Immigrant social networks and foreign entry: Australia and New Zealand firms in the European Union and Greater China

Based on social networking and ethnic networking theories, this paper presents a theoretical framework that hypothesizes the linkages between immigrant social networks and foreign market entry (FME) strategies for firms operating in the European Union (EU) and Greater China (GC) region. “Immigrant effect” (IE) is used as a proxy for immigrant social networks. IE refers to firms that are owned and/or hired immigrants in key decision-making positions to manage and/or market their products/services in the immigrant's country of origin (COO). The findings of this study reveal that immigrants do play a pivotal role in affecting the choice of FME mode into their respective COO in both EU and GC regions. As such, firms could employ a standardized IE–FME framework across the EU and GC regions. However, the antecedents for choosing an IE are different for both regions, thus suggesting that a different antecedent-IE framework for the EU and the GC regions. The results suggest that both standardized and adapted approaches should be considered when formulating the antecedent-IE–FME framework for the EU and GC regions. The findings of this study has theoretical implications for research pertaining to social network/ethnic network and FME, standardization/adaptation as well as practical implications for firms that seek to use IE in transacting business in the immigrant's COO.     

Social capital dynamics and foreign market entry

This paper explores the dynamics of social capital in 121 new foreign market entries (FMEs) of 24 Swedish and New Zealand small- to medium-sized enterprises in the early and later phases of their internationalization. Its main contribution is the systematic assessment of the roles and forms of social capital over time and across countries, thus providing greater insight into the social capital concept. We separate social capital into efficacy and serendipity roles (economic dimension) and direct and indirect relationships (structural dimension). Efficacious and direct social capital is associated with early FMEs, while serendipitous and indirect social capital is more prevalent with later FMEs, indicating that social capital changes with (and is dependent on) FME. Moreover, while geographical proximity does not appear to affect the economic dimension of social capital, it is important for the structural dimension.     

Corporate social responsibility: review and roadmap of theoretical perspectives

Based on a survey and content analysis of 462 peer‐reviewed academic articles over the period 1990–2014, this article reviews theories related to the external drivers of corporate social responsibility (CSR) (such as stakeholder theory and resource‐dependence theory) and the internal drivers of CSR (such as resource‐based view [RBV] and agency theory) that have been utilized to explain CSR. The article discusses the main tenets of the principal theoretical perspectives and their application in CSR research. Going beyond previous reviews that have largely failed to investigate theory applications in CSR scholarship, this article stresses the importance of theory‐driven explanations of CSR and the complementarity of different theories. The article demonstrates that the current mainstream theorizing of CSR is dominated by theories related to the external drivers of CSR and is less developed with regard to the internal dynamics. The article outlines several productive avenues for future research: the need for multi‐theory studies and more research at multiple levels of analysis, particularly at the individual level of analysis. It suggests that CSR scholarship can benefit from combining theoretical insights from a range of established theoretical lenses such as institutional theory and RBV, and can gain new insights from theoretical lenses such as Austrian economics and micro‐level psychological theories.     

An external perspective on CSR: What matters and what does not?

The paper aims at investigating external factors influencing organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related decision making. Two theoretical perspectives—stakeholder theory and institutional theory—have been applied to compile a list of external factors that might affect a company's CSR choices. As a result, a framework built on the government-related, society-related, and business-related groups of external factors is being suggested. This framework is used in the paper to answer (a) to what extent do different external factors influence CSR-related decisions in large Danish companies and (b) how has that influence changed over the years. The research takes a qualitative approach and is designed as a multiple-case study. Empirically, the paper relies on data collected from semi-structured interviews with CSR specialists and managers and presents a dynamic perspective on the pressure exercised by the external factors on CSR decisions and choices.     

Towards a Structured Design of Electronic Negotiations

Global communication networks and advances in information technology enable the design of information systems facilitating effective formulation and efficient resolution of negotiation problems. Increasingly, these systems guide negotiators in clarifying the relevant issues, provide media for offer formulation and exchange, and help in achieving an agreement. In practice, the task of analysing, modelling, designing and implementing electronic negotiation media demands a systematic, traceable and reproducible approach. An engineering approach to media specification and construction has these characteristics. In this paper, we provide a rationale for the engineering approach that allows pragmatic adoption of economic and social sciences perspectives on negotiated decisions for the purpose of supporting and undertaking electronic negotiations. Similarities and differences of different theories that underlie on-going studies of electronic negotiations are identified. This provides a basis for integration of different theories and approaches for the specific purpose of the design of effective electronic negotiations. Drawing on diverse streams of literature in different fields such as economics, management, computer, and behavioural sciences, we present an example of an integration of three significant streams of theoretical and applied research involving negotiations, traditional auctions and on-line auctions.     

