Digitalisation,automation and upgrading in global value chains – factory economy actors versus lead companies

This article investigates the differences in the application and impact of digital technologies between manufacturing subsidiaries and lead companies, the principal orchestrators of global automotive value chains. Utilising a dataset of 10 in-depth interviews with automotive industry actors, we analyse headquarters–subsidiary differences in the patterns of digitalisation-driven upgrading. A theoretical framework is offered that explains why the significant upgrading achievements of manufacturing subsidiaries deploying industry 4.0 technologies will not reduce the gap between lead companies and manufacturing subsidiaries in terms of value generation. We show that the concept of ‘industry 4.0’ is much narrower than that of ‘digitalisation’ and transition to smart factories is only part of the digital transformation story. Industry 4.0 technologies contribute to the upgrading of operations, and enable subsidiaries to take on production-related knowledge-intensive assignments (functional upgrading). Conversely, digitalisation serves lead companies’ strategic differentiation efforts, and facilitates achieving competitive advantage: the latter are crucial for value capture.     

The cul-de-sac of foreign industrial investments to Russia

Abstract

The aim of this article is to determine the rationale for the ‘irrational’ investment behaviour of multinational corporations (MNCs) in Russia. During the on-going recession in a number of major sectors, MNCs have undertaken only a very limited number of divestments and, instead, have commissioned a record number of new manufacturing facilities (by opening new plants and expanding the capacities of existing plants). To explain this phenomenon, we first provide an overview of existing theoretical and empirical studies on investments in difficult locations and divestments of foreign subsidiaries, and identify the major weaknesses of the prevailing approaches and underlying assumptions of such studies. Next, we present a detailed picture of both industrial investments and divestments in Russia from January 2015 to March 2017. Finally, we indicate how a combination of systemic and contingent factors (pressure from the host country’s government, subsidiaries’ orientation towards the host country’s markets, and the absence of potential local and international acquirers for existing Russian manufacturing facilities of Western MNCs) has created ‘cul-de-sac’ conditions for foreign-owned industrial assets in Russia.     

Innovations and Legacies in Russian Human Resource Management Practices: Surveys of 700 Chief Executive Officers

In 1998 we administered a survey to 740 Russian chief executive officers (CEOs), which enabled us to raise the question of the current human resource management (HRM) practices in Russian industrial companies. In October-December 2000 we administered another survey among 735 Russian CEOs. This time we observed a major drive towards some modern instruments of HRM policies. However, an additional survey, devoted to the source of innovations in HRM, revealed that most HRM innovations are implemented on a trial and error basis, without reference to international practices.     

Standardization or Localization： HRM Practices of MNCs in China

Many MNCs have established China centres to coordinate and control their operations in the country. The paper describes the standardization and localization in HRM practices of MNCs in China. It tries to analyse the degree of standardization or localization of HRM policies for MNCs in China, in the terms of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and promotion.     

Identifying peers in international tax competition

Multinational companies (MNCs) have historically used corporate subsidiaries to isolate income earned in lower-taxed jurisdictions from tax in a higher-rate home country. This planning technique has been long accepted as a strategy to lower the MNC’s effective tax rate and maintain shareholder value. A recently study, however, demonstrates that this is an inefficient, and possibly inappropriate, strategy. This article conducts a comprehensive empirical benchmarking analysis by applying cluster analysis to empirically identify peer groups of MNCs operating in the pharmaceutical industry. We find that most firms consistently fall into the same cluster, providing evidence that income shifting can be benchmarked by industry sector. We also find special cases where firms should be excluded from the benchmark.     

Home bias in divestment decisions of multinational corporations in the EU

We empirically investigate the claim that multinational corporations (MNCs) suffer from a “home bias” in divestment decisions: MNCs prefer to divest from foreign subsidiaries because the “emotional involvement” and the commitment in divesting from domestic subsidiaries is larger. This issue has not been yet empirically explored in the economic literature, although it is quite recurrent in the political debate on MNCs and FDI. Using detailed company‐level data on the EU corporate groups during the economic crisis (2008–2014), we show that, in spite of prima facie empirical evidence of a home bias, the bias disappears when firm‐, country‐, and sector‐specific factors are accounted for.     

