Can firms benefit from integrating high-frequency survey measures with objective service quality data?

The advent of digitization has allowed firms to collect high-frequency data - subjective and objective - to monitor their service performance. This paper proposes a methodological framework to help firms understand the value of collecting these data. We apply the framework to novel high-frequency, individual-level, cross-sectional and time-series measures of subjective post-purchase perceptions (via surveys) and objective operational performance from a quick service restaurant and an auto rental company. Our approach allows for the quantification of the statistical and economic significance of collecting high-frequency subjective measures in the presence of their objective counterpart. In both settings, our results show that not collecting subjective service measures can lead to economically significant biases in resource allocation. We also find the presence of both within- and across-individual selection in survey responses, with the latter having a much bigger impact on the results. Our findings advance the literature on the measurement and management of service performance and provide insights to managers for forecasting and resource allocation in service settings.     

Do Chinese firms benefit from government ownership following cross-border acquisitions?

Chinese firms’ increasing cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) in recent years seem to challenge the explanatory power of received theories of multinational enterprise (MNE) due to their relatively unique characteristics and the active role of the Chinese government. In this study, we seek to revisit and contextualize the OLI paradigm in conjunction with the institution-based view and examine how Chinese firms’ post-CBA long term performance is associated with government ownership. Our study shows that Chinese firms with more government ownership demonstrate better post-CBA long term performance. However, the above relationship is differentially moderated by such firm-level boundary conditions as political connections and financial slack, and the country-level institutional boundary conditions (i.e., the host country formal institutions and the home-host country cultural distance). We discuss our findings in detail and explore theoretical and practical implications for both Chinese firms and other emerging economy (EE) firms.     

What do firms from transition economies want from their strategic alliance partners?

A financial system engaged in active transition from central planning to free market may be dubbed a transition economy. On today's global landscape, there are several important transition economies, all at various stages of transition and with differing degrees of success. Yet, much is not known about this important sector of the world economy. As outside enterprises seek alliances with firms from transition economies, it is important to know what these firms want from alliance partners. To learn more, we conducted a study interviewing managers of private firms from the two largest and most strategically important transition economies: China and Russia. We found that while Chinese and Russian firms often hope for some of the same things as their counterparts in mature economies as regards alliances, they are also interested in other things not normally associated with alliances: political influence, relief from paying bribes, and protection from extortion or even violence. Moreover, we discovered that because of differing institutional conditions in the two countries, Chinese firms are not always looking for the same things from alliances as are Russian firms—in spite of surface similarities between the two economies. Based on these findings, we provide guidelines for firms seeking alliance partners in transition economies, to assist them in determining if an alliance is right for them and planning accordingly.     

Why do over-deviated firms from target leverage undertake foreign acquisitions?

This paper examines how deviation from firms’ target leverage influences their decisions on undertaking foreign acquisitions. Using a sample of 5746 completed bids by UK acquirers from 1987 to 2012, we observe that over-deviated firms are more likely to acquire foreign targets. Consistent with co-insurance theory, we find that over-deviated firms engage in foreign acquisition deals to relieve their financial constraints and to mitigate their financial distress risk. We also note that foreign acquisitions enhance over-deviated firms’ value and performance, measured by Tobin’s q and return on assets (ROA) respectively. These findings support the view that over-deviated firms pursue the most value-enhancing acquisitions. Overall, this paper suggests that co-insurance effects, value creation and performance improvements are the main incentives for over-deviated firms’ involvement in foreign acquisitions.     

How do firms finance their exports? – evidence from China

Using a firm-level production data over the period of 2005–2009 from China, this paper provides a new empirical evidence on how firms finance their exports when they have several financial options. The main results of the paper can be summarized as follows. First, firms who have better access to any finance are more likely to export and export more. More financial options lead to a higher export probability and capacity due to the complementary relation between financial options. Second, of all financial options, the internal finance captured by cash holdings or profit plays the most important role on firms’ export likelihood and volume. Firms rely more on the external finance through borrowing to start exporting, but depend more on issuing stocks to their shareholders to expand their exports. Third, subsample results suggest that the financial option of issuing stocks is generally more important for firms who have worse access to external finance in determining export propensity and quantity, such as private-owned firms, small-scale firms, young firms, and non-eastern firms.     

When do firms benefit from university–industry R&D collaborations? The implications of firm R&D focus on scientific research and technological recombination

Firms' access to academic discoveries through R&D collaborations has been shown to enhance their patent performance. However, increasing both internal and external R&D activities can lead to high knowledge redundancy and coordination costs. This paper examines what kind of R&D focus inside the firm will improve or reduce the benefits of R&D collaborations with universities. Our results show that technological recombination focus strengthens the relationship between university collaborations and patent performance, whereas scientific research focus weakens the relationship. These results also differ between young and old firms, implying that firms may shift their R&D focus according to their collaborative objectives.     

