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.     

风险投资国际化影响因素研究综述

风险投资长期以来被视为是一项高度本土化的行为,但是近年来越来越多的风投机构开始走出国门进行远距离的跨境投资。这一现象引起了学者们的极大兴趣,许多学者开始致力于考察跨境风险投资的动因,即为什么本土化特征如此明显的风险资本开始热衷于进行跨越国境的远距离投资。尽管相关研究近几年才刚刚开始,但已迅速成为学术研究的热点。文章从国家环境因素、社会网络和风投机构主体因素三个层次,对风险投资国际化影响因素的最新文献进行了梳理和评述,并在此基础上对未来研究进行了展望。     

黑龙江省实施农村市场国际化的对策研究

黑龙江省实施农村市场国际化面临的困境是产品出口市场过于集中,适应国际市场变化的能力较弱,农村现代流通体系不健全,农产品加工附加值低、标准体系不严格,农业劳动力整体素质低下,不适应农村市场国际化。黑龙江省应借鉴发达国家经验,完善农村市场体系建设,搞活农产品流通,着力发展小城镇和农产品加工业,提升农产品的产业链和附加值,贯彻统筹城乡发展的基本方略,大力发展面向农村的服务业,加快农业信息化建设的步伐,以提高农村市场主体国际竞争力。     

黑龙江省实施农村市场国际化的对策研究

黑龙江省实施农村市场国际化面临的困境是产品出口市场过于集中,适应国际市场变化的能力较弱,农村现代流通体系不健全,农产品加工附加值低、标准体系不严格,农业劳动力整体素质低下,不适应农村市场国际化。黑龙江省应借鉴发达国家经验,完善农村市场体系建设,搞活农产品流通,着力发展小城镇和农产品加工业,提升农产品的产业链和附加值,贯彻统筹城乡发展的基本方略,大力发展面向农村的服务业,加快农业信息化建设的步伐,以提高农村市场主体国际竞争力。     

Unraveling the IJV Rationale in Emerging Markets: The Case of Multinational Enterprises in the Russian Construction Industry

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the role of international joint venture strategy of five multinational enterprises in the Russian construction market. Joint ventures play a crucial and specific role for these firms’ strategy in Russia: They serve both as an entry mode and a postentry strategy; facilitate business and guide foreign investors; increase efficiency for further strategy; and help international construction firms overcome the environmental deficiencies. Findings of the article bolster the theory by stressing the facilitating effect of joint venture upon challenges and problems that Western firms meet in emerging market in contrast with more developed economies.     

大力发展风险投资加快培育战略性新兴产业

战略性新兴产业是新兴科技和新兴产业的深度融合.发展战略性新兴产业,是我国立足当前渡难关、着眼长远上水平的重大战略选择,不仅会对我国当前经济社会发展起重要的支撑作用,还将引领我国未来经济社会可持续发展的战略方向.在危机中得以历练和发展的风险投资行业,将成为促进我国战略性新兴产业发展最活跃的一支力量.要大力发展创业投资引导基金,创新财政资金投入方式和运作机制,引导社会资金投向政府有意重点发展的高新技术等关键领域或处于种子期、成长期的创业企业,引导民间资本进入专业化、规范化的投资运作渠道;要推动风险投资中介组织发展,加强行业自律和行业监管;要积极探索发展场外交易市场,有效拓宽风险投资进入与退出渠道;要贯彻实施创业风险投资人才培养和储备战略,培养一大批具有复合技能的风险投资家.     

Qualitative Insights into the International New Venture Creation Process

This paper adopts a qualitative approach to uncover the experiences of founders of international new ventures or born global firms. The data which are based on in-depth interviews, focus on the major characters, events and surrounding conditions from the time the firm is conceived until it becomes involved with foreign markets. From these data, the major elements contributing to the creation of an international new venture are identified.     

