Social Capital at Work: A Case of Adapting a Norwegian Cooperation Model in Russia

The article examines the process by which the local industry in a city in the Russian North adapted a Norwegian cooperation model. We found that the Russian way to build cooperation, different from the Norwegian practice, was characterized by intertwined personal and organizational ties and by mixed political and business agendas. The data were analyzed with the help of theories of social capital and Scandinavian institutionalism. On the basis of this analysis, we challenge the established view of Russia as a country with low cooperation capacity. Also, we suggest how the Russian cooperation experience can be valuable in the West.     

Questionable Business Practices in Russia

ABSTRACT

This article applies Integrative Social Contracts Theory (Donaldson and Dunfee, 1994) to ethical issues in business situations in Russia arising between Russians and Westerners. The theory bases ethical decision making on universal hypernorms which are fundamental to human existence regardless of culture or nationality. Simultaneously, specific norms exist that may differ from one community or culture to another. The theory includes six criteria to help resolve conflicts among these different groups. This article uses a common situation of blat or personal favoritism in Russian business to illustrate how the theory can be applied to conflicting norms in interactions between Western business people and their counterparts in Central and Eastern European countries.     

New Venture Internationalization from an Emergent Market: Unexpected Findings from Russia

This article offers new insights on determinants of degree and scope of new venture internationalization from emerging markets. We set our study by development of a theoretical framework and hypothesis integrating entrepreneur-, firm-, industry-, and institutional factors to be tested in the Russian empirical context. The results indicate that institutional factors have the strongest relationship with the degree and scope of internationalization in Russian NVs. However, contrary to our expectations and existing literature, entrepreneur-, firm-, and industry-related factors are not associated with new venture internationalization. These unexpected findings have motivated us to implement the second round of empirical research using qualitative approach. As an outcome, we were able to explain the underlying forces behind the inconsistencies in the survey results and to develop four puzzles that provide a foundation for the theoretical extension of new venture internationalization from emerging markets.     

Exploring the Role of a Country's Institutional Environment in Internationalization: Strategic Responses of SMEs in Russia

Based on the suggested five-pillar institutional framework, the study empirically investigates the impact of the institutional environment on internationalization aspirations of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies and maps their strategic responses against imposed institutional pressures. The data collected across five forest cluster SMEs in Saint Petersburg and Moscow are analyzed. Political instability, corruption, bounded cognition, over-patriotism, and high power distance act as the main constraints, while demands for new knowledge and funding are identified as the main drivers for internationalization. The classified institutional challenges are mapped against the possible strategic responses of the SMEs, such as acquiescence, compromise, avoidance, defiance, and manipulation.     

Knowledge and Innovation in China: Historical Legacies and Emerging Institutions

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical and historically grounded perspective on the institutional fabric for knowledge generation and innovative activities in Chinese society. Utilizing theoretical and methodological insights from social epistemology, it explores legacies of traditional Chinese perceptions of the utility of scientific knowledge, the balance of exploitation/exploration, the prestige of innovation, and the division of labour in knowledge production and application. It is argued that these legacies have continued to shape emerging contemporary institutions of knowledge and innovation. They contribute to tensions between the search for knowledge and requirements of power; they bias innovative activities towards exploitation; and they constrain creative entrepreneurship in the transitional innovation system.     

对在俄华商生存境况的最新调查

在后苏联时代,俄罗斯有关学术力量通常借助问卷调查跟踪研究在俄华人的生存境况。2007年下半年,以俄罗斯科学院远东所研究员亚历山大.拉林为主导的学术团队,在蒋经国学术交流基金的支持下,借助全俄社会舆论调查中心对在俄华商组织了一次社会调查。结果已由亚历山大.拉林整理并公开发表,本文将对其加以详细介绍。     

International Hotel Companies in Russia

Abstract

Existing studies addressing the modal choice in the global hotel industry have discussed to a limited extent the restrictions posed to the choice of entry mode by the local environment, mainly the host government. This paper describes entries of foreign hotels in a market, Russia, in which the local (city) government has an active role in the hotel industry. The study proposes that, in the Russian market, the foreign hoteliers have to take into account the interests of the local governments regardless of the operation mode. On the basis of secondary data collected mainly from industry reports and Russian newspapers, the strategic choices made by the foreign hotel companies can be divided into two categories. First, some hotel chains have brought their brands to the Russian market early, but have made strategic concessions in the mode of entry. Second, there are companies that have stuck to their general strategies and postponed entry to Russia until it could be done with the mode preferred by the company.     