International Market Entry Strategies of Emerging Market MNEs: A Case Study of Qatar Telecom

ABSTRACT

Drawing on existing theoretical perspectives and previous research, this study essentially investigated the strategic motives, location choice, and international entry mode strategies of emerging market multinational enterprises based on a case study of a telecom company, Qatar Telecom (Qtel) from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Using empirical findings from the semi-structured interviews, this study has clearly indicated that the main strategic motivation behind Qtel's internationalization was essentially opportunity seeking in terms of enabling market development and generating higher return on investment. Although Qtel used different entry strategies depending on the characteristics of host country markets, the company is more in favor of mergers and acquisitions than greenfield investments.     

Research on entrepreneurship in the informal economy: Framing a research agenda

The informal economy consists of economic activities that occur outside of formal institutional boundaries but which remain within informal institutional boundaries for large segments of society. We draw from diverse disciplines to frame research concerning entrepreneurship in the informal economy around three separate theories: institutional theory, motivation-related theories from a sociological perspective, and resource allocation theory. Each of these theories provides a complementary lens through which to examine the incentives, constraints, motivations, strategies, and abilities of entrepreneurs to operate and grow their ventures in the informal economy. Employing these theoretical perspectives facilitates efforts to highlight the breadth of informal economy research in different domains and lays foundations for future entrepreneurship research.     

Co-evolution of emerging economy MNEs and institutions: A literature review

This paper provides a review of the existing literature about the co-evolution of emerging economy multinational enterprises (EMNEs) and institutions and proposes directions for future study. We find that many existing studies involving the institution-EMNE relationship focus on the impact of institutions on EMNEs, and the research on their co-evolution is very limited in terms of emerging economies involved and theories and research methods applied. Given varieties of the institution-EMNE relationship we call for more studies by applying more contextualized theoretical perspectives and innovative and multiple research methods to advance our knowledge about the topic.     

Speed of internationalization of new ventures and survival in export markets

Speed of internationalization may refer to how early a new venture goes abroad as well as how fast it expands its activities post-entry. The present paper incorporates both aspects and analyzes to what extent several dimensions of speed influence the ability of new ventures to survive in export markets. Based upon extant theories, two perspectives are deduced – a Learning perspective and a Resource perspective – leading to partly contrasting hypotheses. The hypotheses are tested based upon a unique data set consisting of all new ventures established in Norway a specific year that started to export goods in the following nine years. Among the findings are that survival rates increase when ventures go international immediately after inception and when they expand rapidly into new countries rather than focusing on expanding their export share in a limited number of markets, thus lending support to the Resource perspective.     

The timing and context of consumer decisions

Researchers have long recognized the importance of studying consumption activities over time, but they have had inadequate theories and methods for studying consumers over the course of their lives. This paper suggests that the life course paradigm that has been widely used in social sciences could be employed to overcome some limitations of previous consumer research. To illustrate its application, two consumption activities are used??one first-time and another repeat choice. Hypotheses are developed based on the most popular life course theoretical perspectives, and data from a national longitudinal study are used to test them. The results show that consumers are influenced by prior life experiences and future expectations, and they suggest the value of studying consumer behavior in time and context using the life course paradigm. Finally, the paper discusses implications for theory development and future research using this innovative approach.     

Toward a More Coherent Understanding of the Organization–Society Relationship: A Theoretical Consideration for Social and Environmental Accounting Research

In this study we analyze the overlapping perspectives of legitimacy theory, institutional theory, resource dependence theory, and stakeholder theory. Our purpose is to explore how these theories can inform and be built upon by one another. Through our analysis we provide a broader theoretical understanding of these theories that may support and promote social and environmental accounting research. This article starts with a detailed analysis of legitimacy theory by bringing some recent critical discussions on legitimacy and corporations in the management literature into accounting research. The notion forwarded by legitimacy theory then serves as an overarching concept to examine the relationship between and among theories. We conclude that two theoretical considerations are important for future social and environmental accounting research. First, it must be acknowledged that some business entities initiate social activities based on direct interactions with stakeholders, whereas others may also undertake similar activities to manage their societal level of legitimacy. Second, from analyzing the perspectives of legitimacy theory, institutional theory, resource dependence theory, and stakeholder theory, it is possible to reach compatible interpretations of business social phenomena, and the selection and application of these theories should depend upon the focus of study.     

一般竞争战略理论论战、观点流派与研究展望——从割裂到融合

一般竞争战略理论对企业战略决策具有广泛而深远的影响。学者们对一般竞争战略的割裂观和融合观一直争执不休，众多研究呈现出多角度、多证据、结论矛盾和研究混乱的局面。文章通过对相关理论回顾和梳理，揭示出一般竞争战略理论割裂观存在的问题和困境，呈现融合观的理论与实证证据，提炼出混合战略的三个流派，并揭示混合战略研究的脉络和趋势。文章揭示出融合是竞争战略的趋势，实现不同战略类型的融合和竞争战略的多维体系构建，有助于厘清竞争战略研究的混乱和矛盾，打破根深蒂固的“骑墙战略”禁区思维，为企业的战略决策提供系统和多维的视角，并推动一般竞争战略从割裂化向融合化演进，特别是对现阶段的中国企业战略制定具有重要意义。     

Recent Advances in Structural Econometric Modeling: Dynamics, Product Positioning and Entry

In the empirical analysis of consumer markets, recent literature has begun to explore the dynamics in both consumer decisions as well as in firms' marketing policies. Other research has begun to explore the strategic aspects of product line design in a competitive environment. In both cases, structural models have given us new insights into consumer and firm behavior. For example, incorporating consumer and firm dynamics may help explain patterns in our data that are not well-captured by static models. Similarly, the strategic aspects of firm entry and product-positioning may be intrinsically linked to firm conduct and the intensity of competition in a market. Structural analysis of these consumer and firm decisions raise a number of substantial computational challenges. We discuss the computational challenges as well as specific empirical applications. The discussions are based on the session “Structural Models of Strategic Choice” from the 2004 Choice Symposium.     

