International work experience: Is it really accelerating the way to the management board of MNCs?

International work experience is often claimed to be a prerequisite for managers in an MNC. This paper investigates how international work experience affects those managers who reach upper echelons. Drawing on both human capital theory and elite theory, we argue that stays abroad not only have beneficial, but also adverse effects on managers’ ascent to the top. By analysing the careers of 212 management board members from Germany, we find that once a certain threshold of international work experience is exceeded, being away from home impedes managers’ long-term career advancement. However, it is not only longer stays abroad that show a negative time effect; we are also able to reveal that being in countries with high geographic and cultural distance to the home country significantly decelerates managers’ speed of being appointed to the management board. Our findings demonstrate that conflicting interests exist between MNCs and high potentials who consider an international career. We stress that these conflicts call for being solved in managerial practice.     

Headquarters parenting advantage in Chinese MNEs: The moderating role of top managers’ political and International experience

This study explores the relevance of top management teams’ experience to support the headquarters parenting advantage in the context of Chinese multinationals. Specifically, it studies how the political and international experience of headquarters’ top management teams moderates the relationship between headquarters involvement in knowledge transfer processes – a key aspect of value creation in the parenting advantage logic – and the extent of reverse knowledge transfer from subsidiaries. Based on the data from two complementary surveys of senior managers in 99 Chinese multinationals and managers in their 177 subsidiaries, our analysis indicates a contrasting effect of top managers’ experience as their political experience weakens, but their international experience strengthens the positive effect of headquarters involvement in reverse knowledge transfer. This study contributes to the parenting advantage logic, by introducing the relevance of different top managers’ experiences, and to our understanding of top management teams in the context of both reverse knowledge transfer and Chinese multinationals, particularly by showing the important implications of top management teams’ experience for Chinese enterprises’ international strategies.     

Business group affiliation and SMEs’ international sales intensity and diversification: A multi-country study

This study examines the impact of business group (BG) affiliation on international sales intensity and diversification in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by using a multi-country sample of over 13,000 SMEs from 34 European countries. Drawing on the revised Uppsala internationalization model and network theory, this paper suggests that the effects of BG affiliation on international sales intensity and diversification depend on the geographical dispersion of the BG network ties, the size and the age of the firm, and the institutional support in the home country. Thus, we find that interfirm networks in the form of BGs are a double-edged sword that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences for international sales, depending on the geographical dispersion of the BG’s ties. In addition, the results reveal that BG affiliation is more beneficial for smaller SMEs and SMEs in countries with lower institutional support that are more dependent on the network resources embedded within BG networks.     

The impact of domestic diversification and top management teams on the international diversification of Chinese firms

Despite increasing research on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by firms from emerging economies, our understanding of the relationship between domestic operations and international diversification of these firms is still limited. Using a unique dataset of Chinese listed firms, we examine the impact of domestic diversification on their international diversification. We find that international diversification is positively affected by firms’ domestic industrial and domestic regional diversification. We also find that top management team (TMT)’s previous international experience strengthens the impact of domestic diversification on firms’ international diversification, whereas TMT's prior political connections weakens the impact of domestic diversification on international diversification.     

Exploring the link between internationalization of top management and accounting quality: The CFO’s international experience matters

This study examines whether and how top management internationalization is associated with accounting quality. We combine upper echelons perspectives, agency theory, human capital theory and accounting research, and demonstrate that top management internationalization mitigates the level of managerial discretion in financial reporting. By decomposing the top management team, our analysis reveals that higher levels of accounting quality are associated with the internationalization of the CFO, not the internationalization of the CEO. In particular, we find that CFO’s international education and international work experience are important factors in higher accounting quality.     

The impact of economic openness on standard of living and income inequality in eight countries

Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, many Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) have opened their doors for international capital flows, but sudden capital outflows caused economic recessions in these countries, leaving more people unemployed and raising poverty concerns. On the other hand, foreign capital financed more domestic investment, causing economic expansion and growth; with more job opportunities poverty could be reduced. This paper follows this theory and examines how standards of living and income inequality change across business cycle phases in eight EMEs.     

Internationalization and innovation performance of emerging market enterprises: The role of host-country institutional development

We examine how host-country institutional development influences innovation performance of internationalized emerging market enterprises (EMEs). Our panel-data analysis of Chinese EMEs shows that although host-country institutional development on average enhances innovation performance of the parent, such effects are more pronounced for EMEs with strong absorptive capacity and for those diversifying into a larger number of countries. Interestingly, EMEs with a higher level of state ownership gain more when entering countries with a lower level of institutional development. Our findings offer insights regarding how latecomer EMEs should configure their portfolio of subsidiaries in order to enhance innovation performance of their parent.     