社会资本对公司债务期限结构的影响--来自中国上市公司的经验证据

本文首先从社会信任、社会组织、社会参与、社会慈善四个维度度量中国各地区社会资本的发展水平,运用因子分析法构建社会资本的综合分数。在此基础上,选取2010－2013年可持续获得相关信息的468家上市公司组成的平衡面板数据为样本,运用固定效应模型和非参数检验方法实证检验社会资本与公司债务期限结构之间的关系。研究发现：社会资本和债务期限结构具有显著的正相关关系,即上市公司所属地区社会资本的发展水平越高,公司债务期限结构越长。     

Managerial learning from social capital during internationalization

This study explores managerial learning from social capital during internationalization. Its two research questions are these: (1) how different managers perceive, interpret, and respond to foreign-market institutions, and (2) how connections, relations, and cognition enhance managerial learning. Using an interpretive approach, the study analyzes patterns of internationalization and strategic decision-making in four contrasting Norwegian case companies that internationalize to the Russian oil and gas market. The findings show that the managers of the case companies hold similar perceptions about foreign-market institutions, but that they interpret and respond to those institutions from various levels of learning, resulting in different enactment on institutions. Managers learning at a “higher” level adapt patterns and decisions to ensure institutional conformity, while those at a “lower” level makes minor adjustments in patterns and behavior only when necessary and therefore maintain institutional conflict. Further, the findings show that all three dimensions of social capital have a vital role in enhancing managerial learning, but that the various forms that the dimensions can appear as, affects the learning process. Furthermore, the findings show that managers who share cognitive frame of reference with few embedded relationships are better equipped to interpret and respond to institutions. This study contributes fresh insight about managerial enactment on foreign-market institutions, and reconciles our understanding about social capital as embraced by the structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions. This study also contributes to a greater understanding about how the three dimensions of social capital ought to be formed to enhance managerial learning.     

An Investigation into the Formal Institutional Constraints that Restrict Entrepreneurship and SME Growth in Russia

The impact of institutions on the ease of doing business in transition economies has attracted considerable interest in recent years. The literature suggests that institutional quality is crucial in determining levels of entrepreneurship and SME development in such countries. Our research explores the perceptions of Russian SME owners regarding the quality of the institutional environment that they face making use of semi-structured interviews for data gathering purposes. We identify the political, economic and regulatory barriers that restrict entrepreneurship and SME growth in contemporary Russia, together with entrepreneurs’ views as to what reforms are needed for greater business growth in future.     

HRM in Western Subsidiaries in Russia and Poland

Abstract

This study analyzes the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries of Western MNCs located in Russia and Poland. Different hypotheses are developed, testing whether or not MNCs are more likely to implement standardized practices in Poland and Russia. The effects on HRM practices of MNC equity share, non-financial resources provided by MNCs to the focal unit, and mode of establishment of the foreign unit are also investigated. Implications for future research and managers are discussed.     

Institutional Realities and Constraints on Change: The Case of SME in Russia

This article presents the results of exploratory field research investigating the impact of the enabling institutional environment and internal firm capabilities in the information technology sector in St. Petersburg, Russia. Through a series of semi-structured interviews and confirmatory research through the UNDP and UNIDO, the study finds the emerging institutional environment remains weak, unpredictable and unstable, creating challenges for SMEs to contribute to the growth and development of the Russian economy.     

