The role of Guanxi on international business-to-business relationships: a systematic review and future directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1125-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birce Dobrucalı

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the extant empirical body of knowledge regarding the impact of Guanxi on international Business-to-Business (B-to-B) relationships. Design/methodology/approach After the collection and refinement of studies that appeared in marketing, business and management literature during 1995-2018 period, a systematic review was conducted to discover the current situation and future research directions on the subject. Findings Theoretically, vast majority of the reviewed studies lacked a theoretical foundation, with the remainder anchored primarily on the resource-based view, social network theory and social exchange theory. Methodologically, Ganqing, Xinren and Mianzi are the most frequently investigated dimensions, whereas Renqing is the least investigated dimension. Data are mostly obtained from both Chinese and Western counterparts through survey and analyzed through univariate and multivariate data analysis techniques. Empirically, extant research focused on many diverse outcomes including trust, financial performance, cooperation, satisfaction, time orientation, opportunism and liability of foreignness, while under-examining the drives of Guanxi. Research limitations/implications This study provides a synthesis of extant line of research on the subject that are published in peer-reviewed international journals, which publish research in English. A meta-analysis may be conducted for providing a further detailed framework. Originality/value This study contributes to international marketing literature by providing an in-depth and synthesized inventory of knowledge to scholars; deriving a comprehensive analysis of theoretical foundations, methodological approaches and findings addressed by scholars in the field; noticing theoretical, methodological and empirical gaps to be examined; and providing future research directions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birce Dobrucalı

PurposeThis study aims to provide a contemporary, holistic and systematic review regarding the impact of country-of-origin on industrial purchase decision-making by ascertaining, synthesizing and evaluating theoretical, methodological and empirical dimensions of studies on the subject.Design/methodology/approachAfter the collection and refinement of 43 studies that appeared in marketing, business and management literatures during 1970-2017, systematic review was applied to discover the current situation and future research directions on the subject.FindingsThe vast majority of the existing studies obtained data from a single source even though industrial purchase decisions are mainly made by a large group of decision-makers. Moreover, the existing literature contains few over-studied theoretical perspectives while lacking integration of the subject with the more contemporary ones. Additionally, in the literature, combination of developing countries as source countries, and developed ones as target countries, is under-examined, and the differentiation between country-of-design and country-of-assembly is mainly avoided during operationalization. Finally, majority of the studies lack investigation of antecedents and mainly investigated few over-examined constructs as outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a conceptual synthesis of existing studies. A meta-analysis may be applied to empirical studies for providing a further detailed framework.Originality/valueThis study contributes to industrial marketing literature by providing a compiled and synthesized inventory of knowledge for scholars; deriving a comprehensive analysis of research designs, methodologies and findings addressed by researchers in the field; noticing various theoretical, methodological and other gaps to be examined; and providing future research directions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1811-1847
Author(s):  
Md. Ali Rasel ◽  
Sandar Win

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to systematically review extant research on the corporate governance (CG) of microfinance institutions (MFIs) from a global perspective. In the process, it discusses scholarly contributions and highlights key issues from the findings of past studies on several governance attributes, in particular, their interconnections and influence on different institutional outcomes of the sector.Design/methodology/approachAlthough academic work on microfinance governance is substantial, prior studies lack a comprehensive approach to reviewing the literature on this topic. We adopted a systematic method to review past studies on microfinance CG by applying particular inclusion and exclusion criteria. In this regard, the study developed specific questions and sought to find their answers from the existing literature.FindingsThe findings from our research indicate that microfinance governance-performance relationship is the central focus of the majority of our reviewed papers, although a few attempts have been made to explain the interconnection between CG mechanisms at the firm and institutional level. Our findings also show that existing studies have used a variety of techniques to measure MFI performance vis-à-vis their hybrid mission, such as profitability and outreach. Moreover, the study found that common topics discussed in the mainstream literature include board structure, CEO characteristics, audit quality, external governance, disclosure and MFI ownership type.Research limitations/implicationsThis review has some limitations that warrant further research. First, we considered only peer-reviewed scientific publications for our systematic review. Second, we omitted non-English journal papers from our sample. In light of these limitations, we provide some future research directions that may shed further light on our current inquiry.Originality/valueThis paper evaluates past relevant studies using a systematic approach (in preference to the commonly used narrative approach) for a span of over eighteen years; thereby contributing significantly to the sectoral governance literature. This study is novel in that it offers new incentives and opportunities for further research in order to meet the shortcomings of reviewed papers from various theoretical, empirical, methodological and geographical standpoints.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 686-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saara A. Brax ◽  
Anu Bask ◽  
Juliana Hsuan ◽  
Chris Voss

Purpose Services are highly important in a world economy which has increasingly become service driven. There is a growing need to better understand the possibilities for, and requirements of, designing modular service architectures. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the roots of the emerging research stream on service modularity, provide a concise overview of existing work on the subject, and outline an agenda for future research on service modularity and architecture. The articles in the special issue offer four diverse sets of research on service modularity and architecture. Design/methodology/approach The paper is built on a literature review mapping the current body of literature on the topic and developing future research directions in service modularity and architecture. Findings The growing focus on services has triggered needs to investigate the suitability and implementation of physical-product-focused modularity principles and theories in service contexts, and to search for principles/theories that enhance services. The expanding research stream has explored various aspects of service modularity in empirical contexts. Future research should focus on service-specific modularity theories and principles, platform-based and mass-customized service business models, comparative research designs, customer perspectives and service experience, performance in context of modular services, empirical evidence of benefits and challenges, architectural innovation in services, modularization in multi-provider contexts, and modularity in hybrid offerings combining service and tangible product modules. Originality/value Nine areas are recommended for further research on service modularity and architecture. The introductory piece also discusses the roots of service modularity and provides an overview of current contributions.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Ming Shan ◽  
Zhao Xu

