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.     

基于组织间供应链网络的民营企业境外拓展能力分析——以浙江省为例

本文在对企业组织间供应链网络及企业国际化文献的研究基础上,提出有关民营企业基于组织间网络的境外拓展能力的假设。在经验研究部分,以浙江省为例,对已经开展境外拓展的民营企业进行问卷调查并检验这些假设。研究结果表明,当前,浙江省民营企业在境外拓展中遇到的障碍依其重要性依次为贸易壁垒、市场信息匮乏和产品缺乏竞争力,而资金匮乏不是其境外拓展中的主要障碍。民营企业在境外拓展过程中应该加强培育和构筑网络关系,而非仅仅依赖企业自身的力量,其中行业组织这一网络成员的作用尤其重要。     

Internationalization and Organizational Change

Abstract

This work analyzes the changes caused by the adoption of a strategy of internationalization in two Brazilian companies: Embraco of the machinery sector and Bamerindus of the banking sector. In the case of Embraco, it was confirmed that there was a relation between three specific instances in the process of internationalization and the adoption of mechanisms of normative integration by the company connected to the dissemination of values, transfers of personnel, communication between the units, programs of personnel exchange, and training and job rotation. In the case of Bamerindus, the impact of internationalization on the interpretive schemes of the organizational managers at each strategic level was evaluated. In both cases, the effect of internationalization was gradual and continuous, characterizing the change as incremental although the direction of change was different in each of the companies analyzed. The explanation for the type of change in each case appears to result from differences in interpretation of which environment constituted the institutional context of reference of each company.     

Internationalization of financial services in turbulent markets

Two significant features during the post-war period have been an increasing internationalization of economic activities and a growing role for financial services in the world economy. Considerable attention has been devoted to both these features separately, while attention to the internationalization of financial service firms has been more limited. Even more limited have been the efforts to combine this work with studies of the influence of market turbulence on financial service firms. The present special issue is an attempt to provide a remedy to this state of affairs. In this introduction we first provide a background to the topic. We then give a brief summary of the characteristics of financial services as well as a short review of extant literature, before presenting the six papers that make up the issue and providing some conclusions.     

Industry characteristics and internationalization processes in small firms

The purpose of this study of small firms is to compare the process of internationalization in traditional manufacturing companies with corresponding processes in companies oriented toward innovation. Case studies were conducted in six small Nordic companies: three conventional and three innovative. The underlying concept of the conventional companies is strictly production oriented. Investment in engineering workshops and an effective organization for production constitute their most important strategy. In the innovative companies the production equipment is relatively easy to move, and over the years these companies have changed the location of production plants a number of times. The basic meaning of technology also differs in the two categories of industries. The conventional companies are based on an established technology that can be purchased through well-known market channels. In the innovative companies the process of developing new products or serving as intermediary between research organizations and end users demands close contact with people and organizations close to the technological core of the industry.The conventional companies are incorporated into a multidimensional industrial system of suppliers, competitors, and other companies, and the individual companies within these industries are constrained by the rules dictated by these networks. The innovative companies all have a concentrated product scope, which implies that it is relatively easy to achieve efficiency in various functions such as R&D, production, and marketing activities. This clear distinction between functions has been advantageous to the process of internationalization.The conventional companies have characteristics typical of family-controlled companies, i.e., the management team consists of a handful of people often closely associated with the owner family. The observation on the industry level that the game is governed by some very rigid rules is also evident on the management level, where the significant people are always kept within narrow limits. The individuals in the innovative companies have a very high level of education; they work in teams together with partners from other companies and/or organizations and they adhere to high professional demands.The results from these six case studies indicate that the internationalization process must be understood in the context of the industry, company, and people involved. International trade and cooperation will most certainly increase. Therefore it is important to observe that the conditions for industries and single companies are different. Conventional companies have a natural local concentration that ultimately implies different strategies from the innovative companies who have a global focus.     

The Internationalization Process of Services Firms

Abstract

The internationalization of services firms has not received enough attention in the literature; most studies focus on manufacturers. In order to obtain a better understanding of how services firms enter foreign markets, this study investigates the internationalization process of two Brazilian services firms using a theoretical framework from the Uppsala Model of Internationalization, the Stages Model of Internationalization and other theoretical insights from the literature. Specifically, the study looks at to what extent the internationalization process of these firms follows the patterns suggested in the literature and whether there are remarkable differences when compared to manufacturing firms.     

A Conceptual Model of the Internationalization of Services Firms

Abstract

In the 1990s, the global marketplace is characterized by the speed and ease with which services cross over national boundaries. As a result, service industries in many countries around the world have become extremely important in the development and socioeconomic well-being of these countries. The purpose of this paper is to understand the internationalization process of services firms. It is concluded that international operations of services firms are driven by a similar set of variables used by manufacturing firms, but the intensity and direction of some key relationships require modification and adaptation.     

