Performance effects of alternative joint venture resource responsibility structures

This study examines the relationship between the acquirers of a joint venture's (JV's) resources and the JV's performance in achieving its partners' goals. Research data were collected through surveys of 83 U.S. firms involved in manufacturing JVs to examine the differential impact of alternative resource responsibility structures on JV performance. The analysis shows that JVs receiving a variety of resources from both partners outperform JVs where JV management is responsible for securing its own resources, and outperform JVs receiving resources primarily from a dominant partner. The implications of the study's results for theory development, future research, and practicing managers are discussed.     

Perceived organizational justice, trust, and OCB: A study of Chinese workers in joint ventures and state-owned enterprises

We examine the relationships among perceived organizational justice, trust, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of workers in joint ventures (JVs) and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. We hypothesize different dimensions of organizational justice are related to trust in organization and trust in supervisor, which will in turn affect workers’ OCB. Some of these relationships are hypothesized to be different in SOEs and JVs owing to the differences in management practices and employment relationships between them. Our hypotheses are tested on data collected from 295 supervisor–subordinate dyads in a JV and 253 such dyads in an SOE. The analyses reveal that (1) the positive effect of distributive justice on trust in organization is stronger in JVs than in SOEs, (2) the positive effect of procedure justice on trust on organization is stronger in SOEs than in JVs, (3) the effect of interaction justice on trust in supervisor is similar for both types of organization; (4) trust in organization affects OCB in both SOEs and JVs, and (5) trust in supervisor affects OCB in JVs only.     

International joint ventures and technology diffusion: Evidence from China

This paper investigates international technology diffusion through FDI by explicitly considering the ownership structure of FDI projects with detailed Chinese data. We find that international joint ventures (JVs) generate significantly positive technology diffusion effects, while wholly foreign-owned firms (WFOs) generate significantly negative competition effects. The differentiated impacts of JVs and WFOs are robust, heterogeneous and causal as shown by our instrumental variable estimation. As for the mechanisms, evidence suggests that JVs bring better technology to the host country, invest more in R&D and employee training, and also provide easier technology access to local firms than WFOs.     

Partner nationality, market-focus and IJV performance: A contingent approach

This study examines how Taiwanese firms engaging in various types of international joint ventures (IJVs) have performed in China, and how different types of market-focus affect IJVs’ performance. Based on the IJV classification scheme suggested by [Makino S., & Beamish P. W. (1998). Performance and survival of joint ventures with non-conventional ownership structures. Journal of International Business Studies, 29(4): 797–818], this study outlines and examines three categories of IJVs, according to partner nationality: Taiwan-Taiwan (T-T) JVs, Taiwan-Local (T-L) (China) JVs, and Taiwan-Foreign (T-F) (third-country) JVs. We propose two hypotheses, with associated sub-hypotheses, to examine the major effects of partner nationality on performance, as well as the moderating effects of local market-focus on the relationship between partner nationality and performance. Through the analysis of 236 Taiwanese JVs in China, we find that (1) T-L JVs perform better than T-T JVs and T-F JVs; (2) T-L JVs focusing on the local market do not perform better than those focusing on foreign markets; and (3) T-F JVs focusing on foreign markets perform better than those focusing on the local market.     

Greenfield Entry Strategy of Multinational Enterprises in the Emerging Markets: Influences of Institutional Distance and International Trade Freedom

This article addresses greenfield entry strategy of multinational enterprises in emerging markets by analyzing the influences of formal and informal institutional distance as well as international trade freedom. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 263 greenfield market entries in manufacturing sector undertaken by Finnish firms during 1990–2013. The study results revealed that high formal and informal institutional distances led to the preference of greenfield JVs. The study also found that high level of international trade freedom moderates the influences of formal and informal institutional distances on greenfield entry strategy.     

外国直接投资对我国产业结构拉动的弹性分析

本文运用计量模型对相关统计数据分析得出,外资对我国各产业增加值具有一定的拉动作用,特别是制造业,近20年的数据表明外资对我国制造业及其高新技术产业的增长拉动非常大;同时长期以来外资对第三产业的带动也不容忽视,可以预见随着我国零售业的全面开放以及金融、电信等行业的进一步开放,这些行业未来利用外资水平将会有一个较大的提升,由此带动国内产业重心向第三产业转移。分析表明,国内产业结构发展与我国长期坚持积极利用外资具有明显的弹性关系。     

The WTO and entry modes in China

For years, multinational enterprises (MNEs) vying for the Chinese market used joint ventures (JVs) as an entry mode. However, there has been a growing frustration with the JV mode. It is reported that MNEs are increasingly opting for wholly owned subsidiaries for better control. This article examines the recent development of the business environment in China. It concludes that there are now real entry options for MNEs, including exporting, JVs, wholly owned subsidiaries, and acquisitions. China's accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will accelerate the change process and make non‐JV options even more viable. A few decision rules for choosing an entry mode in China are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

现代服务业与制造业竞争力关系研究--以浙江先进制造业基地建设为例

随着制造业结构形式的不断变革,服务作为中间投入要素已越来越多地融入制造业;制造业企业活动的外置又带动了服务业的发展,服务业与制造业进入了一个高度相关、双向互动的阶段.本文以浙江为例,论述了先进制造业基地的建设必须与相关服务支撑产业协同发展,形成整体合力,从而保持竞争优势.     