Purpose Although the handover stage is the key transition stage between the construction and operation, there is no critical overview of issues and research at the handover stage, hindering the achievement of sustainable development of buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the building handover-related issues and research in construction and facility management (FM) journals. The specific objectives of this study include: analyze the research trends and overview the handover-related publications; identify the major research topics on the handover of buildings; identify research gaps and propose future research directions. Design/methodology/approach This study opted for a four-step systematic review of papers from the well-known academic journals in the construction and FM respects. Findings The results first revealed the increasing research interest in the handover of buildings from the researchers. Moreover, the post-construction defects, poor information fidelity, poor interoperability between building information modeling (BIM) and FM technologies, and insufficient consideration of end users were identified as the most concerned challenges for a building handover. Furthermore, identifying and formalizing information requirements for handover, improving the handover process, and improving the interoperability between BIM and FM were solutions mostly emphasized by researchers. Research limitations/implications As the first systematic review of building handover-related issues and research, this study is the building block for future research on this topic. The findings provide guidance for researchers in the construction and FM research community, and help them form useful collaboration for future research opportunities and find future research directions. Practical implications The identified significant challenges and potential solutions for a building handover could assist practitioners in making rational decisions on developing or adopting relevant technologies, and reshaping their management patterns and working processes. Moreover, the findings could be severed as evidence for policymakers to initiate policies, such as documents e-submission and timely updating BIMs, to achieve the vision of model-based project delivery. Originality/value This study contributed to the body of knowledge of sustainable development by providing a new insight to tackle the hindrance to the smooth transition from the construction to the operation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matevz Raskovic ◽  
Davor Vuchkovski

<p>This bibliometric research note analyses the impact of the Journal of East European Management Studies (JEEMS) since its SSCI indexation. We analyse 91 papers in English, showing that most papers are country and/or case specific, with a large majority of papers associated with the international business discipline. The strongest contributions have been made to the general international business literature and the literature on corporate social responsibility, as well as culture studies. We identify several gaps and outline future research directions. </p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme B. Benitez ◽  
Giovani J. C. Da Silveira ◽  
Flavio S. Fogliatto

This study presents a systematic review of the literature on layout planning in healthcare facilities. The review includes 81 articles from journals, conferences, books, and other documents. Articles were classified in two groups according to their main contents including (i) concepts and guidelines and (ii) techniques and tools to assist in layout planning in healthcare facilities. Results indicate that a great variety of concepts and tools have been used to solve layout problems in healthcare. However, healthcare environments such as hospitals can be complex, limiting the ability to obtain optimal layout solutions. Influential factors may include the flows of patients, staff, materials, and information; layout planning and implementation costs; staff and patients safety and well-being; and environmental contamination, among others. The articles reviewed discussed and often proposed solutions covering one or more factors. Results helped us to propose future research directions on the subject.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1773-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weng Marc Lim

Purpose This paper aims to define the conceptual boundary of the selfie and to discuss the role of the selfie in the social media marketplace. Design/methodology/approach This paper extensively reviews and draws themes from the extant literature on consumer identities in the social media marketplace to explain the selfie phenomenon and to identify potentially fruitful directions for further research. Findings Current insights into the selfie phenomenon can be understood from socio-historical, technological, social media, marketing and ethical perspectives. Research limitations/implications Despite the limitations of a general review (e.g. absence of empirical data and analysis), this paper identifies multiple avenues to extend existing lines of inquiry on the selfie phenomenon. Thus, this paper should encourage further research on the topic in the academic and scientific community. Practical implications The selfie can be used as a marketing tool to improve marketing performance and accomplish marketing-related goals. Originality/value This paper sheds light on how marketing academics and practitioners can better understand the impact of the selfie in the social media marketplace.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-209
Author(s):  
Research Notes

This bibliometric research note analyses the impact of the Journal of East European Management Studies (JEEMS) since its SSCI indexation. We analyse 91 papers in English, showing that most papers are country and/or case specific, with a large majority of papers associated with the international business discipline. The strongest contributions have been made to the general international business literature and the literature on corporate social responsibility, as well as culture studies. We identify several gaps and outline future research directions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-273
Author(s):  
G. S. Hovakimyan ◽  
G. G. Nalbandyan

This review makes a significant contribution to the study of the “learning-by-exporting” effect. The article offers a detailed overview of the various views and studies on the subject. The work helps to review the evolution in the field of learning-by-exporting research through bibliometric analysis. Thirdly, this paper focuses on the most cited publications, as well as on the work of the last two or three years. Also, this article discusses the relationship between the learning-by-exporting and the self-selection hypothesis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Research Notes

<p>This bibliometric research note analyses the impact of the Journal of East European Management Studies (JEEMS) since its SSCI indexation. We analyse 91 papers in English, showing that most papers are country and/or case specific, with a large majority of papers associated with the international business discipline. The strongest contributions have been made to the general international business literature and the literature on corporate social responsibility, as well as culture studies. We identify several gaps and outline future research directions. </p>


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