Exploitative and exploratory innovations in emerging economies: The role of realized absorptive capacity and learning intent

This paper investigates the mediating effect of learning intent in transforming local suppliers’ potential absorptive capacity into realized absorptive capacity and its impact on exploitative and exploratory innovation. Using survey data from 155 auto parts manufacturers in Pakistan, we find that local firms’ realized absorptive capacity enables them to develop both exploitative and exploratory innovations. The findings further suggest that local suppliers’ learning intent mediates the relationship between potential and realized absorptive capacity which in turn lead to both types of innovation. In the context of the emerging economy of Pakistan, local suppliers’ absorptive capacity is found to be critically important in spurring exploitative and exploratory innovation, but learning intent enables realized absorptive capacity and thus in conjunction with realized absorptive capacity supports innovation. Consequently, there would be a strong case for policy intervention to assist emerging economy firms in building their absorptive capacity and strengthening their learning intent as a route for promoting innovation and improving their value added position in the global value chains of multinational enterprises.     

Determinants of Internationalization Strategies of Emerging Market Firms: A Multilevel Approach

Recently, debates about uniqueness of emerging market firms’ (EMFs) internationalization strategies were a focus of research. Yet, findings regarding their determinants are mixed, and conclusions on how EMFs’ internationalization strategies can be theoretically explained vary greatly. This article elaborates on the underlying reasons for these inconclusive results and addresses them by the development of a multilevel theoretical framework allowing for a better understanding of integrative influence of institutional, sector, and firm-specific determinants of EMFs’ internationalization strategies. This framework is validated by evidence from Russia, and a multiple case study approach is adopted to investigate the determinants of internationalization strategies of Russian firms.     

Imitation and rapid internationalization of emerging market firms

By drawing upon imitation research, this study addresses the role peers play in rapid internationalization by emerging market firms (EMFs). We argue that imitation of industry peers’ international expansion accelerates EMFs’ internationalization speed through two mutually reinforcing mechanisms: information-based imitation, which legitimizes similar operations and conveys valuable information; and rivalry-based imitation, which exerts considerable competitive pressure. We find that industry peers’ international expansion is positively related to EMFs’ internationalization speed. Such positive effect is stronger when EMFs lack prior international experience and when industry competitive intensity is strong.     

Impact of domestic and foreign knowledge mechanisms on the innovation performance of Indian firms

Research on emerging market firms (EMFs) has acknowledged the role of innovation in catching-up with advanced economies. Although we know that EMFs’ innovation increasingly depends on collaborations and cross-border knowledge flows, less has been said about the effectiveness of foreign and domestic knowledge mechanisms adopted to improve EMFs’ innovation performance. We hypothesize that foreign mechanisms rely on diverse knowledge and foster explorative innovation (i.e. innovation that extends the existing local competencies), while domestic mechanisms are more likely to be associated with the exploitation of the local existing competencies. Additionally, we claim that the breadth of EMFs’ absorptive capacity strengthens the impact of foreign knowledge mechanisms on explorative innovation, while depth increases the impact of domestic knowledge mechanisms on EMFs’ exploitative innovation, thus highlighting that the interplay of knowledge resources internal and external to the firm involve different levels of recombination. Our empirical analyses conducted on a sample of 161 Indian bio-pharmaceutical firms observed from 1997 to 2018 confirm our hypotheses, thus contributing to the literature on EMFs’ catching up via internationalization and innovation.     

Imitation,performance feedback,and outward foreign direct investments by emerging market firms

Extending the rational-based perspective of imitation, this study investigates how emerging market firms (EMFs) selectively imitate the frequency of outward foreign direct investment from two theoretically connected role models, i.e., large firms in an industry and board-interlocked firms. We posit that large and board-interlocked firms have differential values in endowing legitimacy and providing information because of their differences in terms of visibility to outsiders and value of acquired information. Using performance feedback as a moderator, we also indicate that EMFs performing above aspiration level decrease their imitation of large firms and board-interlocked firms. We also find that EMFs performing below aspiration level are more likely to imitate interlocked firms but less likely to imitate large firms.     

