Firm Resources and Host‐Country Factors Impacting Internationalization of Knowledge‐Intensive Service Firms

In the era of the global economy, knowledge‐based services are becoming important sectors of the service industry. Services offered by a university are knowledge‐based services. Universities are in the service business, and they play a key role in creating and disseminating knowledge through teaching, research, and related services that cross domestic borders. The current research focuses on the internationalization of US MBA programs. The internationalization of US MBA programs refers to the delivery of knowledge‐based services beyond the domestic borders. The main objective of our research is to examine the effect of an organization's (e.g., a US business school) resources and a host country's attractiveness on the internationalization of knowledge‐based services offered by a firm (a US business school). Using data gathered from MBA programs of US colleges and universities, theÊstudy findings show that internationalization is influenced by human capital, prestige and reputation, management's willingness, and foreign market attractiveness. The results of this study offer practical insights for US business school leaders. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A multidimensional perspective of SME internationalization speed: The influence of entrepreneurial characteristics

This paper contributes to a multidimensional perspective on the speed of SME internationalization. It examines the influence of entrepreneurial characteristics – experience, rationales and innovation strategies – on multiple dimensions of internationalization speed. Findings from a sample of 180 SMEs show that earliness, speed of deepening, and speed of geographic diversification can be viewed as three different strategic alternatives and that each dimension is predicted by a different set of entrepreneurial antecedents. Earliness of internationalization is associated with entrepreneurs’ international business experience and their perception of opportunities abroad as well as preference for an innovation strategy characterized by ambidextrous innovation. Speed of deepening is related to entrepreneurs’ international business experience, their orientation towards differentiation vis-à-vis competitors, and commitment to innovation and a strategy focusing on exploration. These results indicate the importance of distinguishing between different forms of innovation. Speed of geographic diversification is predicted only by entrepreneurs’ orientation towards differentiation vis-à-vis competitors.     

The internationalization paradox: Untangling dependence in multinational state hybrids

We investigate the internationalization of firms with ownership links to the state from the perspective of resource dependence theory, and argue that internationalization can reduce dependence on the home country government, but, paradoxically, this strategy also creates additional dependences, shifts the power balance, and provides rationales for increasing government control. Utilizing a ‘critical’ case – Vale from Brazil – we analyze different conditions that enable greater autonomy for and greater government control over multinational state hybrids in the context of internationalization. We contribute to the international business literature by generating a novel framework that considers the effects of market trends (extractive industry) and non-market trends (home country policies) on the internationalization of state hybrids.     

Domestic Activity and Knowledge Development in the Internationalization Process of Firms

This paper is based on behavioral theory on internationalization, examining the effect of firms operations in the domestic market on experiential knowledge development in the internationalization of the firm. Five hypotheses are developed on the effects of business operations in the domestic market on: internationalization knowledge, business knowledge and institutional knowledge. The LISREL analysis of 206 firms shows that domestic operations effect the accumulation of experiential knowledge in internationalizing firms. We found that it is harder for a firm with long domestic experience to change their mental models and processes in the internationalization process.     

Co-evolution of global sourcing: The need to understand the underlying mechanisms of firm-decisions to offshore

In this introductory paper, we first discuss the emergence of global sourcing of business services and how these have been largely ignored in the IB field. Offshoring of business services has reached substantial proportions. Despite the radical growth, IB research on global sourcing is still in its infancy. Offshoring of business services represents a new type of internationalization. The offshoring of high-value services confronts companies with many of the challenges that are typical of an internationalization process in which well-known models and concepts of internationalization are applicable but also leave important unanswered questions requiring reconsideration and revision of these theoretical positions. Offshoring of business services is fundamentally different from outsourcing offshore of manufacturing activities. Using data from the Offshore Research Network (ORN), we track patterns of the emergence and diffusion of global sourcing of business services. On the basis of these new insights, we make a plea for a more encompassing, co-evolutionary perspective of global sourcing stressing the interactions between managerial intentionality, path-dependent experience and knowledge accumulation, as well as the institutional and selection forces. In particular, we develop a co-evolutionary offshore decision model integrating managerial intentionality, knowledge/experience and institutional and selection forces that explain the heterogeneous outcomes of offshoring. Although emergent outcomes of co-evolutionary dynamics are highly idiosyncratic, we identify in this paper some underlying mechanism that drive specific global sourcing patterns. Finally, we position the papers of this special issue in this co-evolutionary model.     