Long‐Term Orientation and Commitment in Export Joint Ventures among Small and Medium‐Sized Firms

Alliances may be an important tool for overcoming the resource and capability deficiencies facing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), as they help strengthen their market position and facilitate access to new markets. In this paper we focus on domestic joint ventures (JVs) for export purposes. Our aim is to analyze the influence of partners' long‐term orientation on their commitment, while looking into the key antecedents of long‐term orientation: complementarity of partners' resources and trust. The hypotheses set forth are tested on a sample of 70 Spanish domestic export JVs. The data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) analysis. Our paper contributes to the literature on export JVs and SMEs by providing evidence that long‐term orientation reinforces commitment to devoting the necessary resources and efforts to enable the export JV to succeed. The results also indicate that trust decisively determines the long‐term orientation of the partners to an export JV, and that complementarity of resources plays a relevant role in the development of long‐term orientation by facilitating trust.     

Managing relationships within sino-foreign joint ventures

In setting up joint ventures (JVs) in the PRC, foreign staff are compelled to go through a painful management process. This includes encountering a myriad of problems and difficulties, ranging from external environmental problems to internal organizational conflicts of interest. Based on an empirical study of two leading JV pioneers in China, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd. (SVW) and Beijing Jeep Corp. (BJC), this article suggests that the problems encountered are, in most cases, attributable to managerial relationships and human interaction. It submits that managers working within JVs in China would benefit greatly from understanding the dynamics of the relationships. Looking at this situation from both Western and Chinese perspectives, it sets out to describe the essential themes found in three principle managerial relationships: 1) between two/more parents; 2) between parents and the venture; and 3) between two groups of staff.     

全球产业布局调整背景下中国制造业外迁问题研究

本文通过构建中美多区域投入产出模型,从制造业的三个技术类别、两个发展阶段以及三个影响渠道定量测算了制造业外迁对中国GDP和产业结构的影响。研究发现:(1)中国对美出口以高技术产品为主,高技术制造业受美制约较大,需要重点关注;(2)制造业外迁通过直接效应、关联效应和溢出效应三个渠道产生影响,短期内直接效应是主要影响渠道,而长期内溢出效应是造成部门间差异的主要因素;(3)短期内低技术制造业外迁对国内GDP的影响程度最大,长期内中高技术制造业的影响将超过低技术制造业,而且中高技术制造业外迁更加不利于国内产业结构升级。为减轻产业外迁的冲击,本文建议应对不同技术类别的制造业采取差异化政策,特别要注重强化中高技术制造业在产业链上的主导性与不可替代性。     

The effect of group composition and autonomy on the performance of joint ventures (JVs): an analysis based on Spanish export JVs

This paper analyses the effects of group composition and autonomy on the performance of export joint ventures (JVs). The basic argument is that group composition has a significant influence on the performance of JVs and, at the same time, this effect is moderated by the degree of autonomy held by the JV general manager. To lend support to this argument, we take insights from two complementary theoretical approaches: the resource-based view of the firm and the transaction cost theory. The hypotheses set forth are tested on the basis of a sample of 83 Spanish export JVs. The paper contributes to the literature providing evidence on the influence that export JV composition has on performance. It also suggests that autonomy does not directly affect export JV success, but it does, however, have an indirect effect by moderating the relationship between group composition and performance.     

THE GERMAN SERVICE GAP OR: RE‐ORGANISING THE MANUFACTURING––SERVICES PUZZLE

Two phenomena make the distinction between services and manufacturing obsolete: the tertiarization of manufacturing and the introduction of information technologies in service industries. Competitiveness of manufacturing firms increasingly depends on the quality of service inputs and on packages of goods and services. Information and communication technologies introduce ‘industrial’ processes of production in service industries. Hence, it does not make sense any more to use categories such as ‘services’ or ‘manufacturing’. Instead, it would be more meaningful to group economic activities according to input configurations. This paper will discuss these issues in the context of the supposed German ‘service gap’.     