国际中心货币、离岸人民币市场与人民币国际化

中国是一个发展中大国,具有后发展优势,综合国力不断增强,在国际上享有一定的政治地位和威望,经济和贸易水平已经进入世界前列．中国在保证对世界承担义务的同时要利用大国优势,充分享有大国地位带来的战略利益,人民币国际化就是其中一项。人民币国际化条件已经形成,要选择有利于人民币国际化的途径,积极推进人民币区域化。在对外交往中主动和鼓励使用人民币,进一步放开对人民币现钞入境的限制,广泛开展国际金融合作,建立离岸金融市场,为人民币离岸业务提供必要的服务,离岸金融市场也是中国经济国际化要求。选择恰当时机实现人民币资本项目下的自由兑换和国内自由兑换。最后实现人民币自由兑换和人民币成为世界货币。     

创业网络与新企业绩效:组织合法性的中介作用及其启示

基于整合制度理论与社会网络视角,从政治网络、投资者网络和顾客关系网络三个方面提出并检验组织合法性在创业网络与新企业绩效关系间的中介效应。基于209份新企业数据,通过多元回归方法对研究假设进行检验,结果显示:政治网络、投资者网络、顾客关系网络与组织合法性正相关;政治网络与新企业绩效关系不显著,投资者网络、顾客关系网络与新企业绩效正相关;组织合法性在顾客关系网络与新企业绩效关系间存在部分中介效应,在投资者网络与新企业绩效关系间存在完全中介效应。     

Early and Rapid Internationalization of Firms from Emerging Economies: Understanding the Heterogeneity of Chinese Exporters

By synthesizing several theoretical perspectives, we explore the determinants of early and rapid internationalization of firms from China as an example of an emerging economy. Specifically, we examine the symbiosis of foreign knowledge, networks, and government support and their impact on the emergence of born globals (BGs). We use the dataset covering 368 Chinese exporting SMEs. The results provide new insights regarding the nature of their strategic behavior and shed light on the reasons for heterogeneity among exporters.     

Emerging Market Footholds and Knowledge: An Examination of New Product Launch Performance

As developed markets become more saturated, managers increasingly recognize the value of emerging markets as venues for growth opportunities. Yet, launching products into these markets is extremely risky due to weak institutional environments (e.g., lack of physical infrastructure), making success more uncertain. To alleviate this challenge, theory points to using emerging market footholds that yield market-specific knowledge. However, it is unclear whether knowledge is realized and, if so, what facets of harvested knowledge are effective in driving performance. Accordingly, we used data collected from a survey of business professionals to examine emerging market footholds and market-specific knowledge (i.e., customer, competitor, and logistics knowledge). Our results show that the extent of market presence held by an emerging market foothold is positively associated with all types of knowledge, yet only competitor and logistics knowledge—not customer knowledge—is positively associated with product launch performance. A supplemental sample of new product launches in developed markets revealed the opposite results wherein customer knowledge was the only significant predictor. Viewed collectively, the results suggest a market maturity threshold wherein logistics and competitive knowledge becomes less influential in driving performance, and customer knowledge becomes more influential.     

新创科技企业技术来源对于技术收益的影响实证研究

科技发展和科技创业的兴起使得新创科技企业得到了长足的发展机会,新创科技企业技术来源对于技术收益具有显著作用。新创科技企业为对象,通过实证数据的多元统计分析,得到了技术来源对于技术收益的影响显著的结论。     

Assessing the needs of international markets against an emerging market company's capabilities: A tool for internationalization

Senior managers in emerging markets often strive to ensure that their companies develop sufficient capabilities to confront the needs they encounter in international markets. However, extant research and practice remain unclear as to how senior managers in emerging market companies can approach assessing the needs of their international markets against their own company's capabilities, to aim for a balance between both. This article offers an innovative approach for assessing the needs of international markets against an emerging market company's capabilities. Based on the assessments of 100 senior managers leading emerging market companies, we explain how this approach can provide two key insights. First, evidence of a balance between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities, that indicates the company's competitive position is focused; or evidence of an imbalance between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities, that indicates the company's competitive position is either vulnerable or overqualified. Second, an understanding of where the gaps between the needs of international markets and an emerging market company's capabilities are, that enables improving the company's competitive position by closing these gaps. Drawing on this approach, we offer an open access tool that allows senior managers in emerging markets to identify and improve their own company's competitive position for internationalization. Using this tool, senior managers can lead their emerging market companies toward a focused competitive position in international markets, providing better chances of successfully capturing potential benefits.     