The Services Internationalization Process: An Exploratory Investigation of Australian Service Company Internationalization to China

Service companies possess different characteristics from non-service-based companies, affecting their process of internationalization. This article examines the internationalization of service organizations using case studies of 23 Australian service organizations internationalizing to China. It finds that the internationalization process is influenced by the type of service the organization produces. The Uppsala internationalization model partially explains internationalization for companies producing exportable services but did not explain internationalization for companies, which produce nonexportable services (services that must be located within the market). International experience, government regulations and capital intensity were influential for internationalization. The findings develop a model for service organization internationalization.     

The internationalization of knowledge-intensive business services: the effect of collaboration and the mediating role of innovation

This study theoretically and empirically analyzes the mediating role of innovation on the relation between collaboration and internationalization strategies in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). The work also considers the impact of foreign-based partners and examines the potential direct and indirect effects via innovation of cross-border collaboration on the internationalization of KIBS. The empirical analysis uses a wide sample of Spanish KIBS for the period 2003–2005. The study finds that collaboration positively affects the internationalization of KIBS via innovation. The results related to cross-border collaboration indicate the existence of direct and indirect effects via innovation on internationalization.     

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.     

论物流企业服务的道德目标

物流企业服务的道德目标是卓越服务,即使企业服务主体拥有企业服务可持续发展的道德情怀;拥有超越自身经济利益的道德使命和目的。本文以此为出发点,提出通过企业服务行为来展现其道德目标,从而达到卓越服务。     

Introduction

The European research network on services and space (RESER) is a network of over 20 research groups and individuals active in services research and policy formulation located in 13 European countries. The network was established in 1988 on the understanding that service occupations and industries were under-researched, especially in relation to their importance in the employment structures of developed market economies. At that time in 1988, very few researchers were involved in the conceptualisation (theoretical and empirical) of the role played by business service activities in regional or local growth.

Members of the network have their roots in a variety of disciplines – economics, business studies, geography, sociology, psychology, political sciences and planning. Most are based in universities, but some work for private firms, as researchers or consultants.

Over the last few years, service research has been transformed. It is no longer considered as a novel research undertaken by academics who were considered to be somewhat misguided in no longer accepting the dominance of manufacturing industry. Services approaches have become mainstream in the social science literature whilst at the same time many service specialists no longer identify with the term ‘services’.     

Trajectories of Internationalization: Knowledge and National Business Styles in the Making of Two Dutch Publishing Multinationals, 1950-1990

The internationalization of business is the subject of an extensivetheoretical literature as well as a growing number of historicalstudies. Historians have paid relatively little attention tothe development of multinationals in the service sector, andstudies about international publishing are especially scarce.This article discusses the early internationalization of twoDutch publishing firms, Kluwer (now Wolters Kluwer) and Elsevier(now Reed Elsevier) and confronts these case histories withthe evolutionary theory of internationalization. The Dutch casesunderline the important role of experience, knowledge and learningas well as of the national context in which companies develop.They also show that these factors allow for very different trajectoriesof internationalization within the same branch of business andthe same country.     

Internationalization of Korean banks during crises: The network view of learning and commitment

This study addresses the effect of crisis on bank internationalization from the perspective of network theory. Employing the internationalization process (IP) model, we particularly examine the role of learning and commitment in overseas expansion for banking services under stable and critical periods. Following the IP model and business network approach, the study develops a theoretical view for analysis of international banks from South Korea. South Korean banks are selected as they experienced two global crises, one in 1998 and the other in 2008. Findings show that while the first crisis in 1998 stopped internationalization, the 2008 crisis stimulated firms to find new markets, especially in developing countries. Different from the studies showing that commitment increases in stable periods and decreases in crisis, this study contributes to the finding that experiencing earlier crises enhances learning and increases commitment needed for expansion and strengthening of the business network.     

Globalizing Historically Black Business Schools: A Case Study of the Application of Modern Pedagogical Theories of Internationalizing Higher Education

The AACSB and AIB have each issued reports aimed at ensuring the internationalization of business schools. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – as underresourced entities serving an underprivileged constituency – may need additional attention. Unfortunately, neither the AACSB nor AIB reports mention HBCUs. The broader literature is similarly silent with respect to importance of ensuring that HBCUs, and the black business leaders they produce, are not left behind. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of globalizing business schools at HBCUs, and to offer the Memphis Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)-related efforts as a real-world case study of the application of broad pedagogical theory on “internationalizing business schools” in an HBCU setting.     