权力距离、不确定性规避对跨国公司总部知识转移的调节效应研究

目前有关跨国公司在华子公司的知识转移研究较少,尤其是文化的调节作用研究更少。本文从在华子公司的角度,分析跨国公司总部向在华子公司转移知识时,总部的知识传播意愿和知识转移渠道的丰富性对知识转移效果的影响,重点分析权力距离和不确定性规避的调节效应,建立相应的理论模型,为跨国公司提高跨文化知识转移效果提出相应的对策建议。本文通过对219家在华子公司的实证研究得出:(1)跨国公司总部的知识传播意愿、正式和社会化知识转移渠道对知识转移效果有正向影响,支持了知识转移意愿对知识转移效果有影响的观点;(2)权力距离和不确定规避只对总部社会化知识传播渠道丰富性与知识转移效果之间的关系起负向调节作用,表明权力距离和不确定性规避纬度上的文化差异是通过调节人际沟通从而对知识转移效果产生影响的。     

中国制造业企业与跨国公司合作战略绩效

本文构建出了包含中国制造业企业的资源与能力、中国制造业企业与跨国公司合作伙伴之间的关系以及合作治理的结构特征3个层面的整合模型,提出了相应理论假设,并以中国制造业企业为样本进行问卷调研和统计分析。实证结果表明,中国制造业企业的组织吸收能力、组织沟通能力跨国公司的资源互补性,中国制造业企业与跨国公司合作伙伴之间的目标一致性、信任水平、承诺水平,以及合作治理结构的正式化程度、集权化程度和复杂化程度对合作战略绩效具有显著影响。     

Business innovation in Russian industry

This article reports the results of a quasi‐longitudinal survey of 2,800 top corporate executives of Russian industrial enterprises, presenting a snapshot of current innovation attempts in Russian enterprises and indicating economic and institutional factors that foster or hinder innovation. Russian CEOs see the necessity of profound changes in many areas of enterprise management and are not afraid of such changes, as innovations are perceived to be the best competitive weapon. However, their resources for radical innovation are rather limited. Beside lack of finance, the superimposed narrower strategic focus, the rigidities of local business networks, the weakness of external infrastructure for innovation and the absence of state support seriously impede attempts to implement radical changes. However, in every Russian industry surveyed there is a visible presence of innovative companies, which constitute 15–30% of all large and medium‐size companies. Moreover, increasing imports and the growing number of foreign subsidiaries in Russia will continue to push Russian companies towards more intensive changes in all areas of enterprise management.     

人力资源管理强度对科技企业知识型员工创新绩效的影响

基于控制理论和程序公平理论，从反馈寻求行为与程序公平感视角探索人力资源管理强度对科技企业知识型员工影响的“黑箱”机制。通过对475名科技企业知识型员工的样本数据进行层次回归分析，证实人力资源管理强度对员工创新绩效有显著正向影响，反馈寻求行为在人力资源管理强度对员工创新绩效影响中具有中介效应，程序公平感在反馈寻求行为对员工创新绩效影响中具有正向调节效应。结论有利于丰富人力资源管理强度对科技企业知识型员工创新绩效作用机制相关研究，可为提升科技企业知识型员工创新绩效提供启示。     

New human resource management practices, complementarities and the impact on innovation performance

In this paper, we take our theoretical point of departure inrecent work in organisational economics on systems of humanresource management (HRM) practices. We develop the argumentthat just as complementarities between new HRM practices influencefinancial performance positively, there are theoretical reasonsfor expecting them also to influence innovation performancepositively. We examine this overall hypothesis by estimatingan empirical model of innovation performance, using data froma Danish survey of 1,900 business firms. Using principal componentanalysis, we identify two HRM systems which are conducive toinnovation. In the first one, seven of our nine HRM variablesmatter (almost) equally for the ability to innovate. The secondsystem is dominated by firm-internal and firm-external training.Of the total of nine sectors that we consider, we find thatthe four manufacturing sectors correlate with the first system.Firms belonging to wholesale trade and to the ICT intensiveservice sectors tend to be associated with the second system.     

Exchange rate and Chinese outward FDI

Did the exchange rate (ER) regime change that was announced by the Chinese government in 2005 lead to an increased sensitivity of Chinese multinational companies (MNCs) to ER fluctuations? To answer this question our article considers the effect of ER level, volatility and expectation on the Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) activities in 119 countries for a period of 2003–2013. We find striking evidence that Chinese Renminbi appreciation has a negative impact on Chinese outward FDI flows, and both higher ER volatility and expected depreciation encourage Chinese outward FDI flows. We introduce two complementary effects that explain these findings: repatriation effect and mercantilist effect. In view of the recent debate about the growing importance of Chinese Renminbi in the international transactions we believe that our research results shed light on the possible impact of ER policies on Chinese MNCs behaviour and global FDI distribution.     

What Determines the Decision to Implement EMAS? A European Firm Level Study

Empirical research on the characteristics of environmentally responsive companies has focussed on US and Japanese companies. For Europe, which is commonly considered as the greenest of the three major markets, similar research is lacking. This paper seeks to fill this gap by empirically investigating business and financial characteristics, stakeholder pressures and public policies to distinguish companies that have implemented the European Eco-Management and Audit System (EMAS) from a unique firm-level dataset of European publicly quoted companies. We find that the EMAS participation decision is positively influenced by the solvency ratio, the share of non-current liabilities, the average labour cost and the absolute company size as well as the relative size of a company compared to its sector average. The profit margin exerts a negative influence. We further find that companies whose headquarters is located in a country that actively encourages EMAS have a higher probability of participation. Finally, this paper suggests that rather than attracting other kinds of companies, a favourable institutional context succeeds in convincing more of the same kind of companies to participate. The authors thank anonymous referees for providing helpful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this paper.     