Internationalization journey of healthcare providers: The case of Turkish Acıbadem healthcare group

The advances in technology and global deregulation have led to the progressive internationalization of professional services, notably, the healthcare industry. The present case study examines the remarkable internationalization journey of Acibadem Healthcare Group (AHG) by scrutinizing the dynamics and outcomes of the agile and innovative strategies which propel their achievements. The case of AHG shows that successful internationalization in the service industry, in general, and healthcare, in particular, is not solely in the domain of large, established companies from advanced economies, but those ventures with liabilities of origin, newness, and size can also succeed with smart strategies and resourceful leveraging of their competitive advantages. The study provides unique insights on strategic management for successful internationalization of the healthcare services within an emerging market context and suggests future research avenues in this fast-growing field of inquiry.     

Venture Capital Investors, Capital Markets, Valuation and Information: US, Europe and Asia

This paper uses a large multi-country sample of venture capital firms to compare the approaches to investee valuation and sources of information used by venture capital investors in English, French and German legal systems as well as geographical regions. Different legal systems are significantly associated with the valuation mechanism used. In particular, compared to English-based Common Law systems, VC firms operating in a Germanic legal system are significantly more likely to use DCF based measures and significantly less likely to use PE comparators. This latter result is also the case for VC firms operating in a French legal system who are also significantly more likely to adopt historic cost valuation methods. VC firms in Europe and Asia are significantly less likely than US VC firms to make use of liquidation value methods but significantly more likely to use PE comparators. European firms are significantly less likely to adopt DCF methods compared to US VC firms. VC firms operating under a Germanic legal system are less likely to utilise information from the financial press but significantly more likely to use interviews with entrepreneurs. VC firms operating under a French legal system are more likely to utilise interviews with company personnel as well as sales and marketing information. VC firms in Europe and Asia are significantly more likely than US VC firms to use financial press. VC firms in Asia are significantly less likely to make use of interviews with entrepreneurs or business plan data. VC firms in Europe are significantly more likely to utilise sales and marketing information.     

Knowledge and knowledge sharing in retail internationalization: IKEA's entry into Russia

Abstract

Research on retail internationalization and internationalization in general acknowledges the relevance of knowledge management and organizational learning, even though there is a lack of discussion about the specific constructs and approaches that would be most fruitful. The central role of knowledge sharing in the internationalization process is rarely stressed. Furthermore, the specificities of retailing are likely to require special considerations if we are to be able to develop a theoretical as well as a practical understanding of knowledge and knowledge sharing in the internationalization process. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to develop a tentative approach to knowledge and knowledge sharing in international retailing based upon previous literature about knowledge sharing and the internationalization process and a case study of IKEA's entry into the Russian market.     

Swedish SMEs' Establishment of Business in Russia: A Case Study

This case study analyzes Swedish SMEs' establishment of business in Russia. The study is based on data from a project whose objective was to help Swedish SMEs enter the Russian market. Findings indicate that market visits positively affected the managers' view on the Russian market. Interviews with four SMEs that had been successful in establishing business in Russia highlight the importance of finding a local partner with access to working market channels. A conclusion drawn is that innovativeness, flexibility, and commitment are characteristics that the exporting SMEs and their Russian partners need to share.     

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.     

Talent Management Practices in IT Companies from Emerging Markets: A Comparative Analysis of Russia,India, and China

ABSTRACT

In this article, the authors review talent management practices in information technology (IT) companies from Russia, India, and China, discussing their differences and similarities. Using the emerging market context, the authors debate the factors influencing talent management, specifically in IT companies. The article examines the relevant research on the main talent management issues in Russia, India, and China, and offers one of the first intercountry comparative analyses of talent management practices in IT companies from emerging markets. The authors argue that although talent management practices are influenced by different institutional and cultural factors, there are similarities and differences that can be explained by the emerging market and industry-specific contexts.     

Internationalization of emerging-economy new ventures: The role of within-country differences

New ventures are increasingly internationalizing from emerging economies, but the role of their home country and any associated within-country regional differences are not well understood. In this article, we look at a new venture in China and how its headquartered region promotes its internationalization. We present empirical evidence that shows the interrelatedness between a venture’s region and internationalization: When institutional development in a region is strong, the impact of foreign firm presence on venture internationalization becomes even stronger. We discuss implications for managers of multinational enterprises and new ventures operating in emerging economies as well as policymakers in these economies.