The Development of Organizational Capabilities and Corporate Entrepreneurial Processes: The Case of Chinese Automobile Firms

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) has contributed to the rapid growth of emerging‐market firms (EMFs), yet little is known about this phenomenon from a process perspective. This article examines how EMFs develop organizational capabilities in pursuit of CE as a strategy to catch up with their global competitors. By adopting a case study method, our in‐depth analysis of two leading Chinese automobile companies identifies specific organizational capabilities that enable firms’ CE activities at different stages—initiation, development, and implementation. Our findings also reveal how different means of developing organizational capabilities lead to different catch‐up strategies, which subsequently influence firms’ entrepreneurial transformation and value creation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

MNEs and policy networks: Institutional embeddedness and strategic choice

Political strategies are a crucial matter for MNEs in the context of globalization. We argue that MNEs’ influence on political decision-making depends on their insertion into policy networks, which define the institutional framework and the interaction patterns of business/government relations in different issue-areas. Then, we propose a stylized taxonomy regarding the differentiation of MNEs’ political leverage in various domains, at a home country level. Finally, we explore the influence of political power at home on MNEs’ strategic approaches to the host countries, taking into account the bargaining power of local actors in the concerned issue-areas.     

Pro-market institutions and outward FDI of emerging market firms: An institutional arbitrage logic

We offer new theory and evidence regarding the effects of pro-market institutions on outward foreign direct investment (FDI) of emerging market firms (EMFs). Drawing on the logic of institutional arbitrage, we integrate the escapism and exploitation mechanisms of EMF internationalization into a unified theoretical context. We propose an inverted U-shaped relationship between host market-supporting institutions (MSI) and the investment scale of an EMF’s FDI project in the country, showing an escape-driven upward slope for low-to-medium MSI levels and an exploitation-driven downward slope for medium-to-high MSI levels. We supplement this main argument with two boundary conditions: the alleviating effect of home market liberalization (HML) and the strengthening effect of home government subsidies (HGS), demonstrating the coexistence and variation of pro- and anti- market institutions in an emerging market. Using information on 1,450 FDI projects conducted by 288 Chinese listed firms in 116 host countries, we obtain supportive evidence for the predicted relationships between the three institutional forces. This study enriches the literatures on institutional arbitrage and pro-market institutions with evidence from EMFs.     

Do cross-border acquisitions create value? Evidence from overseas acquisitions by Chinese firms

Based on the dynamic capability and organizational learning perspectives, we examine whether acquirers from emerging economies can create value for their shareholders in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and the key drivers which may influence any such value creation. A sample of 367 cross-border mergers and acquisitions between 2000 and 2011 involving Chinese listed companies as the acquirers was analyzed to highlight the relationship between the cultural distance involved and the acquirers’ market valuation. On average, such cross-border transactions created value for the acquirer's shareholders, but cultural distance was negatively related to the extent of such value creation. Larger firms, more experienced firms, and acquisitions within the same industry were found to be less affected by cultural distance, emphasizing the importance of learning and absorptive capability, but employing a financial advisor did not seem to help. Thus firms with greater absorptive capacity were found better able to overcome the difficulties caused by cultural differences. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Home country institutions and the internationalization of state owned enterprises: A cross-country analysis

National institutions shape the ability of civil society and minority shareholders to monitor and influence decision-makers in listed state owned enterprises (SOEs), and thereby their strategies of internationalization. We argue that the weaker are such controls, the more likely such decision makers pursue self-serving motives, and thus shy away from international investment. Listed SOEs’ strategies will thus be more similar to those of wholly privately owned enterprises (POEs) when these controls are more effective. Building on Williamson's (2000) hierarchy of institutions, we examine how home country institutions exerting normative, regulatory, and governance-related controls affect the comparative internationalization levels of listed SOEs and POEs. Based on a matched sample of 153 majority state owned and 153 wholly privately owned listed firms from 40 different countries, we confirm that, when home country institutions enable effective control, the internationalization strategies of listed SOEs and POEs converge.     