The influence of top management team traits on corporate financial performance in the US

This article aims to study the effect of human capital on the financial performance of the most admired American firms. Human capital is measured in terms of the demographic attributes and the diversity of top managers. The use of panel linear multiple regressions reveals that the most successful firms are characterized by coherent and homogeneous top management teams with moderate tenure and excellent wages. Moreover, the heterogeneity of managers is recommended for fairly young top management teams and for larger firms operating in a turbulent environment. Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strategic and institutional effects on foreign IPO performance: Examining the impact of country of origin,corporate governance,and host country effects

Integrating signaling and institutional perspectives, we develop and test hypotheses relating institutions and corporate governance to foreign IPO success. Our investigation highlights the importance of three important drivers of foreign IPO success: home country legal institutions, corporate governance, and host capital market choice. This research demonstrates that board independence and country of origin effects are powerful signals. However, these factors do not have a universal impact on foreign IPO success. Instead, the value of home country institutions along with corporate governance signals are contingent upon the institutional environment in which international entrepreneurs choose to seek capital resources.     

The influence of managerial discretion,innovation and uncertainty on export intensity: A real options perspective

Geographic sales diversification (i.e., exports) is a multidimensional phenomenon that has primarily been examined using a single theoretical perspective drawn from international trade or organizational strategy. This study uses managerial discretion, real options, and innovation literatures to examine the roles of managers, context, and environment in motivating geographic sales diversification. We contribute to the international business and organizational strategy literatures by highlighting how the combination of managerial discretion, capacity to offer innovative products, and uncertainty can motivate export-driven internationalization.     

Does internationalization make a difference? Stock market reaction to announcements of international top executive appointments

In recent years, there has been an increasing scholarly and practical interest in the internationalization of top management teams. It is argued that international firms need international top managers to meet the challenges arising from operating across borders. However, the few existing studies that focus on the link between top managers’ internationalization and firm performance yield inconclusive results. Thus, it is an open question if and to what extent international firms can benefit from international top managers. Drawing on upper-echelons theory, resource-dependence theory, and signaling theory, this paper examines how the stock market reacts to the appointment of an international top manager. Our empirical study of German firms employs an event study to analyze the direct impact of internationalization on a firm's stock price. Piecewise regression analysis reveals that a top manager's internationalization needs to exceed a certain threshold before investors incorporate this individual characteristic into their investment decisions. Furthermore, our analysis shows an inverted U-shaped relationship between internationalization and abnormal returns, suggesting that internationalization may have both positive and negative effects on a firm's stock price. We present several explanations for our empirical findings and discuss future research directions.     

Performance Implications of MNEs' Diversification Strategies and Institutional Distance

By proposing a conceptual outline for a general model that explains the link between multinational enterprises' (MNEs') diversification and their performance, this study tests the moderating effects of institutional distance empirically. Integrating literature from a strategic perspective within international business research, the proposed integrated, multidimensional framework can analyze MNEs' product diversification, international diversification, and institutional distance, as well as the impacts of these elements on firm performance. A sample of Fortune Global 500 companies confirms this moderation and extends prior research by establishing the importance of relationships among MNEs' product and international diversification, institutional distance, and performance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

To be Involved or Not to be Involved? HRM Competences for Internationalization Process in Russian Companies

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the list of human resource management (HRM) competencies that are crucial for a company during the internationalization process. We focus on the Russian context and investigate the level of human resource (HR) managers’ involvement in the implementation of firm’s internationalization strategy, HRM competencies that facilitate internationalization process of Russian companies, and HR manager’s proficiency level, suitable for these competencies. Based on interviews of 125 HR managers from 110 companies, the study proves that communication competence, HR acumen, and relationship management are the most essential competencies that HR managers should possess. This research demonstrates that, in the field of internationalization there is a shift from more universal models to context-related models in terms of competence importance.     

Power moderates the impact of desire for exclusivity on luxury experiential consumption

This research examines the effect of desire for exclusivity on evaluations of luxury experiences and proposes a boundary condition for the effect. The scarcity effect literature suggests that consumers prefer scarce products due to limited supply because they appeal to consumers’ desire for exclusive consumption. Building on this thesis, the current research argues that luxury experiences are intrinsically scarce enough to appeal to consumers’ desire for exclusivity: Consumers with a strong desire for exclusivity will evaluate luxury experiences more favorably than those with a weak desire for exclusivity. A pilot study confirms a positive correlation between consumers’ desire for exclusivity and attitudes toward luxury experiences. Study 1 demonstrates that consumers with a strong desire for exclusivity show more favorable attitudes toward luxury experiences than those with a weak desire for exclusivity. Further, Study 2 finds that consumers’ power state (powerful vs. powerless) moderates the effect of desire for exclusivity on their affinity for luxury experiences: Only when feeling powerful do consumers with a strong desire for exclusivity evaluate luxury experience more favorably than those with a weak desire for exclusivity. However, this is not the case when consumers feel powerless.     