企业社会资本与企业组织变革

企业社会资本是企业内外个人及组织之间建立的社会信任网络。作为组织变革的制度基础,企业社会资本的存量、构成及管理者所采用的内部或外部导向的管理战略对组织变革能力、水平有着重要影响。因此,对企业而言,富有成效的管理在于采取外部与内部导向并重的管理战略,提高组织变革能力,增强企业竞争实力。     

俄罗斯与东北亚国家能源合作的前景分析

在当今世界经济发展的大趋势下,能源出口在俄罗斯对外贸易中的地位日益加强。同时,它也是俄寻求加入东北亚各国经济进程的有力工具。而俄罗斯与在世界经济发展中居领先地位的东北亚国家的能源合作,也符合这些国家能源进口多元化的战略。由于不同的历史渊源,俄罗斯在中、日、韩这三个东北亚主要国家能源战略中的作用也不尽相同。     

Institutions and entrepreneurship development in Russia: A comparative perspective

In this paper we use a comparative perspective to explore the ways in which institutions and networks have influenced entrepreneurial development in Russia. We utilize Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data to study the effects of the weak institutional environment in Russia on entrepreneurship, comparing it first with all available GEM country samples and second, in more detail, with Brazil and Poland. Our results suggest that Russia's institutional environment is important in explaining its relatively low levels of entrepreneurship development, where the latter is measured in terms of both number of start-ups and of existing business owners. In addition, Russia's business environment and its consequences for the role of business networks contribute to the relative advantage of entrepreneurial insiders (those already in business) to entrepreneurial outsiders (newcomers) in terms of new business start-ups.     

浅谈黑龙江省在俄劳务纠纷

近年来,中俄经贸领域合作快速发展,劳务合作也更加紧密。黑龙江省具有独特的地缘优势,与俄罗斯在劳务领域的合作发展势头良好,但也存在诸多问题。不断发生的境外劳务纠纷不但损害了劳务人员的切身利益,扰乱了外派劳务市场的秩序,同时也造成了不良的国际影响。这其中有的是具备资质企业的管理漏洞造成的,也有劳务人员素质低、法律意识淡薄的自身原因,更多的是无资质公司、中介机构和个人的违规派出行为造成的。因此,为推动黑龙江省外派劳务事业的健康发展,规范外派劳务市场秩序,维护劳务人员的合法权益,需要采取行之有效的措施来加以解决。     

东北三省与俄罗斯开展能源合作问题研究

东北三省曾经是我国重要的能源生产基地。近年来,随着经济和社会持续快速发展,该地区严重依赖能源,能源供求矛盾日渐突出。毗邻的俄罗斯是能源生产、出口大国,开展对俄能源合作有利于东北三省缓解能源储量危机,保护自然生态环境,提速基础设施建设。因此,东北三省应抓住机遇,充分了解俄罗斯能源政策,发挥政府职能,加强宏观调控,加快开展对俄能源合作的步伐。     

Motivations and Obstacles for Small Business Entrepreneurship in Russia: Fifteen Years in Transition

A longitudinal survey of small business entrepreneurs was conducted in Russia in two stages: in 1994 and in 2008. This study examined entrepreneurial climate and developments in Russia's small businesses with a focus on motivations and obstacles in starting up and operating businesses. It also aimed at analyzing entrepreneurs’ needs for training, consulting, and other types of assistance in a comparative context. Russia's climate for small and medium enterprises (SME) and entrepreneurship has improved, although it is still a work in progress. The 2008 survey indicated younger age, greater share of female entrepreneurs, and remaining small size of the firms. Though the level of SME entrepreneurial activities in Russia is still lower than in major developed economies, the gap is diminishing. Thise study found no significant differences between 1994 and 2008 in terms of entrepreneurial motivations and obstacles; several shifts and trends in motivations and obstacles were identified in their relative importance in SME dynamics.     

Corporate governance and firm performance in Russia: an empirical study

Using the agency and institutional perspectives, this study advances several hypotheses about the board structure–firm performance relationship within Russia. We tested these hypotheses using survey data. Despite a relatively small sample size, predictions from both theoretical perspectives were supported. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between “informal” CEO duality and firm performance. This finding is noteworthy given the 1996 Russian Federal law which prohibits the CEO from also serving as board chair. Also, we found that the more vigorously the firm pursues a retrenchment strategy, the more negative the relationship between proportion of inside directors and firm performance. Overall, these findings suggest that effective corporate governance may be essential to firm performance in Russia.