From Supply Chains to Supply Ecosystems: Implications for Strategic Sourcing Research and Practice

Traditionally, sourcing decisions such as what to buy and from whom to buy it were viewed as clerical in nature. Today, however, many executives view sourcing decisions as strategic and these decisions are being made from more prominent positions within firms. Indeed, over time more companies are embracing the concept of strategic sourcing—making acquisition decisions with the intent of creating value and achieving a competitive advantage. In this article, we introduce the Special Topic Forum articles on strategic sourcing and performance. Each offers important implications for strategic sourcing research and practice. An overall implication is that some traditional supply chains appear to be giving way to supply ecosystems, which represent a set of interdependent and coordinated organizations that share common adaptive challenges and that collectively shape the creation and nurturing of a sourcing base that contributes to competitive advantage and superior performance. We offer several theoretical perspectives that hold promise for explaining supply ecosystem functioning and outcomes. In terms of practice, firms need to adapt their strategic sourcing to this evolution or run the risk of being weakened.     

中国上市公司现金持有水平的实证研究

企业持有现金不仅受经营活动、投资活动客观需要的影响,也会受到管理者(经理人)的主观意愿影响.权衡理论、代理理论、信息不对称理论、筹资优序理论对此进行了理论解释,但通过研究发现竞争强度和企业所处的生命周期阶段也会对现金持有水平有显著影响.利用1990-2006年深沪两地上市公司的12261个企业年数据对此进行了实证研究,实证结果较好地支持了六种不同角度的解释.     

A Multidimensional Approach to Finnish Managers' Moral Decision-Making

This paper analyses managers' moral decision-making, and studies the role of ethical theories in it by following the research tradition using the multidimensional ethics scale. The research question is: what kinds of ethical dimensions do Finnish business managers reveal when they are making moral decisions, and how have these dimensions changed in the 1990s? This question is answered by examining what kinds of factors emerge when the multidimensional ethics scale is used to analyse Finnish managers' attitudes toward moral dilemmas. The results show that Finnish managers' decision-making reflects a variety of ethical theories. Teleological thinking is strongly emphasised by Finnish managers, and relativist thinking is used as well, but often combined with either deontology or justice thinking. In addition, a strong moralistic dimension emerged in Finnish managers' decision-making. The analysis was carried out in two different surveys in years 1994 and 1999, and the results show that the ways of decision-making were more complex at the end of the 1990s than almost six years earlier.     

Internationalization of Smaller Firms: Opportunity Development through Networks

This article aims to contribute toward a better understanding of the opportunity development process that rapidly internationalizing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) undergo. Little is known about how SMEs overcome challenges in the process of recognizing and exploiting market opportunities during their rapid expansion abroad. This article presents a longitudinal case study that illustrates how a firm's relationships with business, social, and political actors enhance its opportunity development during the internationalization process. The findings highlight that conducting matching activities at different levels helps the firm overcome challenges and succeed in developing new opportunities for continued expansion abroad. This study contributes to research on rapidly internationalizing firms by broadening the empirical and theoretical understanding of the opportunity development process for smaller firms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Corporate Social Strategy: Competing Views from Two Theories of the Firm

This paper compares two theories of the firm used to interpret firms’ corporate social strategies in order to derive new insights and questions in this research area. Researchers from many branches of strategic management agree that firms can strategically allocate resources in order to achieve both long-term social objectives and competitive advantage. However, despite some progress in investigating corporate social strategy, studies rely on fundamentally diverging theoretical approaches. This paper will identify, compare and begin to integrate two competing theories of the firm implicit in corporate social strategy scholarship: the resource-based and behavioural theories of the firm. I discuss the implications of these two theories for both researchers and practitioners on key debates within corporate social strategy, and conclude by suggesting several fruitful avenues for future research based on the emerging integration of these two theories of the firm within the strategy literature. Dr. Frances Bowen is an Associate Professor in the Strategy and Global Management Area of the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. Her main research interests cross strategy and organisational theory, focusing on corporate environmental strategy. She has examined firms’ enviromental decisions in a variety of complex decision-making contexts. Current and recent research projects have focused on the roles of subsidiary managers in encouraging environmental initiatives within multinational companies, and how firms might induce suppliers to participate in environmentally sound supply chain management. Her main theoretical interest is how the behavioural theory of the firm can be integrated with the resource-based view to better explain corporate environmental strategy.