Do innovative emerging market cross-border acquirers create more shareholder value? Evidence from India

This study attempts to investigate the role of absorptive capacity of emerging market firms in creating shareholder value from developed market acquisitions. It analyzes the cumulative abnormal return of cross border acquisitions of listed Indian firms in Europe focusing on acquirers’ research intensity. The study discovers a U-shaped relationship between research intensity of Indian acquirers and their cumulative abnormal return following acquisitions in Europe. As such, firms with no research capacity can benefit from the acquisition by accessing advanced targets, although firms with extensive research capacity outperform any of their Indian competitors as these firms have the absorptive capacity to not only exploit but also explore the knowledge base of the acquired target. Furthermore, we found a positive effect of the acquisition of a high-tech target company, regardless of the absorptive capacity of the acquirer. We also found that business group membership has a positive impact on shareholder value, although horizontal acquisitions as compared to vertical and unrelated deals have a significantly negative impact for these companies. This result is again linked to the more explorative nature of vertical and unrelated acquisitions in comparison with horizontal deals that are more based on the exploitation of existing resources and capabilities.     

How home country industry associations influence MNE international CSR practices: Evidence from the Canadian mining industry

We explore how national industry associations influence the international CSR practices of MNEs. Drawing from a longitudinal case study of the evolution of CSR in the Canadian mining industry, we show how the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) aimed to influence the CSR practices of its member firms operating outside of Canada. Our findings reveal how MAC utilized multiple strategies to influence member firms in both the regulative and normative realm. We uncover the key mechanisms underpinning these strategies and factors that constrained or enabled the degree of their influence. Our study contributes to research on home country influences on MNE CSR practices and research on industry associations as institutional actors.     

The Impact of Leadership on Absorptive Capacity: New insights from the UAE

This paper investigates the impact of transformational and transactional leadership on the absorptive capacity of firms within an emerging market setting. Unlike some findings from the Western world, the results indicate that both transformational and transactional leadership styles positively influence the learning processes of absorptive capacity. More specifically, the results indicate that transactional leadership style positively influences the exploratory and transformative learning processes, while the transformational leadership style positively affects the exploitative learning process. Given the unique context under investigation and the fluid institutional arrangements associated with it, the results reflect the need for leadership guidance. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

International acquisitions: do financial analysts take note?

Recent research has determined that managers are increasingly concerned with how institutional investors and securities analysts view their companies’ long term strategies. This article examines characteristics of international acquisitions that influence professional stock analysts’ estimates of the acquirer’s earnings per share. Previous international acquisition experience and target country operating experience positively affect analysts’ estimates of stock earnings, and relatedness between the parent and target business lines also affects analyst estimates when viewed in light of operating experience in the acquisition target’s home country.     

Liability of Foreignness of Emerging Market Firms: The Country of Origin Effect on Russian IT Companies

Foreign subsidiaries are considered to be at a disadvantage compared to domestic firms in foreign markets. The liability of foreignness (LOF) concept was first attempted in order to address the issue of these disadvantages. Although internationalization of emerging market firms (EMFs) is a very hot topic, there is very little research of LOF of EMFs. In this article, we investigate the sources of LOF and determine the extent of the country-of-origin (COO) effect on Russian IT firms. We also discuss how Russian firms may overcome the LOF, and we propose the mitigation strategies that will help them to decrease negative COO effect.     

Brazilian OFDI Determinants

Recently, the global economy assumed a new setting in which emerging economies began to make substantial investments in the international market. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of outward foreign direct investment from Brazil from 2002–2011. The proposed models developed included attractiveness of the host country, characteristics of home country, and firms’ strategies. The results corroborate the existing argumentations concerning adaptation of mainstream theory with respect to the realities of emerging economies. Brazilian multinationals do not internationalize their activities in pursuit of cost reduction, efficiency, or to explore new markets or natural resources of the host countries. Results show that Brazilian investments were attracted by the availability of skilled labor, openness of the host market, geographic proximity, improved financial conditions of Brazilian companies, and national companies’ strategy of reaffirmation and consolidation as global players.     