High ownership concentration and exporting of emerging market firms: evidence from Peru

Despite the extraordinarily high ownership concentration widely observed in emerging market firms as a result of institutional voids, there is little research on how this high ownership concentration affects the exporting behavior of emerging market firms. From principal–agent and institutional perspectives, we hypothesize that high ownership concentration has a negative relationship with export intensity, because, in emerging markets, highly concentrated ownership bridges the interests of owners (principals) and managers (agents) so that principals must be prudent in exploring risky international markets. Moreover, we hypothesize that export country diversification strengthens the relationship between ownership concentration and export intensity, because broad geographic dispersion increases risk exposure and principal-agent problems. Empirical analysis based on a panel dataset for publicly listed firms in Peru from 2005 to 2014 supports the hypotheses. The study highlights the risk aversion attitude activated by ownership concentration, an attitude that protects emerging market firms from overconfidently exploring international business opportunities. The study extends the conventional literature on the interface between ownership concentration and international business in an emerging market context. We also discuss the generalizability of the findings to other emerging markets, e.g. China.     

The effect of internationalization on firm capital structure: A meta-analysis and exploration of institutional contingencies

Despite extensive research on the relationship between internationalization and firm capital structure, findings in this research area remain inconclusive. In this paper, we review the literature on the internationalization–capital structure relationship and investigate its direction, effect size, and multiple contingencies through a meta-analysis of 31 studies with a grand total of 223,658 firm observations and at least two separate samples each. Our cumulative evidence indicates lower debt ratios of multinational corporations compared to domestic corporations, in line with arguments of increased risk and agency costs in international operations. We extend our analysis to institutional characteristics in firms’ home countries and find that much of the existing variation in study findings can be explained using theory arguments on firm risk in internationalization. We contribute to an integration of international business and finance literature and point to directions for future research on determinants of the internationalization–capital structure relationship and its multiple contingencies.     

Institutional Interest,Ownership Type,and Environmental Capital Expenditures: Evidence from the Most Polluting Chinese Listed Firms

This study empirically examines whether firms’ environmental capital expenditures impact institutional investors’ investment decisions in the Chinese market. We particularly examine the impact of ownership type on the relationship of environmental capital expenditures and the behavior of different types of institutional investors by classifying institutional investors into two categories, short-term and long-term investors. In addition, this study further investigates whether environmental capital expenditures related to ownership type increase firm value. We find that long-term institutional investors tend to invest in state-owned firms (SOEs) making environmental capital expenditures. Results also indicate that, with governmental backing and encouragement, the market value of SOEs making more environmental capital expenditures is likely to increase. However, no similar results are found for non-SOEs.     

Network complementaries in the international expansion of emerging market firms

Can domestic political capital be transferable to more or less similar institutional contexts abroad? Motivated by contradictory results in two streams of research, this study seeks to combine the insights from two theoretical arguments and conceptualize the role of domestic political ties in international expansion as a dual problem of securing key resources from home governments and looking for opportunities in foreign markets and matching resources to capture them. We adopt the notion of network complementarity to examine the complementarity effect of domestic political ties and foreign ties on international expansion. The implication is that EMNE research that concentrates on either looking for foreign opportunities or securing domestic resources, but not both, is likely to be incomplete when international expansion is being studied. Using a longitudinal panel dataset of Chinese international new ventures expanding to 105 foreign markets, we find a positive interactive effect of domestic political ties and foreign ties on Chinese MNEs’ internationalization. This positive interactive effect on internationalization is found to be stronger for expanding to developing host markets than to developed host markets. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on domestic political ties, the international expansion literature, the network complementarity literature, and the international entrepreneurship literature.     

Human capital,skills and competencies: Varying effects on inward FDI in the EU context

The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive investigation on the role of human capital, skills and competencies in the location of inward FDI by comparing Western (EU15) and Central and Eastern (CEE) European Union (EU) members. We go beyond existing studies by examining an extensive list of traditional and newly advanced measures capturing human capital, even differing schooling systems as well as skills and competencies. We assess, for the first time in the FDI literature, vocational vs. general education, following the Vocational and Educational Programs of the EU as well as quality human capital aspects as captured by international scores. Results indicate a major difference regarding theoretical and vocational education programs for both sub-regions; in addition, a major difference is obtained for particular qualifications in international scores. There is evidence for potential internal and external inefficiency in education in CEE countries in contrast to the EU15, which calls for re-evaluation and re-structuring in their education system towards more efficient use of funds; this would earn investors’ trust and meet labor markets’ demands, thus stimulate more and higher value added foreign investments. Results also point to useful implications for managers who should watch closely education reforms.