Horizontal Strategic Alliances and Company Behavior

Abstract

Despite the growing interest over the last ten years in strategic alliances as a source of competitive advantage, such initiatives have often been affected by different sorts of problems during implementation. This paper examines the categories into which such problems can be classified-environmental problems, structural problems, and problems with management attitudes and expectations-and discusses their effect on two cases of horizontal strategic alliances in Brazil.

A pesar del creciente intérs en los últimos diez años con respecto a la utilización de alianzas estratégicas como una fuente para generar ventajas competitivas, estas iniciativas han sido frecuentemente afectadas ppor diferentes tipos de problemas en su fase de implementación. Este artículo examina las categorías en que estos problemas pueden ser clasificados-problemas ambientales, problemas estructurales y problemas inherentes a las actitudes y expectativas de la administración-y discute sus efectos en dos casos de alianzas horizontales en Brasil.

Apesar do crescente interesse a respeito de alianças estratégicas como uma fonte de vantagem competitiva durante os últimos dez anos, essas iniciativas tem sido freqüentemente afetadas por toda a sorte de problemas durante a implementação. Esse trabalho examina as categoriasnas quais esses problemas podem ser classificados-problemas ambientais, problemas estruturais e problemas com as atitudes e as expectativas dos gestores-e discute os seus efeitos sobre dois casos de aliança estratégica horizontal no Brasil.     

An Investigation of Control and Performance in U.S.-Chinese Joint Ventures

ABSTRACT

This study took an integrated approach to managerial control in international joint ventures (IJVs). The various control mechanisms used in U.S.-Chinese joint ventures were examined. The linkage between control and performance was empirically tested using a sample of U.S.-Chinese joint ventures established in China during the period of 1979–1989. The findings support the hypothesis that effective managerial control exercised by the U.S. partner over the joint venture operation is positively related to its performance. U.S.-dominant joint ventures significantly outperformed Chinese-dominant joint ventures, but no significant performance differences were found between U.S.-dominant joint ventures and shared management joint ventures.     

A Learning-Based Theory of Joint Venture Life-Cycles

We provide a two period, learning-based model of joint venture formation and breakdown. We show that depending on parameter values different dynamic patterns emerge. If the rate of learning is low, then a joint venture forms in both the periods. If the rate of learning is large, then the outcome may either involve joint venture breakdown, or delayed joint venture formation.     

International Equity Joint Ventures in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire

Abstract

This paper examines international equity joint ventures (IJVs) in West Africa, presenting data from 45 British and French alliances with local partners in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire. A comparison with prior studies finds remarkable consistency in the characteristics of IJVs between firms from DCs and LDCs in the following dimensions: motives, instability, asymmetry in equity distribution, frequency of government association, source of CEO, autonomy in management. Differences in IJVs between developed and less developed countries appear cursory rather than fundamental and focus on MNEs' dissatisfaction with IJV performance, the control relationship, and level of equity.     

Determinants of ownership preference of international joint ventures: new evidence from Chinese manufacturing industries

Given the large size and rapid growth of foreign direct investment in China, the subject of ownership preference is of great interest to academics as well as to firms intending to invest in China. This study focuses on two sets of variables: industry-specific factors and venture-specific factors. Statistical tests based on information of 818 international joint ventures (IJVs) in China show that duration and scale of IJVs are positively associated with the level of foreign ownership. Industry-specific factors such as skill intensity, market concentration, market potentials, and foreign business agglomerations also positively influence the ownership preference of foreign firms, while local industry R and D intensity and productivity are found to be significant but negatively associated with the ownership preference.     

竞争政策与企业发展环境

作为市场竞争规则的竞争政策对于建立和维护正常的市场竞争秩序,有效地保护和鼓励正当竞争,正常发挥竞争机制的作用,保障社会主义市场经济健康发展具有重要意义。企业的发展离不开其所依赖的外部环境,企业的外部环境是多方面的,具有关联性和不稳定性。政府的竞争政策为企业制定了＂游戏规则＂。在市场竞争中,政府作为竞技场中的裁判应该尽职尽责,既不能缺位,也不能越位和错位。     

Conflict and Innovation in International Joint Ventures: Toward a New Sinified Corporate Culture or ‘Alternative Globalization’ in China

Deng Xiaoping's open-door economic policy provides an opportunity for international economic cooperation and development. Our study attempts to investigate how conflicts between Chinese workers and foreign investors as manifested in human resources management arise, evolve and get resolved in Sino–foreign joint ventures. It hypothesizes that conflicts as such can be functional or dysfunctional and that both partners believe that it is in their best interest to resolve the conflicts. The conflict resolution process witnesses all parties engaging in a process of purposeful learning and unlearning and creating a new sinified corporate culture that best suits the evolving business culture and social milieu in China today – as China experiments with the idea of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. The guiding conceptual framework of our study is that of convergence theory. We argue that the socio-economic and cultural convergence between China and the West has produced a common hybrid of cross-cultural innovations in China or, in a global perspective, ‘alternative cultural globalization’. This hybridizing convergence is best exemplified by the gradual localization and sinification of the Western corporate culture in Sino–foreign enterprises in China today.     