Marketing Services for the New Organizational Structure

Two trends in organizational structures warrant a reexamination of the ways that marketing services companies (Marketing, Advertising, Promotion, Public Relations, etc.) are asked to support the objectives of their client organizations. The first trend is the "flattening" of many organizations as layers of management are cut in an attempt to reduce overhead. However, there is seldom a concurrent reduction in projects with the result that the remaining managers must accomplish virtually all the previous tasks with a diminished staff. The second trend is an attempt to develop a competitive edge by refocusing the mission of the organization. Total Quality Management (TQM), task teams, and a new focus on customer service are examples of recent attempts to redefine the real goals of an organization and align employees behind the new goals. In this article the authors argue that a new structure in marketing services companies is needed to serve the new organizational structure. This new structure more nearly mirrors the client organization by encompassing multitude disciplines and operating with a lean organization of experienced professionals. The advantages are the same as those that lead to changes in the client companies; lower overhead, greater alignment along disciplines, and a competitive edge for clients.     

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.     

Banking on global success: Internationalization strategy and its limitations (the case of Allied Irish Banks)

This article explores the choices and challenges facing Ireland's leading financial services corporation, Allied Irish Banks (AIB), in its strategy for international market growth. It begins with an examination of the company's internationalization strategies within the global banking context. It then considers the limitations of international market expansion and transnational management control for a company with low brand recognition outside of its home market and limited experience of international operations. Finally, it elaborates on the strategic challenges that face the organization and reflects on the lessons for other midsized international companies competing in consolidating, globalized industries.© 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

集群内跨国公司的当地结网与中小企业的国际化

针对跨国公司参与集群中当地中小企业迅速国际化的现象,文章基于演进理论与网络理论的分析,指出集群中的跨国公司为区内中小企业吸引、培养和输送了大量具有国际经营理念、知识和经验的高级人才;并且为当地企业提供了国际商务网络的共享与支持,因而大大加速了当地企业国际化进程。文章分析了对我国中小企业国际化的启示。     

我国中小企业外向国际化发展的探讨

相对大企业而言,我国中小企业外向国际化更加重要。中小企业外向国际化理论有两类,即渐进国际化理论和快速国际化理论,两类理论具有互补性,共同解释中小企业外向国际化现象。近年来,我国中小企业外向国际化有了一定的发展,但在政策环境、资金、技术、人才等方面仍存在一些问题,需要研究与解决。     

The Internationalization of Small and Medium-Sized Firms

This paper contributes to the existing research by integrating the notions of organizational learning and entrepreneurial orientation into the body of international entrepreneurship. Our primary framework combines learning theory and the new venture theory of internationalization to study the extent to which small and medium-sized companies engage in international activities. We found that the firms’ international learning effort and entrepreneurial orientation are positively associated with internationalization intent whereas domestic learning effort is negatively related with internationalization intent. Overall, our results suggest (1) that intensive knowledge renewal and exploitation regarding foreign markets and the internationalization process itself may increase internationalization by affecting the perceptions of opportunities offered by further international expansion, and (2) that firms with an entrepreneurial mindset may be more likely to develop a long-term, substantial presence in the international arena, compared to firms that are more reactive or conservative.     

Taking services to foreign markets: A taxonomy of Brazilian service firms

This study develops a taxonomy of international service firms from an emerging market, Brazil, and assesses whether there are significant differences in international performance between the groups. After an extensive literature review, a survey was carried out with a sample of international service firms located in an emerging economy, Brazil. Using as a departure point two theoretical perspectives, the internationalization process theory and industrial organization theory, in addition to service dimensions extracted from the empirical service management literature, the study identifies four groups—large traditionals, generalist neophytes, solitary traditionals, and daring differentiators—based on firm characteristics, international services delivered, internationalization process characteristics, and international strategies adopted. The findings suggest that there are significant differences in performance between the groups.     

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 as an entrepreneurial process

When firms cross-borders it is, by definition, internationalization. We believe that often internationalization should be seen as either a by-product of a firm’s efforts to improve its position within its network or networks, or as the result of an entrepreneurial action. We consider three theoretical approaches as a starting point and breathe life into them with a rich case study. We suggest adjustments to Johanson and Vahlne’s business network internationalization process model, an update of the Uppsala internationalization process model, to emphasize the entrepreneurial aspects of the process.     

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.     

Brand Management as an Internationalization Strategy for SME: A Multiple Case Study

ABSTRACT

This research examines the role of branding in the Portuguese SME internationalization process and how the internationalization and brand strategies are articulated in the search for a better business performance within a competitive framework and increasing competitiveness environment. The article aims specifically at: (a) the strategy of creation and brand management; (b) the relevance given to the brand; (c) the importance of brand creation and management in the internationalization strategy. We chose a qualitative methodology, based on four cases studies. Our results suggest that branding strategies of SME cannot be compared with the strategies of multinationals. Budgetary constraints and human resources lead companies to invest in low-cost strategies. The importance of the brand lies in the distinction that allows competition with similar products within the sectors. Management of the brand does not come up as an essential strategy for the internationalization of a Portuguese SME.     

Business Relationship Learning and Commitment in the Internationalization Process

This paper is based on a case study of an international venture and on the observations reported by a number of researchers that the received models of the internationalization process of the firm do not capture some important phenomena in the modern international business world. As several researchers argue that networks play an important role in the early internationalization the paper outlines a network model of the internationalization process of the firm. It combines the experiential learning–commitment interplay as the driving mechanism from the old internationalization process model with a similar experiential learning–commitment mechanism focusing on business network relationships. In the resulting model we can see firms learning in relationships, which enables them to enter new country markets in which they can develop new relationships which give them a platform for entering other country markets.