, James Jianmin Sun, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical dimensions in China. It reviews the extant business ethics literature on China, collects data on ethical conduct from a large Chinese university, and analyzes the data to examine emerging trends. Design/methodology/approach – Factor analysis and multidimensional scaling (MDS) are applied to an established survey instrument after reliability is confirmed. Findings – Principal-components factor analysis uncovers six main factors. MDS further reduces the explanatory variables into four ethical dimensions, while increasing the number of useable observations. These four dimensions are then correlated with some demographic and psychographic variables. Results …

The Effects Of The Country Of Brand And The Country Of Manufacturing Of Automobiles: An Experimental Study Of Consumers' Brand Personality Perceptions, Marc Fetscherin, Mark Toncar

Faculty Publications

Purpose: This paper offers a new perspective of country of origin effects on consumers’ brand personality perceptions of domestic and imported automobiles. It assesses the perceived similarities and differences between automobiles from two countries with respect to the country of origin of the brand (COB) and the country of manufacturing (COM) of that same brand.

Design/methodology/approach: An experimental design was used to investigate developed country consumers’ brand personality perceptions of three cars; a domestic car, a car manufactured in a developing country by a developing country manufacturer, and a car from developing country manufacturer that is manufactured in the developed …

Tao Of Downfall: The Failures Of High-Profile Entrepreneurs In The Chinese Economic Reform, Wenxian Zhang, Ilan Alon

Faculty Publications

Through historical reviews and case studies, this research seeks to understand why some initially successful entrepreneurs failed in the economic boom of past decades. Among various factors contributed to their downfalls are a unique political and business environment, fragile financial systems, traditional cultural influences and personal characteristics. Notwithstanding that these factors should be further tested through empirical studies, those high-profile entrepreneurs are oblivious but essential actors in the grand theatre of China's economic transformation and their failures have contributed to the swift development of the Chinese entrepreneurship over the last 30 years.

The Role And Importance Of The Chinese Government For Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investments, Marc Fetscherin, Philippe Gugler

Faculty Publications

Chinese outward direct investments show a strong positive trend over recent years and have attracted considerable attention from academia and the business press. Many observers and commentators express interest in the role the Chinese government plays in the activities and decision-making of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) in connection with their foreign direct investments (FDI). This article makes a contribution by investigating the relationship between the Chinese government and MNEs in connection with their outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). We present a 2x2 matrix where one dimension includes the interest (high/low) of the Chinese government and the other the interest of …

Cyber Transportation Logistics: Architecting A Global Value-Chain For Services, Yupo Chan, Jaouad Boukachour, Chia-Chu Chiang, Madan Mohan Dey, Charles-Henri Fredouët, Hing-Po Lo, Farhad Moeeni, Albert K. Toh

Faculty Publications

In today’s global economy, products and services are provided across international borders. The sourcing of these products and services becomes an integral part of international businesses. Information, communication and transportation technologies (ICTT) have made this job significantly more streamlined. However, there is an advantage that big companies, such as Wal-Mart, have over small and medium size ones. While the big companies have the ICTT resources to source globally at will, small and medium enterprises (SME) are much less prepared to do so, resulting in a large competitive disadvantage. By contrasting SMEs with their more successful “big brothers,” we highlight the …

Clusters And Upgrading: A Purposeful Approach, Gerald A. Mcdermott, Héctor O. Rocha

Faculty Publications

We develop a theoretical model to investigate how backward societies can improve their upgrading capabilities by transforming existing industrial agglomerations into dynamic clusters. Our main assumptions are two: first, emerging market economies are not uniform but characterized by variety of subnational regional and sectoral organizational and institutional configurations; second, the basic building block and unit of explanation in social sciences is personal action guided by some intention, which is heterogeneous across different actors. Based on these assumptions and the literature on human motives and social networks, we develop a purposeful approach to clusters and upgrading. We argue that governments can …

Valuating Brand Equity And Product Related Attributes In The Context Of The German Automobile Market, Marc Fetscherin, Mark Toncar

Faculty Publications

The concept of consumer-based brand equity has been discussed widely in the literature and there are a wide variety of both quantitative and qualitative measures used to assess it. For the most part, previous research has studied the way a brand and product attributes are perceived in a consumer’s mind and the empirical data used in most studies is based on self-reported survey data. In this research, objective data from the largest German Automobile Association, including actual prices, objective quality ratings of product attributes and market share of brands are used to estimate their effect on the actual price set …

A Double Diamond Comparison Of The Automotive Industry Of China, India, And South Korea, Marc Sardy, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Recently China became the third largest automotive producing country in the world, next to the U.S and Japan. South Korea is the fifth biggest automotive manufacturing country and India has more recently emerged as one of the top ten automotive manufacturing countries. This paper compares industry competitiveness of these three emerging automotive manufacturing countries by using the Double Diamond Model which is based on Porter's Diamond Model. Our results show that the Chinese automotive industry is as competitive as South Korea's factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries as well as competitive rivalry. By contrast, India is less competitive.

The State Of Research On Multinationals And Emerging Markets, Rajesh K. Pillania, Marc Fetscherin

Faculty Publications

Emerging markets are increasingly becoming the growth drivers of the global economy and there is increased scrutiny and interest in emerging markets since the 1990s. The interest can be viewed from a demand and supply perspective. With a huge population and increasing income, emerging economies provide a big market for goods and services. Also, with talented manpower and low costs, emerging economies are supplying more and more goods and services to the world (Pillania, 2009). Multinational corporations (MNCs) play a very important role in global business and economy. There is an increased interest in research and explanation for emerging markets …