Learning to manage international joint ventures

This paper identifies the key lessons of managing international joint ventures (IJVs) from the perspectives of IJV experienced partners and managers. The study adopts a multi-method personal interview and self-administered questionnaire approach to identify the major management lessons. Broadly, the response categories are grouped into three distinct areas of learning: (1) the management of the IJV formation process; (2) management of the boundary relationship between partners; and (3) the management of the operation of the IJV. The paper elucidates the lessons regarding these three areas of IJV management and provides a set of propositions for future research.     

Managerial and Organizational Learning in Chinese Firms

This investigation has thrown light on ways in which international joint ventures (IJVs) are addressing the issues of balance between the need to learn the knowledge and management practices introduced by the other partners and the need for the partners to maintain that level of control which enables them to secure appropriate returns from their equity investment. The results from the investigation of 67 IJVs show equity can be used as an appropriate indicator for examining both the process and the outcome of learning embedded in the organization. They also suggest that the control leveraged from a majority equity share can be used to safeguard knowledge and competencies whilst simultaneously responding to the necessity to incorporate the knowledge and management practices of its partner. Learning achieved in an IJV may not necessarily relate only to the control mechanisms exercised as there are many other variables that may have an impact including attitudes, cultural capital building, or even government policy. This study thus highlights the relationship between the impact derived from the ways of committing the resources onto an IJV and its contribution to the learning achieved in an IJV.     

A multiple constituency approach to IJV performance measurement

This paper analyses the differences in the way partner firms assess the performance of international joint ventures (IJV). It is argued that an understanding of these differences is important for the practice of, and for research into IJV management. From a managerial point of view, firms, as well as IJV management, need to know how the partners evaluate the venture's performance. From a research perspective such differences can distort the results of studies that compare the performance of IJVs with other organizational designs or aim to identify the determinants of IJV performance. A multiple constituency approach is employed to develop hypotheses and test them using empirical data gathered through a questionnaire survey among 110 managers of German–Chinese joint ventures (GCJV) in the People's Republic of China. This is supplemented by qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews with 25 managers. The findings highlight a number of differences regarding the way in which partner firms assess the performance of IJVs that are relevant for practice and research.     

Managing international joint ventures to improve performance: The role of structural and social mechanisms

Poor performance has been a major concern in research on international joint ventures (IJVs). This study integrates the IJV management mechanisms from transaction cost theory (TCT) and social exchange theory (SET) in order to gain insights into management mechanisms that improve IJV performance. The framework consists of three structural (i.e., symmetric dependence, symmetric equity share and resource complementarity) and three social (i.e., trust, communication and cultural adaptation) IJV management mechanisms, which are considered as potential determinants of IJV performance. Based on the analysis of data collected from 89 IJVs established by Nordic firms in Asia, Europe and the USA, results indicate that TCT-based symmetric dependence and resource complementarity on the one hand and SET-based trust, communication and cultural adaptation on another significantly improve IJV performance. However, impact of symmetric equity share on IJV performance remains negative and non-significant, explaining that IJV partners may consider it rather a safeguard to their own stake and interests in IJVs. In addition, SET-based IJV management mechanisms are found to be more effective than the TCT-based IJV mechanisms in improving IJV performance.     

Perceived cultural congruence’s influence on employed communication strategies and resultant performance: a transitional economy international joint venture illustration

Employing effective communication strategies is critical for international joint ventures (IJVs) operating in economies in transition. Theory suggests perceived cultural congruence enhances the effectiveness of communication in international relationships. The influence of perceived national culture congruence on the communication strategies (frequency, modality, direction and content) employed by an IJV partner and its influence on self-reported IJV performance is examined within a sample of Kazahkstan–foreign IJVs. Findings indicate the more culturally congruent a firm perceives its IJV partner to be, its communications employed become less frequent and more influential in terms of content. Further, results indicate that the more frequent and more formalized communication strategies employed by an IJV partner, the greater IJV partner’s self-reported IJV performance. Implications and directions for future research are addressed.     