The Internationalization of the Business Administration Curricula in Arab Universities

Abstract

This is a study of the extent of the internationalization of the business administration curricula in Arab universities. It is based on a survey of 110 Arab colleges of business that comprise more than half of the overall population, 35% of whom responded. The study found that Arab colleges of business appear to be only moderately internationalized in their curricula, that they do have future plans incorporating internationalization, and that offering specialized IB courses is the norm. As to impediments, the lack of adequate staff is the most frequently mentioned obstacle. The study points to its own limitations.     

Super‐Connectors: A New Model of Internationalization from the MENA Region

The main purpose of this case‐based research is to investigate and analyze three fast‐growing airlines (Emirates/Dubai, Qatar Airways/Qatar, and Etihad Airways/Abu Dhabi) and their internationalization from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The three carriers that are commonly known as “super‐connectors” in the airline industry continue to excel in their business models and internationalization. Based on secondary data, surveys, and company‐specific information, the article uses a longitudinal case‐based research approach to discuss the three airlines. Findings of the work reveal that the three super‐connectors have aggressively expanded in the MENA region and beyond by seeking multiple alliances, joint ventures, long‐term collaborative agreements (code sharing), and foreign direct investment (FDI). These activities represent innovative business models and operational efficiencies in the global airline industry. We believe that non‐MENA airlines may not have the same dynamism, strategic clout, corporate‐related efficiencies, and financial prowess that we witness among the three super‐connectors. In international business (IB) and multinational corporation (MNC)‐related areas, researchers, industry analysts, and policymakers need to pay attention to the MENA region's super‐connectors and their emerging internationalization models. The article also provides useful trends and implications that can be benchmarked by practitioners, researchers, and airlines regarding the issues of internationalization, growth, and new business models. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Internationalization of China’s Shanxi Province New Merchants: Implications and Use in Teaching IB

ABSTRACT

The Jin (Jin refers to Shanxi Province) merchants have a very important position in the history of Chinese business. The Jin merchants is a business course that investigates Shanxi businessmen and their business activities. As a local characteristic of the business curriculum of China, this course is taught in a number of universities. Taking the development of the new Jin merchants in Toronto as a breakthrough point, this article expounds the necessity of teaching the internationalization of the Jin merchants and puts forward the corresponding development strategies from the aspects of teaching objectives, curriculum, and the building of an international cooperation platform of teaching and scientific research. This study can promote teaching the internationalization of the Jin merchants and provide a chance for more people to understand the teaching of the Jin merchants.     

The role of context in SME internationalization – A review

This article reviews how context has been considered in studies on SME internationalization. It examines 333 articles published during the period 2010–2020 in leading international business, entrepreneurship, strategy and international marketing journals. It identifies their key findings, discusses the theoretical perspectives informing this literature, analyzes conceptual and methodological challenges, and suggests paths for theory development and future research. The review also provides a platform from which to address some of the limitations in international business [IB] theories when applied to SMEs, including organizational size as a boundary condition.     

移动智能数据业务网络功能模型的研究与设计

知识经济使知识成为第一生产要素,人力资源会计对传统会计的资产内容、权益的确认及收益的分配、会计平衡公式等理论带来了巨大的冲击。人力资源会计的模式包括:人力资源成本会计、人力资源价值会计、人力资源权益会计。现阶段在我国逐步推行人力资源会计是可行的,但有许多迫切需要解决的问题。     

A pragmatic service typology: capturing the distinctive dynamics of services in time and space

Many service classifications have provided helpful yet partial perspectives on the heterogeneity of services. This paper reconciles and integrates different earlier classifications into a new holistic typology of the service economy which is based on detailed statistical service sectors. Moreover, the paper assesses the empirical value of this taxonomy to capture the diversity of services development in time and space. A regional analysis of employment data in Germany provides evidence that knowledge intensive as well as business services follow very different sectoral and spatial dynamics than operational and consumer services. This typology yields differential insights in longitudinal and comparative regional analysis of the service economy.     

Development of new technology-based services

In an environment where customers can hardly describe new technology-based services (TBSs) of the future and technological engineers are unlikely to understand how a new technology can work for new services, a guideline to generate ideas for TBS can be utilized to achieve successful service innovation. Thus, this paper aims to develop an ideation framework for TBS. Two methods – the technology tree and the function analysis systems technique – are employed to identify core utilities expected from a new technology. Then a new method, the service encounter value matrix, which is based on morphology analysis and is used for generating potential service ideas, is suggested. Finally, these ideas are evaluated, and only those that are of a high priority according to customers’ expectations of future society are selected. In this study, the framework is applied to telecommunication technology, which is timely and useful for designing future services.