Why do firms delete brands? Insights from a qualitative study

Large consumer goods firms manage and market an assortment of brands and consistently deal with strategic challenges related to brand portfolio management, such as creating or acquiring brands, growing brand equity, managing brands in the portfolio and deleting brands. There is substantial research on several areas of brand portfolio management except in the area of brand deletion. This situation exists despite the fact that deleting weak brands has important implications for a firm and its brand portfolio. Therefore, it is critical to understand why firms delete brands from their portfolios. This research applies a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis in the context of firms that adopt a ‘house of brands’ brand architecture and presents findings guided by the strategic decision-making literature.     

When do MNCs fail to learn from prior failure experience?

Do multinational corporations (MNCs) learn from their prior failures in international joint ventures (IJVs)? When does decision makers’ cognitive inability hinder MNCs from learning through their prior failure experiences? In the context of IJV survival in subsequent IJV entries, this study compares predictions made from two distinct theoretical perspectives, both of which belong to the behavioural school in strategy literature. According to the performance feedback perspective, MNCs may effectively learn from their prior failure experiences gained in familiar decision‐making contexts. On the other hand, according to the cognitive bias perspective, MNCs may not be able to effectively learn from their prior failure experiences if they inaccurately interpret the causes of their prior failures. The results provide partial support for the notion that MNC decision makers may not be able to effectively learn from their prior failures because of their cognitive biases. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

When does internal governance make firms innovative?

Using managerial risk-taking as a lens to explore firm innovativeness, this study addresses the risk alignment effects of firm-level governance and its context-dependent nature. On the basis of the contrasting theoretical predictions of agency and stakeholder theories, the investigation shows how internal governance, in terms of managerial ownership and board competence, shapes the performance of new product introduction in a sample of 194 Taiwanese firms. These relationships are also conditioned separately by industry-wide technological opportunity and within-firm resource slack. This study enriches the body of knowledge in the strategic outcomes of corporate governance by demonstrating the general efficacy of two distinct governance arrangements and their contingent value when subject to different environmental and organizational munificence.     

Why do some firms stop exporting?

During economic turbulence, such as those caused by the US-China conflict and COVID-19, sunk cost effect has garnered attention in IB literature. As it becomes increasingly difficult to predict export profits, relying on sunk costs for strategic positioning in export markets appears to be a rational decision. However, few studies quantitatively examined sunk cost effect variations, especially in export-exit decision-making. In our study, we quantified sunk cost effect with respect to export performance and export portfolio, specifically in terms of export-exit probability. Our findings indicate that the export-exit rate due to sunk cost effect is less than 50% only if export volume surpasses a certain threshold. Consequently, we have provided an explanation for why export exits still occur in the presence of high sunk costs. Additionally, we have identified that geographic diversification, up to four destinations, has more synergy with sunk cost effect than product diversification, particularly in volatile environments.     

Which firms do prefer Islamic debt? An analysis and evidence from global sukuk and bonds issuing firms

The Islamic debt instrument sukuk has been in the market for two decades; still, we do not know why a firm prefers an Islamic debt over conventional debt, set aside religiosity issue. We argue there is a genuine reason to choose Islamic debt because it has lighter indebtedness, benefits of avoiding external monitoring, and tax incentives. Based on the cross-country data for 346 firms issuing dollar-denominated global sukuk and bonds, we find that firms that prefer Islamic debt and issue sukuk are financially more unstable, and thus exposing to higher insolvency risk as compared to bond issuing firms.     

Does services liberalization benefit manufacturing firms?: Evidence from the Czech Republic

While there is considerable empirical evidence on the impact of liberalizing trade in goods, the effects of services liberalization have not been empirically established. This study examines the link between services sector reforms and the productivity of manufacturing industries relying on services inputs. Several aspects of services liberalization are considered, namely, the presence of foreign providers, privatization and the level of competition. The results, based on firm-level data from the Czech Republic, show a positive relationship between services sector reform and the performance of domestic firms in downstream manufacturing sectors. Allowing foreign entry into services industries appears to be the key channel through which services liberalization contributes to improved performance of manufacturing sectors. This finding is supported by evidence that foreign acquisitions of Czech services providers result in profound changes in the labor productivity and sales of acquired firms. As most barriers to foreign investment today are not in goods but in services sectors, the findings of this study may strengthen the argument for reform in this area.     

Who benefits from market expansion?

This article presents a study of the effects of both symmetric and asymmetric market expansion on two retailers and their consumers. Envisioning two retailers along a Hotelling line, this article describes both the symmetric and asymmetric expansion of the market; the most interesting results occur when expansion is asymmetric. Applying game theory and showing the results numerically, I find three categories of unit‐distance moving costs incurred in three scenarios: when both retailers choose to move, when only one retailer chooses to move, and when neither retailer chooses to move. With fixed moving costs, moving is the dominant strategy for the retailer close to market expansion. Surprisingly, the retailer located the farthest away from the expansion has the highest profits. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Which firms are more prone to stock market manipulation?