A new way to look at an old problem: International joint venture partner selection via constrained systematic search

Although international joint ventures (IJVs) provide many benefits to multinational enterprises (MNEs), IJVs continue experiencing high dissolution rates; there is a pressing need to re-evaluate the partner selection process for IJVs. In this article, I utilize constrained systematic search (CSS) as the proposed process by which to improve the partner selection process and reduce IJV dissolution rates. CSS is a process MNEs can utilize to gain private information about potential IJV partners. The implementation of CSS can improve the success rates for an MNE entering an IJV in two ways: MNEs can more effectively identify (1) information withholding/misleading behavior of potential partners and (2) complementary resources in potential partners.     

Cultural bridging and the performance of international joint ventures

The existing predictions and findings regarding the effect of cultural distance on the performance of international joint ventures (IJVs) remain inconsistent. We suggest that this inconsistency is due to the lack of conceptually differentiating the cultural distance between the firm’s home country and its partner(s)’country (home-partner country cultural distance) from the cultural distance between the firm’s home country and the location of the IJV (home-host cultural distance). We contribute to our understanding of IJVs by explicitly differentiating these two types of cultural distance, and by introducing the concept of cultural bridging. Cultural bridging relates to the proportion of home-host cultural distance that is compensated by having a joint venture partner, whose home country culture is more similar to the host country culture than the MNE’s home country culture is to the host country culture. We theorize how cultural bridging affects IJV performance and how it interacts with home-partner country cultural distance and home-host cultural distance to influence IJV performance. We test our hypotheses using a sample of 1708 IJVs. We find that cultural bridging has a positive influence on IJV performance, strengthens the positive performance effect of home-host cultural distance, and reduces the negative performance effect of home-partner country cultural distance. Our findings help make sense of some of the inconsistent findings regarding the role that cultural distance plays for IJV performance.     

Partnering strategies and performance of SMEs' international joint ventures

The international joint venture (IJV) is an important mode in the internationalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Internationalization in turn is an entrepreneurial behavior in the pursuit of growth. Partnering strategies in the formation of IJVs can have significant effects on the outcome of SMEs' international expansion. In this study, we examine the performance implications of two types of resources contributed by SMEs' IJV partners, host country knowledge and size-based resources. We develop and test three sets of hypotheses about the longevity and financial performance of a sample of 1117 international joint ventures established in 43 countries by 614 Japanese SMEs that have fewer than 500 employees. Our findings indicate that SMEs' IJVs with local partner(s) may be associated with decreases in longevity, especially when SMEs acquire host country knowledge. The host country experience of Japanese partner(s) does not have any direct effects on IJV profitability but reduces the longevity of IJVs. Finally, the size of Japanese partner(s) increases the longevity of IJVs but may have negative effects on IJV profitability when large Japanese partners have low equity ownership in IJVs. Our findings highlight the differential effects that IJV partners' experience-based and size-based resources have on IJV performance. Our findings also demonstrate that the same strategy could have different effects on different dimensions of performance.     

Interactive effects of information exchange,relationship capital and environmental uncertainty on international joint venture (IJV) performance: An emerging markets perspective

Prior research on the role of international joint ventures (IJV) in the emerging markets generally ignores the impact of information exchange on IJV performance as well as the mediating role of relationship capital (a key measure of competitive dynamics and co-evolution) and the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty in this process. This paper addresses these important research gaps by exploring the direct effect of information exchange on IJV performance as well as indirect (mediated) effect through mutual trust and reciprocal commitment, two key components of relationship capital. In addition, this paper investigates the role of environmental uncertainty as a moderator of these mediating effects. Results from a study of 205 contractual IJVs in China, a highly competitive and dynamic emerging market, show that foreign and local partners collaborate and co-evolve through regular information exchange that helps them build relationship capital with each other in the form of mutual trust and reciprocal commitment, which in turn leads to better IJV performance. In addition, environmental uncertainty negatively moderates (weakens) the positive effects of information exchange on mutual trust and reciprocal commitment but not their impact on IJV performance. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for future research on the role of relationship capital in the successful formation and management of IJVs in the emerging markets.     

