Online Marketing: A Boon or Bane for Business in Singapore?

This paper examines the impact of e-commerce through online marketing among the multi-national corporations in Singapore. A survey was carried out to examine the differences between online and traditional marketing strategies, to explore the possibility of online marketing replacing traditional marketing, and consequently, the future of online marketing in Singapore. The findings reveal that MNCs do adopt different marketing strategies, both online and offline, in aspects of product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence and promotion. Results indicate that online marketing is still in its infancy in Singapore. Although most MNCs are not selling online but some plan to do so within twelve months.     

Microenterprise,Multinational Business Support,and Poverty Alleviation in South Africa's Informal Economy

The authors examine corporate programs that support microenterprise development in Africa. Specifically, the analysis assesses the extent to which local income and sales are affected by Coca-Cola's initiatives to assist South Africa's microenterprise in the retail trade sector. To quantify the impact, questionnaires were obtained from owners of small-scale retail establishments in the country's vast informal economy. Regression analysis is performed on key variables from the survey, testing hypotheses advanced to explain the size of an owner's income and sales. In addition to business development support, the explanatory variables include startup capital, size, and male/female ownership. It appears that business development support has a positive effect on lifting income and reducing poverty for microenterprise owners, after controlling for other influences.     

Coordination in global R&D organizations: An examination of the role of subsidiary mandate and modular product architectures in dispersed R&D organizations

International research and development (R&D) operations require a significant amount of coordination between the headquarters and the subsidiaries in order to integrate the dispersed activities in one final product. This article explores what mechanisms multinational companies (MNCs) use to coordinate their overseas R&D units. Based on a multiple case study involving nine MNCs with overseas R&D subsidiaries of varying mandates, we find that R&D sites with high technology and/or market orientation tend to be coordinated by informal mechanisms while sites with little technology and/or market orientation tend to be coordinated by formal mechanisms. Furthermore, it appears that this relationship is strongly affected by the product’s architecture: while rather complex R&D activities are conducted at the systems level and at sites with high technology orientation, less complex R&D activities are conducted at the component level at sites with low technology and market orientation. Finally, the findings suggest that modular product architectures have a coordinating effect in global R&D activities which have the power to lower firms’ overall coordination effort. The findings bear important implications for the effective coordination of MNCs’ international R&D subsidiaries.     

Managerial perceptions of the role of the human resource function in Sri Lanka: a comparative study of local,foreign-owned and joint-venture companies

As debates on HRM continue, we contend that a number of important issues have not been given the adequate attention they deserve. One of the neglected issues, which we seek to explore in this paper, is the question of whether HRM models are being practised in developing countries. The specific context for the research is Sri Lanka. Therefore, the central objective of this paper is to explore one main research question, which is: To what extent does HRM play a significant role in organizational strategy processes in Sri Lankan organizations? The research is guided by four hypotheses. The hypotheses are based on the assumption that local Sri Lankan organizations will differ from MNCs in the way they deal with and practice HRM. The findings from the investigation reveal no significant differences between MNCs and local companies in relation to the research questions. The implications of the findings are discussed within the context of diffusion and convergence of management practices and the role of drivers of globalization.     

MNC's competitive strategies,experiences, and staffing policies for foreign affiliates

This study investigates the relationship between the strategic role of a multinational corporation's (MNC) foreign affiliates and its international staffing policy. Specifically, this study examines how an MNC's decision on expatriation is affected by strategic roles assigned to foreign affiliates: global integration of activities versus local market seeking. An empirical study is conducted using a sample of 808 foreign affiliates of Japanese firms. The research findings suggest that strategic roles of foreign affiliates alone may not adequately explain the international staffing policies of Japanese MNCs. Rather, we found a significant moderating effect of international as well as host country experience on staffing practices for foreign affiliates. While the staffing policies of MNCs striving for improving global efficiency of their operation are moderated by both international and host country experience, those seeking a specific local market position are influenced only by host country experience.     

Chinese companies＇ outward internationalization to emerging countries： The case of Latin America

This paper aims to review and analyze the literature on the expansion of Chinese firms to Latin America. In order to achieve this objective, it first reviews the literature on the internationalization of Chinese MNCs, the theoretical frameworks discussed in the literature and the principal features of companies from China. Second, it describes the economic and political relations between the countries, specifically the threats and opportunities for Latin America and the trade and investment trends. The review shows that the majority of the current literature on Chinese MNCs has a focus on their expansion to developed countries, on the conceptual framework needed to understand this expansion, and on the competition for foreign investments from developed countries. As a result, the analysis makes evident that research gaps seem to exist in the following areas： （1） the relative value of Chinese companies＇ existing advantages, （2） the sustainability of these advantages once the lead, probably given by OEMs or JVs, had been exhausted, （3） research works based on quantitative and comparative data, （4） the motives for FDI, （5） the entry mode, configuration, control and strategy of Chinese companies investing in Latin America, and （6） the potential opportunities presented to European companies operating in Latin America.     

Institutional and corporate drivers of global talent management: Evidence from the Arab Gulf region

This study analyses how talent management (TM) is molded by institutional and corporate drivers. We borrow from the vast institutional literature to understand how organizations adopt and implement TM practices within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) context. This context is valuable not only because it tackles an under-researched region, but also because the type of variables found further our understanding of TM processes in non-Western contexts. Companies abide by localization rules to sustain their “legal” legitimacy, while trying to improve efficiency through actions that enhance their economic sustainability. Companies try to strike a strategic balance between local adaptation and global assimilation of their TM processes. We conclude by presenting a framework that portrays how various forces impact the TM process.     

东道国知识强度对跨国公司知识转移的影响

随着跨国公司知识转移理论与实践的发展,跨国公司子公司已逐渐成为跨国公司网络内外知识转移的主要角色,子公司所在东道国当地知识也逐渐成为跨国公司网络的重要知识来源。本文就东道国当地知识强度对子公司获取当地知识、利用母公司知识和向跨国公司内部网络贡献知识的影响几个角度分别进行论述与总结。     

跨国公司在华直接投资独资化研究

从我国利用外商直接投资的实践来看，跨国公司正在不断加强对我国市场的投资，值得注意的是．其进入我国市场的方式正在发生变化，更多的公司采取独资或追加已有投资的方式提高其股权比例。现在独资公司已经成为跨国公司在华直接投资的一种主导形式。跨国公司独资化对我国的影响如何。应采取那些应对措施，对这个问题进行研究有利于我国更好地利用外资。     

跨国公司海外子公司的人员配置问题研究

跨国公司对海外子公司的有效控制是通过调整外国分支机构中的外聘人员与当地人之间的比例,以及界定外聘人员在分支机构控制结构中的作用.虽然组织性需求会导致跨国公司雇佣外聘人员,但是由环境差异产生的制度压力也许会迫使跨国公司聘用当地人作经理.顺应不同的情况,跨国公司的海外子公司人员配置方式也应是不同的.