Liability of emergingness and EMNEs’ cross-border acquisition completion: A legitimacy perspective

This paper contributes to the literature on emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs) by revealing how the conditions in their home countries influence their cross-border acquisitions. The study focuses on the liability of emergingness (LOE). It develops an integrative theoretical framework based on neo-institutional theory and the concept of legitimacy to explain the relationship between LOE and EMNEs’ cross-border acquisitions completion and the situational conditions that shape this relationship. The study uses data on 27,648 announced acquisitions conducted by EMNEs from 24 emerging economies in 175 host countries to estimate the relationships. The results reveal that, while two types of LOE (economic and institutional) have negative impacts on cross-border acquisition completion, the negative impacts become less important or disappear when the host country’s unemployment rate is too high, and the host country’s institutional quality is too low. This finding suggests that EMNEs can mitigate the negative effect of the LOE by carefully choosing a good time and a suitable location to enter into these transactions.     

Foreign direct investment,technological advancement,and absorptive capacity: A network analysis

Technological advancement is an important instrument for economic and technological development, but most countries receive the benefits of innovation and new technologies through technology transfer. Previous studies typically consider direct linkages in order to understand technological advancement without paying much attention to indirect linkages, such as the inter-connectivity of the recipients of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). To understand the relationship between FDI and technological advancement and whether recipients’ absorptive capacity matters, we model global FDI networks for the period 2009–2016. We find empirical evidence that the global FDI network has a core-periphery structure, and that core countries are more technologically developed than peripheral countries. We also find empirical evidence that a country’s centrality of position in the global FDI network is positively associated with the technological advancement of a country, and that the absorptive capacity of a country can moderate this relationship. Regression analyses using instrumental variable estimators confirm the robustness of our findings. The most striking finding of our research is the strong moderation effect of knowledge intensity, a constituent of absorptive capacity. This finding provides a nuanced understanding of absorptive capacity, demonstrating the ways a country can benefit from FDI by reshaping the factors related to absorptive capacity.     

How do European trade promotion organisations manage their stakeholders?

Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) exert significant influence on the internationalisation potential of domestic firms and improving the indigenous country’s trade balance. However, TPOs’ strategies to uphold their impact as to the relationship vis-à-vis their stakeholders are largely unknown. This is an important gap in the literature considering that effective stakeholder management can enhance TPOs’ performance and the value they develop for three primary stakeholder groups, namely home country government, domestic firms and foreign trade offices. In this study, we employ the stakeholder theory and draw upon in-depth case studies of 14 European TPOs to address this gap. We advance six related propositions on how funding sourcing, services to domestic firms and functions of foreign trade offices can be effectively associated with TPOs’ relationship management towards these stakeholder groups. The contribution of the study lies on the application of stakeholder theory in trade promotion and the derivation of related sets of strategies.     

Traces of foreign retailers – local knowledge-spillovers and strategy adaption within retail internationalization

ABSTRACT

Since the 1990s certain retail companies have evolved into some of the largest and most dispersed transnational corporations worldwide. However, within the ‘new era of retail distribution’ retailers are increasingly divesting from foreign markets. This study addresses these recent and under-explored dynamics by revealing the traces transnational retail corporations leave after divesting from a country. It explores the aspect of learning of host market retailers from entering transnational corporations (TNCs) and examines how foreign knowledge is adjusted in the business strategies of these local actors. It takes a fresh empirical slant using qualitative interviews with host market retail managers including former TNCs’ subsidiaries operating under domestic ownership. The emerging economy of Turkey serves as an empirical example. The paper finds that foreign retailers transfer firm-specific resources to the local retail through (1) demonstration and imitation, (2) vertical linkages with suppliers, (3) joint ventures and acquisitions, and (4) labor turnover of TNC trained staff. Certain successful local companies adjust the foreign knowledge based on their local knowledge and strengths, their high level of flexibility and deep territorial embeddedness, and create ‘hybrid’ business strategies. These findings suggest that dynamic capabilities are crucial to successful retailing in an international competitive environment. TNC managers should work with local staff in partnerships of equals and managers of locally operating companies should incorporate new knowledge by hiring TNC trained staff.