Achieving value co-creation through cooperation in international joint ventures: A two-level perspective

How can international joint ventures (IJVs) enhance value co-creation? Using a resource-based view (RBV), this study examines whether partners’ cultural compatibility and parent companies’ asset complementarity foster top-level cooperation and/or operating-level cooperation in IJVs and investigates the underlying mechanisms (i.e., top-level goal alignment and operating-level goal alignment) in IJV relationships. This study also scrutinizes the differing impacts of top-level and operating-level cooperation on value co-creation in IJVs. The findings from a survey of 200 IJVs in China show that partners’ cultural compatibility positively affects top-level cooperation primarily through top-level goal alignment, while asset complementarity positively affects operating-level cooperation through operating-level goal alignment. Furthermore, operating-level cooperation has a stronger effect on value co-creation than top-level cooperation. This study offers fresh insights into IJV cooperation and value co-creation by introducing a two-level perspective and provides important managerial implications for the development of sustainable IJVs.     

Control,innovation and international joint venture performance: The moderating role of internal and external environments

This study aims to analyze how parent control strategies affect the degree of innovation in international joint ventures (IJVs) and how different types of innovation strategies - divided into radical and incremental innovation strategies - influence the performance of IJVs. This study uses the most widely adopted definition and operationalization of control in IJVs by Geringer and Hebert (1989), including the three dimensions: mechanisms, focus, and extent of control. These relationships are further analyzed by integrating internal and external moderating factors and their connections with IJV performance. Our theoretical analysis proposes that various control strategies differently influence an IJV’s innovation activities under various internal environmental moderating factors. These, in turn, differently influence the IJV performance. Furthermore, we suggest that the external environmental factors moderate the relationship between innovation strategies and performance of IJVs.     

Staged Development of Dynamic Capabilities: A Study of International Joint Ventures in India

This article investigates the microfoundations of different stages of development of dynamic capabilities (DCs) in international joint ventures (IJVs). We conducted case‐based research for three heterogeneous IJVs in the Indian life insurance space. Data collection involved detailed interviews and access to other archival data. Results offer interesting insights on (1) the process of the development of dynamic capabilities and (2) the relative importance of different stages in the development of dynamic capabilities. Sensing and seizing are the two stages in which dynamic capabilities are built, and reconfiguration/transformation is inherently subsumed within the stage of seizing. We also found that broad‐spectrum parental contribution across different functions impedes the development of dynamic capability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Understanding IJV performance in a learning and conflict mediated context

Determinants of international joint venture (IJV) performance are examined within the context of cross-border learning. Using a structural equation model, we test the multifaceted interactions among strategic goal congruency, national culture differences, learning and conflict. Cross-border learning is recognized as a kernel variable which is influenced by matching strategic motives, national culture differences, and conflicting relations, and which affects the performance of IJVs. In particular, we hypothesize that interpartner goal congruency and national culture differences have an indirect effect on IJV performance through cross-border learning and conflict; previous studies established their direct relationship. The test results show that congruent strategic motives and cultural similarity had a positive effect on cross-border learning, which was reinforced by learning capacity, and which in turn led to better performance. Conflicting relations between partners and heterogeneous cultural backgrounds were shown to discourage cross-border learning.     

Knowledge complementarity,knowledge absorption effectiveness,and new product performance: The exploration of international joint ventures in China

Firms use international joint ventures (IJVs) to access and learn from partners’ knowledge and thus enhance their new product performance, especially when the partners have complementary knowledge bases. Most of the existing literature assumes that knowledge complementarity can directly lead to enhanced new product performance, while ignoring the mediating role of knowledge absorption effectiveness and moderating effects of organizational structure and organizational culture to integrate and manage knowledge complementarity. Using dyadic data from 119 IJVs in China, this article suggests that knowledge complementarity influences IJV new product performance through the full mediation of knowledge absorption effectiveness. Also, the results suggest that an IJV's departmentalization of organizational structure significantly hurts the effect of knowledge complementarity on knowledge absorption effectiveness, while a strong learning culture of the IJV can significantly enhance such effects.     

