Presuccession Performance,CEO Succession,Top Management Team,and Change in a Firm's Internationalization: The Moderating Effect of CEO/Chairperson Dissimilarity

Extending the literature on CEO succession, we found that a succession event together with a change in top management related positively to strategic change toward greater internationalization. In a study of 160 Taiwanese firms, we found relationships between firm performance, outside CEO appointment, change in firm's top management team (TMT), and the degree of a firm's internationalization. Moreover, the positive association between a post succession TMT structural change and degree of internationalization was observed only in those cases where dissimilarity between CEO and chairperson (with respect to educational degree and overseas education) was low. The implications of these findings for scholarship and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2011 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The International Entrepreneurial Decision of UK SMEs to Discontinue Overseas Activities: A Research Note Reporting Practices Within the Clothing Industry Eighteen Months on

Findings from a follow-up study to an investigation concerning reasons why a sample of firms discontinued export activities and perceptions towards assistance that may motivate them to recommence overseas activities in the future are discussed in this article. A longitudinal, qualitative perspective is provided that contributes to knowledge at the international marketing/entrepreneurship interface by reporting on their business activities 18 months after the initial study was undertaken. Analysis establishes that differences exist between two groups of firms that had indicated in the original study that their discontinuation of exporting was a short-term measure compared with those that viewed the decision as longer term. Recommendations for policy makers in the provision of trade assistance programmes are offered as a result of the study.     

Understanding the Determinants of RiskMetrics/ISS Ratings of the Quality of UK Companies' Corporate Governance Practice

We examine the determinants of RiskMetrics/ISS Ratings of the quality of UK companies' corporate governance practice and investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and firm specific characteristics affect these ratings. We also investigate the association between firms' financial distress and these ratings. Using data for nonfinancial Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 250 firms over the 2003 to 2009 period, we find that board independence, managerial ownership, institutional ownership, firm size, and profitability are associated with firms' corporate governance ratings. In addition, we find that more independent directors on the board, more institutional ownership, and larger size lead to a high level of board‐related ratings. Finally, we find no association between corporate governance ratings and financial distress. Copyright © 2012 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of international diversification on credit scores: Evidence from the UK

Despite the great deal of previous research into international diversification, we know little about the impact of international diversification on firms’ credit scores. Drawing upon the resource-based view and transaction cost economics, we examine the relationship between international diversification and credit scores by using a large sample of 6,557 UK firms between 2016 and 2017. We find an inverted U-shaped relationship between international diversification and firms’ credit scores, indicating that the effect of international diversification on credit scores is initially positive but becomes negative with over-diversification. In addition, we find that R&D intensity positively moderates the relationship between international diversification and credit score, implying that the credit scores of highly diversified firms improve as they increase their investment in R&D. Further analysis suggests that a firm’s credit score becomes less dependent on international diversification for large firms, firms in concentrated industries, firms in the manufacturing sector, and firms distant from key metropolitan areas, such as London.     

Impact of responsive and proactive market orientation on SME performance: The moderating role of economic crisis perception

This study examines the relationship between market orientation (MO) and the performance of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) within the context of economic crisis. It distinguishes between two levels of MO: responsive market orientation (RMO) and proactive market orientation (PMO). Data were collected on a sample of 300 SME. Findings indicate that SMEs, confronted with an economic downturn, use a MO approach that is both proactive and responsive, and reveal the moderator effect of the SME manager's perception of an economic crisis on PMO/RMO–performance. Research and practical implications are discussed. © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Private Benefits of Managerial Control,Government Ownership,and Acquirer Returns: Evidence from the Chinese State‐Controlled Listed Companies

This article examines how government ownership affects the relationship between private benefits of managerial control, measured as excessive overhead expenses, and profitability of acquirers. A total of 246 merger and acquisition (M&A) events from Chinese state‐controlled listed companies (CSCLCs) between 2001 and 2006 constitutes the analytical sample. Under a low level of government shareholding, private benefits of managerial control positively correlated with acquirer announcement returns. However, there was no relationship between private benefits of managerial control and acquirer announcement returns under a high level of government shareholding. The implications of these findings for scholarship and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2011 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Political risk and the internationalization of firms: An empirical study of Canadian‐based export and FDI firms

Political risk analysis primarily receives attention for foreign direct investment (FDI) but only rarely for exporting. We examine how exporters and foreign direct investors evaluate the relative importance of political risk factors. We provide a rationale for exporters to evaluate political risk factors for FDI and for foreign direct investors to evaluate political risk factors for exporting. Survey data were collected from Canadian exporters and foreign direct investors and capture the distinctive nature of salient factors for exporting and FDI. We offer unique insights on the evolutionary character of political risk that are of practical value for both exporting and FDI. Copyright © 2007 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.