The characteristics and stock-market performance of international joint ventures located in three host-country groups: An extension and empirical validation

In a well-known study of joint venture (JV) characteristics, Beamish (1985) compared the attributes and performance of JVs located in developed and developing countries. This study advances Beamish's (1985) work by circumventing some of its key limitations. It compares the structure and stock-market performance of two-party equity JVs across three host-country groups: (i) developed countries, (ii) newly industrialized countries, and (iii) developing countries (including Emerging markets and transition economies). Based on a cross-sectional sample of nearly 1100 JVs involving American firms and non-American partners, this study finds that JV characteristics diverge as well as converge vis-à-vis three host-country groups. Interestingly—unlike Beamish (1985)—differences in JV configurations across these groups do not result in differences in abnormal returns to American parents. However, some JV characteristics consistently influence firms’ shareholder value (albeit sometimes in opposite directions) whereas the valuation impact of other characteristics depends upon a particular host-country group.     

Patterns of Industrial Conflict in Private Sector Service Industries: Evidence from British Survey Data

Patterns of industrial conflict in four major British service industries are analysed using large-scale survey data. The data confirm that strike rates are lower in the service sector than in manufacturing industry. In comparison with manufacturing, service sector establishments appeared less likely to experience multiple stoppages, their disputes involved a smaller proportion of the workforce and more workforce sections were found to be taking action for the first time. The major determinant of the pattern of industrial action appeared to be bargaining structures characterised by multi-employer, industry-wide agreements. The incidence of non-strike action and very short stoppages indicates that official strike returns significantly understate the extent of conflict in service industries.     

数字经济驱动制造业转型升级的作用机理——基于产业链视角的分析

数字经济与实体经济的深度融合成为促进实体经济振兴与产业转型升级的新动能,其动力主要源于数字新技术作用下的产业链组织分工边界拓展、交易成本降低、价值分配转移、需求变化倒逼四个方面。随着数字化信息成为产业链上的“标准化”流通媒介,制造业产业链会发生解构与重构并逐步实现全面数字化转型。产业链上“消费商”与工业互联网两种新型主导力量的出现促使服务型制造、网络化协同制造等新型制造模式创新涌现,智能制造将成为主流制造模式的新兴代表。为了更好地发挥数字经济对制造业转型升级驱动作用,应加强制造业数字基础设施建设,强化产业链数据集成与共享,发挥核心企业转型引领作用,注重智能制造生态系统构建等。     

外资并购下发达国家产业安全防范体系的比较研究——对我国装备制造产业安全防范的启示

通过对美国、德国、韩国、日本等发达国家和新兴工业国家应对外资并购、保护国内重要产业安全的措施体系的比较分析,揭示了发达国家产业安全防范体系的基本架构,即以构建和完善外资并购的法律体系为核心,以设立专门审查机构,加强重点个案处理能力为调整手段。这样的产业安全防范框架体系,对我国的产业安全保护具有直接的借鉴意义。     

中美贸易关系新形势下中国先进制造业升级路径研究

先进制造业是一国工业实力和竞争力的直接体现。目前,在中国先进制造业中,装备制造业竞争力明显提升、高技术制造业发展迅速、先进制造业出现集群式发展,但仍然存在创新能力较低、核心技术和零部件研发能力不强、先进制造业企业竞争力不强、缺乏有利的先进制造业发展环境等问题。应采取给予先进制造业发展更大的支持力度、坚持技术引进与自主创新融合、强化先进制造业的区域合作、引导企业提高自主创新能力等措施,推动中国先进制造业持续健康发展。     

美国制造业回流的实施效果分析及对我国外贸的影响

2008年国际金融危机爆发后,美国国内主张发展制造业、改变经济过分依赖服务业尤其是金融业的呼声日益高涨。奥巴马政府也采取了一系列措施实行制造业回归美国的再工业化。2010-2012年,美国制造业出口增速高迭22％,超过进口增速19．3％。中关早已互为第二大贸易伙伴,美国制造业回流的举措必然加剧中关贸易摩擦,增加我国制造业产品出口压力,影响我国装备制造业的升级和就业,对此,我国应加大对核心产业的扶持力度,促进产业升级;加大科研投入,促进技术创新;开拓多元化市场,同时激发国内需求;提升教育质量,加大教育投资。     

Britain's Economic Performance: The Strategic Dimension

Today it is widely recognised that manufacturing industry has a vital role to play if economic recovery in Britain is to be sustained, raising issues for policy of both its competitiveness and its size. This article argues that both are fundamentally linked by innovation; it identifies various weaknesses in the innovative potential of the manufacturing base, before examining the scope for improving the record in the more specific area of science based innovation, where Britain retains considerable strength. The article concludes by arguing that only through a coherent industrial policy can manufacturing play its desired role.