Knowledge acquisition from foreign parents in international joint ventures: An empirical study in Vietnam

Drawing on alliance learning and absorptive capacity literatures, we propose a model-linking absorptive capacity, knowledge acquisition, and performance. The model is tested in a sample of 173 international joint ventures (IJVs) in Vietnam. The results show that all three components of absorptive capacity contributed substantially to the level of knowledge acquisition reported by IJVs. Critical factors predicting knowledge acquisition included investment in training, employees’ ability to learn, and joint participation. Knowledge acquisition, especially the acquisition of tacit knowledge, was found to contribute significantly to IJV performance. Our model generally supports existing theories regarding the relationship between absorptive capacity and knowledge acquisition, as well as between knowledge acquisition and performance.     

When do MNCs fail to learn from prior failure experience?

Do multinational corporations (MNCs) learn from their prior failures in international joint ventures (IJVs)? When does decision makers’ cognitive inability hinder MNCs from learning through their prior failure experiences? In the context of IJV survival in subsequent IJV entries, this study compares predictions made from two distinct theoretical perspectives, both of which belong to the behavioural school in strategy literature. According to the performance feedback perspective, MNCs may effectively learn from their prior failure experiences gained in familiar decision‐making contexts. On the other hand, according to the cognitive bias perspective, MNCs may not be able to effectively learn from their prior failure experiences if they inaccurately interpret the causes of their prior failures. The results provide partial support for the notion that MNC decision makers may not be able to effectively learn from their prior failures because of their cognitive biases. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

International joint ventures in the United States: An examination of factors related to their effectiveness

The increasing popularity of international joint ventures (IJVs) and their high failure rate prompted this examination of pre- and postincorporation factors related to IJV effectiveness. Interviews with IJV CEOs, and the findings from a questionnaire administered to CEOs of 81 IJVs in the United States, suggest which pre- and postincorporation factors can be important to IJVs' effectiveness. Why these factors are important, and how they interact with other factors in the general context of IJV experiences are also explored in this article. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The effect of foreign partner network embeddedness on international joint venture failure: Evidence from European firms’ investments in emerging economies

Access to trusted information about potential local partners is a critical factor for international joint venture (IJV) stability and success in emerging economies. We build on social network theory and examine how foreign investors can benefit from their alliance networks in accessing reliable information on the availability, resources, and behavior of potential local IJV partners. More specifically, we examine positional embeddedness in networks and network density and how these factors help foreign firms mitigate behavioral uncertainty in IJVs and thus reduce the likelihood of failure. We use data on 349 IJVs formed by 132 European firms in emerging economies during the 1995–1997 period and event history analysis to test our hypotheses. Our findings indicate that having an alliance network is a necessary but insufficient condition to mitigate behavioral uncertainty of local partners. We find that only densely tied networks offer benefits of reliable information on potential local partners that ensure the longevity of IJVs and that a central position in an alliance network translates into lower IJV failure.     

Performance,Partner Relationship,and Ownership Change in International Joint Ventures: The Case of Korean Firms in Asia

This article examines how interorganizational factors in two-party international joint ventures (IJVs) affect subsequent IJV ownership changes. It specifically examines the primary impact of IJV performance and the moderating impacts of initial ownership structures, and duration. Utilizing a data set of Korean foreign direct investment, the authors find that the ownership structures of IJVs with lower performance are more likely to change. The authors also find that unbalanced ownership promotes subsequent ownership changes, whereas longer IJV duration retards ownership changes in even lower-performing IJVs. The findings imply that relational changes reflected in IJV ownership depend on shared bargaining power and relational solidarity.     

Do initial characteristics influence IJV longevity? Evidence from the Mediterranean region

The objective of this article is to determine the influence of initial conditions on the longevity of international joint ventures (IJVs) in the context of the Mediterranean region. Three key determinants are examined: ownership structure, number of partners, and establishment mode. The empirical study is based on a sample of 124 IJVs established in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) countries. The statistical analysis shows that the establishment mode has a significant effect on IJV longevity, but that the impact of ownership structure and the number of partners is not significant. In contrast with previous studies, the obtained findings emphasize the importance of the geographic context for this field of research. They also suggest that transaction cost theory does not completely explain the longevity of IJVs located in the SEMED region and that other theories are necessary to complement our understanding of investments in emerging economies.