Agency costs and the structure and performance of international joint ventures

This article develops a principal-agent contractual model for the issue of the structure and performance of international joint ventures. From this model, hypotheses are generated relating the number of partners in a joint venture and the cross-cultural divergence of the partners with joint venture performance. These hypotheses are empirically assessed using a population of over 3,500 developed-country joint ventures.     

Performance of international joint ventures in Turkey: perspectives of Western firms and Turkish firms

This study compares responses from Western partner firms and local partner firms from a sample of international joint ventures (IJVs) in Turkey, in order to analyse the performance of IJVs on a range of topics including overall performance, the relative importance of performance criteria, and actual performance in terms of various dimensions of expected performance. The results of the hypotheses tests indicate that while both groups of partner firms are equally satisfied in terms of overall IJV performance, Turkish partner firms are more satisfied than Western partner firms regarding comparison with home country operations and host country competitors. The study also finds that the relative importance of IJV performance criteria varies to a moderate extent between Western and Turkish partner firms, and that both groups of partner firms evaluate IJV performance equally favourably across most underlying dimensions of IJV performance.     

Performance of international joint ventures in Turkey: perspectives of Western firms and Turkish firms

This study compares responses from Western partner firms and local partner firms from a sample of international joint ventures (IJVs) in Turkey, in order to analyse the performance of IJVs on a range of topics including overall performance, the relative importance of performance criteria, and actual performance in terms of various dimensions of expected performance. The results of the hypotheses tests indicate that while both groups of partner firms are equally satisfied in terms of overall IJV performance, Turkish partner firms are more satisfied than Western partner firms regarding comparison with home country operations and host country competitors. The study also finds that the relative importance of IJV performance criteria varies to a moderate extent between Western and Turkish partner firms, and that both groups of partner firms evaluate IJV performance equally favourably across most underlying dimensions of IJV performance.     

Resolving post-formation challenges in shared IJVs: The impact of shared IJV structure on inter-partner relationships

The “50/50”, or the shared management international joint venture (shared IJV) remains a popular and yet challenging control structure to govern IJVs. The purpose of this study is to understand the post-formation management of shared IJVs, specifically the relationship between shared structure, relational conditions and management of post-formation challenges. Our evidence is based on 26 in-depth interviews across four cases of shared IJVs between British multinationals and Asian companies. Our findings indicate that the highly integrative nature of shared IJVs, including high operational interdependence and shared decision-making, encourages partners to work closely together, communicate frequently and intensely and exchange personnel. Although share management can lead to inter-partner conflicts, the equal investment and mutual responsibility partly provides partners with motivation and opportunities to learn about each other, to better implement the control structure, to build trust, and to commit to the venture and partner. These relational conditions facilitated the successful management of post-formation challenges such as diversity related conflicts and macro volatility.     

Corporate social responsibility in international joint ventures: Empirical examinations in South Korea

This study aims to investigate organizational characteristics and develop a framework relating to corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international joint ventures (IJVs) established in the South Korean market. Based on institutional and stakeholder theories, regression analyses produced a framework facilitating a better understanding and identification of factors that drive CSR in local markets. Consumers, competitors, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were discovered to be primary determinants of responsible behaviors. Additionally, some significant differences were found with respect to CSR related to IJV’s formative characteristics. This study contributes to furthering knowledge of IJVs and CSR, as well by providing some practical implications for organizations pursuing international markets.     

How long will the marriage of Sino-Foreign JVs in China last? A theoretical and empirical investigation

This paper studies the factors affecting the longevity of international joint ventures (IJVs) in China and investigates the strategic interactions of the players in an IJV (foreign parent, local parent and IJV management) by adopting game theory and using empirical analysis based on national perceptions of time horizons. The theoretical part shows equilibria for the games played by the parents. The empirical evidence, based on a sample of Chinese-US and EU IJVs, as well as Chinese-Japanese and South Korean IJVs, is consistent with the propositions derived from our theoretical models. Our empirical findings show that the longevity of an IJV is affected by senior management control. Access to local knowledge is also a crucial factor affecting longevity. Furthermore, the degree of long-term orientation (LTO) of the parents influences the longevity of Sino-Foreign IJVs. The contributions made by both foreign and local parent firms are also found to influence the longevity.