scholarly journals From the Host to the Home Country, the International Upgradation of EMNEs in Sustainability Industries—The Case of a Chinese PV Company

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Jin ◽  
Zhengyi Zhang ◽  
Liying Wang

With the internationalization of firms from emerging-markets, the upgradation along the global value chain of emerging-market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) has attracted the attention of academics and industries. However, the role of upgradation of EMNEs in a host country to the transition of EMNEs in the home country is ignored. This study explored how EMNEs from emerging-markets could upgrade their operations in their home countries driven by the transformation of subsidiaries in host countries. An in-depth analysis of Company S was conducted to elaborate on the resources and trigger time a firm needs to transform the function of a subsidiary in the host country, and the upgradation of the firm in the home country during the internationalization process. Research on the internationalization of Company S suggested that with the complementary capabilities and markets as the fundamental basic resources, the industrial crisis triggers the firm’s upgrading in the host country. In addition, the intrafirm (internal) market mechanism makes it possible to sustain the upgrading process without conflicts between subsidiaries. Moreover, synergies will develop through interactions with subsidiaries, owing to complementary capabilities and the internal market. The synergetic development promotes the transition of firms in the home country and emphasizes the complementarity of the manufacturing and engineering service. Finally, this study demonstrates the two-stage international upgrading process, in which the international upgrading of firms in the home country is driven by the development and transition of the subsidiary in the host country, which provides contributions to the internationalization upgrading strategy and process of firms from emerging-markets.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 904-911
Author(s):  
Arvind Kumar Singh ◽  
Dr. Shailendra Kumar Chaturvedi ◽  
Karan veer Singh

The concept of Glocalization is derived from that of globalization and localization and signifies that companies should not only think globally but also act locally while addressing business functionalities including branding, marketing, advertising and product promotion. Food industry, of India and World is witnessing unprecedented increase in the number of multinational enterprises. These multinational enterprises, when deciding to expand their operations to a new country, have to make a choice between following uniform business strategies as in their home country or modify their strategies to suit the host country socio-economic and political environment. Recently, many multinational food giants have successfully penetrated into emerging markets due to their product or service quality but there are cases where companies have failed to earn profits due to lack of Glocalization strategies. This paper focuses on multinational food Enterprises (MNFEs) and identifies suitable Glocalized strategies in marketing, product development, advertisement etc. establishing themselves and gaining market share in a diverse country like India.


Author(s):  
Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra ◽  
Ravi Ramamurti

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use the rise of emerging-market multinationals as a vehicle to explore how a firm’s country of origin influences its internationalization. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a conceptual paper. Findings We argue that the home country’s institutional and economic underdevelopment can influence the internationalization of firms in two ways. First, emerging-market firms may leverage innovations made at home to cope with underdeveloped institutions or economic backwardness to gain a competitive advantage abroad, especially in other emerging markets; We call this innovation-based internationalization. Second, they may expand into countries that are more developed or have better institutions to escape weaknesses on these fronts at home; we call this escape-based internationalization. Research limitations/implications Comparative disadvantages influence the internationalization of the firm differently from comparative advantage, as it forces the firm to actively upgrade its firm-specific advantage and internationalize. Practical implications We explain two drivers of internationalization that managers operating in emerging markets can consider when facing disadvantages in their home countries and follow several strategies, namely, trickle-up innovation, self-reliant innovation, improvisation management, self-reliance management, technological escape, marketing escape, institutional escape and discriminatory escape. Originality/value We explain how a firm’s home country’s comparative disadvantage, not just its comparative advantage, can spur firms its internationalization.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Angulo-Ruiz ◽  
Albena Pergelova ◽  
William X. Wei

Purpose This research aims to assess variations of motivations when studying international location decisions. In particular, this study aims to assess the influence of diverse motivations – seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints – as determinants of the international location choice of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) entering least developed, emerging, and developed countries. Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a set of hypotheses based on the ownership–location–internalization framework and complement it with an institutional perspective. The conceptual model posits that the different internationalization motivations (seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints) will impact the location choice of EM MNEs in developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries. This study uses the 2013 survey data collected by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The final sample of analysis of this research includes 693 observations. Findings After controlling for several variables, two-stage Heckman regressions show there is a variation of motivations when EM MNEs enter least developed countries, emerging markets and developed economies. EM MNEs are motivated to enter least developed countries to seek markets and resources. Conversely, those firms enter developed countries in their search for technological assets and to escape institutional constraints at home. While the present study findings show a clear difference in the motivations that lead to location choice in least developed vs developed countries, the results are not as clear for location in other emerging countries. Research limitations/implications The paper offers empirical support for the importance of motivations as crucial determinants of location choice. Originality/value This paper provides a detailed quantitative study on the internationalization location choice of EM MNEs based on their motivations. Though theoretical models underscore the importance of motivations, we know very little about how, in practice, motivations drive location choice. This study contributes to the international location choice literature a deeper understanding of how diverse motivations drive choices of expansion into developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-519
Author(s):  
Amy Linh Thuy Nguyen