This study empirically investigates which firms are more susceptible to successful manipulation. For this purpose, a unique data set consisting of manipulation cases from 1998 to 2006 from the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) was collected and firm-specific variables are used to explain these manipulations. Probit regression results show that small firms, firms with less free float rate and a higher leverage ratio are more prone to stock price manipulation. Dynamic probit analysis concludes that the probability of manipulation of a stock is significantly higher for stocks that have been previously manipulated.     

Does it pay for firms in Asia's emerging markets to be market oriented? Evidence from Vietnam

The positive effects of market orientation (MO) on firm performance are empirically supported much more strongly by studies conducted in developed than in emerging markets. One commonly cited reason for this differential effect is that MO is affected by the cultural, economic and institutional characteristics of the economies in which it is applied. This study aims to determine whether or not MO is relevant in an Asian emerging market such as Vietnam and if so, how a firm in such countries can become more market oriented. Based on a survey of 300 firms and using structural equation modeling, the present study finds that MO has a significant effect on firm performance and that its adoption is driven by both internal organizational and external market forces. The study identifies these specific internal and external forces, including those that are unique to the emerging economies in Asia.     

Does foreign investment benefit the exporting activities of Vietnamese firms?

Using firm-level data, this paper examines the effects of foreign investment on the exporting behaviour of domestic firms in the Vietnamese manufacturing and service sectors. Applying the Heckman selection model on panel data and following the Wooldridge approach, we find that investment by foreign firms has a significant positive effect on the decision of domestic firms in the same and upstream sectors to export. The proportion of exports of domestic firms declines through horizontal and forward linkages, but increases through backward linkages in the manufacturing sector. However, there is only weak evidence in support of export spillovers on domestic firms in the service sector. We also find that the presence of foreign firms has differing effects on the exporting activities of low- versus high-tech firms in the manufacturing sector.     

Market entry into new export markets: When are firms more likely to imitate their competitors’ market presence?

We investigate the extent to which competitors’ presence in a given export market has an impact on a firm's decision to enter such a market and, more precisely, under what conditions imitation is more likely to take place. We show that firms with greater export knowledge are more likely to enter those countries where their competitors are already present. Furthermore, experiential knowledge seems necessary to absorb valuable information provided by the presence of competitors in those markets. Thus, imitation should not be regarded as the option best suited for firms with reduced expertize that follow blindly their competitors into new markets. Through a panel analysis of Brazilian exporters during the 2001–11 period, our study contributes to research on market entry decisions, especially stressing the critical role of prior relevant knowledge in facilitating imitation among players.     

What changes the rules of the game in wholly owned subsidiaries? Determinants of knowledge acquisition from parent firms

We examine key factors affecting the extent of knowledge acquisition from multinational enterprises (MNEs) in their wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs). As the volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) by MNEs is rapidly growing, empirical studies dealing with knowledge acquisition from parent firms in subsidiaries are in the limelight. However, as far as we know, none has attempted to identify primary mechanisms influencing subsidiary learning by dividing WOSs based on ‘investment mode’ and ‘investment direction’. We believe WOSs are characterized by these two issues and thus this research contributes to current literature by providing a detailed picture of learning mechanisms in subsidiaries. We advance a series of propositions to achieve the research objective by using a sample of WOSs established by MNEs in Korea. By doing this, we reveal that subsidiary learning depends significantly on absorptive capacity in learning organizations, relational capital and parent firms’ behavior. Also, we confirm that factors facilitating knowledge acquisition are influenced by investment mode and investment direction. Based on the results, this study provides some useful implications for MNEs and policy makers in local markets.     

Benefitting from Chinese FDI? An assessment of vertical linkages with Vietnamese manufacturing firms

Previous studies have suggested that foreign direct investment between emerging economies can benefit domestic firms more than investments from industrialised countries because of a lower technology gap and more appropriate technology being transferred. Empirical evidence for this is scarce. Addressing this gap, we investigate the impact of Chinese direct investment on local firms through vertical linkages in manufacturing industries of Vietnam. We find that the share of local sourcing of Chinese firms is similar to other foreign investors while their forward linkages are more extensive. Although this supports assertions about the benefits of investment by emerging market firms, the overall potential gains seem limited. This is due to little value-adding interaction with local firms, the local sourcing of low-technology goods, and the sparse provision of training and financial support.     

When do investors forgive entrepreneurs for lying?

A growing literature suggests that some entrepreneurs lie to investors in order to improve the likelihood of acquiring resources needed for firm survival and growth. We propose a framework outlining the conditions that may enable an investor who has been told a lie by an entrepreneur to respond with forgiveness rather than by withdrawing from the relationship. Integrating the literatures on evolutionary psychology, forgiveness, and stakeholder theory we argue that investor's appraisals of expected relationship value and expected exploitation risk are the key antecedents to an investor's decision to forgive an entrepreneur's lie.