高管海外背景、进入模式与跨国企业海外子公司生存绩效*

拥有海外背景的高管对跨国企业海外子公司生存至关重要。本文以2007—2018年中国A股上市公司海外子公司数据为样本，基于高阶理论，运用cox比例风险模型和logit模型检验了高管海外背景对跨国企业海外子公司生存绩效的影响及其机制。研究结果显示，高管海外背景有助于提升海外子公司的生存绩效；此外，进入模式在高管海外背景和海外子公司生存绩效二者关系间存在中介作用，即高管的海外背景越丰富，海外子公司越倾向于以独资的模式进入东道国，独资模式下母公司对于海外子公司的资源投入有助于提升海外子公司的生存绩效。     

The supply of and demand for accounting information

The article analyzes the use of accounting information in Russia. We assess reporting behaviour in the lending process for a sample of Russian companies in the years 1999–2004 and postulate that Russian companies manage their earnings in order to avoid showing losses when applying for bank financing. Once a credit has been granted, companies are predicted to manage earnings because of the bank's monitoring activities. By means of univariate and multivariate analysis we are able to attribute the discontinuity around a zero target in the earnings distribution with firms’ response to the banks’ assessment of accounting performance. This implies that financing considerations affect the reporting incentives of Russian companies.     

Vertical Control and Price Cycles in Gasoline Retailing

We examine Norwegian gasoline pump prices using daily station‐specific observations from 2003 to 2006. The four big gasoline companies use a vertical restraint that is adopted industry‐wide (labeled price support). This moves price control from the hands of independent retailers into the hands of the headquarters. Retail gasoline prices follow a fixed weekly pattern, where we observe de facto simultaneous decision‐making by the headquarters (without knowledge of their rivals’ prices) when every Monday around noon they decide to increase pump prices to the same level. The price level on Mondays corresponds to the recommended prices published by the headquarters of the gasoline companies.     

论跨国公司内部竞合中的子公司类型划分

外国子公司在合作和竞争的水平上是有差异的,有些子公司能够达到高水平的合作和竞争,而其他子公司可能进行高水平的合作、低水平的竞争,反之亦然。这种差异性形成了四种情况,它们反映了竞合矩阵中合作和竞争的不同排列。运用合适的分类方法,可以将大量的外国子公司分成四种,这样可以进一步解释每个类型存在和经营的共同条件,便于跨国公司更好地进行全球化的计划与协调工作。从经验主义的角度讲,可以根据每个子公司的竞争和合作水平,将之与企业层面的平均值进行比较,从而确定出它所属的类型。     

Is the effect really so large? Firm‐level evidence on the role of FDI in a transition economy1

Foreign subsidiaries usually perform better than domestic enterprises, but selection effects have been acknowledged in the literature. This article contributes by quantitatively evaluating the size of the selection effects and direct effects of FDI entry. We use a large panel of firm‐level data from Poland and match foreign‐owned firms to a control group of non‐foreign‐owned companies and analyse various performance indicators. In terms of efficiency measures, between 50 and 70 percent of the foreign affiliates advantage may be attributed to direct ownership effects. However, in the case of export intensity, the majority of the differential between the domestic companies and foreign subsidiaries is attributable to selection effects: MNEs choose export‐oriented companies and sectors.     

后金融危机时代的企业战略转型——以风华高科为例

本文对战略转型相关理论和文献做了回顾和评述,并以风华高科为案例,论述其把握金融危机后的发展机遇,通过战略整合成功实现战略转型。过去的风华高科出现通常具有的“大企业病”,“诸侯经济”特征明显：集团实行多元化战略,各分子公司各自为战,没有形成统一的合力。金融危机倒逼风华高科走上战略整合的发展道路,通过战略转型和组织管控优化,彻底扭转各分子公司的“散小乱”局面,使公司总部与分子公司紧密围绕着电子元器件产业链形成强大价值链竞争合力,发挥协同优势,应对竞争对手的技术升级、成本竞争和经营灵活性的挑战,实现可持续发展。     

跨国公司在华子公司循环型发展战略

本文通过分析研究跨国公司在华子公司实施循环型发展战略的五大动因,结合2005年关于跨国公司在华子公司战略研究方面的调研结果．认为跨国公司在华子公司制定的发展战略正在我国发展循环经济的影响下呈现出一些新的特点,即出现了循环型发展战略。本文在提出跨国公司在华子公司循环型发展战略方格图的基础上．对目前跨国公司在华实践的循环型发展战略五个主要模式进行了归纳、总结。