Purpose While the current anti-globalisation wave is considered as a regional and cyclical relapse among Western countries, the new era of globalisation has shifted away from stagnant developed economies towards the rising prosperity of emerging Asia, where it is attracting substantial global inward foreign direct investment (FDI). Focussing on Vietnam, the country that is seen as Asia’s next economic tiger, the question of how important intellectual properties (IP) protection is in the international competition for FDI inflows is still unsettled, especially on the under-researched topic of trademarks. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes on the business history approach, which allows rich evidence from the dynamic and evolving natures of multinational enterprises (MNEs) to drive the research process, so that international business scholars can test models rigorously. The evidence provided in this paper is essentially qualitative and combines trademark registrations data, with trade and FDI statistics between 1986 and 2016, also draws on companies’ archives, industry reports and related newspaper articles. Findings This paper provides the chronology of intellectual property right (IPR) legal landscapes and the dynamic co-evolution of trademarks and FDI inflows in Vietnam. Three trademark protection strategies for MNEs and their patterns here are addressed. The paper also argues that trademarks bring new insights and IP protection strategy for pharmaceutical MNEs for the case of Vietnam is as important in trademarks as it is in patents. In emerging markets with strong incentives for FDI such as Vietnam, MNEs are not necessarily put off by weak IPR, but rather create alternative strategies for dealing with the lack of IP protection in these emerging market settings. Originality/value This study challenges the stream of thoughts that view trademarks as a “neglected intangible asset” among different IPRs, while in fact, trademarks advance MNEs’ knowledge by ensuring competitiveness and long-run survival in emerging markets. This paper is among the first few attempts to look at pharmaceutical industry through the lens of trademarks, moving away from the traditional patent-focussed approach. It extends the understanding of OLI paradigm and highlights that MNEs need to possess Oa and Op advantages not only at the beginning of internationalisation process but rather evolving through the time to cope with imitation risks in the host country.


2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1955-1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa Hebb ◽  
Dariusz Wójcik

Institutional investors, particularly pension funds, based in developed Anglo-American capital markets are increasingly investing in international markets, including emerging markets, in an effort to capitalize on the rapid growth rates of these markets. But investment in far-flung jurisdictions carries with it risk and uncertainty, particularly when the corporate standards of firms in emerging markets are below those found in these investors' home countries. In order to mitigate the risks posed by poor corporate standards of behaviour, institutional investors increasingly apply nonfinancial criteria not only to individual firms in emerging markets, but to the corporate practices of whole countries. Though countries and their regulatory regimes are central to external capital-investment decisions, we find convergence to global standards occurs when key actors in the investment value chain demand levels of corporate and social behavior greater than those currently consistent with countries' own regulatory frameworks. We test this hypothesis using the decision of the California Public Employees Retirement System to screen out several emerging-market countries from their investment portfolio on the basis of a variety of nonfinancial criteria.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-515
Author(s):  
Leyla Orudzheva ◽  
Nolan Gaffney

Purpose Research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to proliferate, but why and how multinational enterprises (MNEs) from different parts of the world engage in CSR is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in behavior based on the status of the MNE’s home country relative to the host country. Design/methodology/approach Applying a social dominance theory (SDT) framework, the authors explain variations in MNE behavior because of perceived hierarchical differences between a MNE’s home country and that of the host country. It is posited that these hierarchical differences trigger a country-of-origin bias that affects stakeholders’ expectations for the MNE, as well as that firm’s response to those expectations. In this integrative conceptual paper, we propose a testable framework derived from a deductive approach that applies the tenets of SDT to predict outcomes of CSR implementation by MNE’s subsidiaries. Findings MNEs from less developed countries are subject to lower expectations and engage in self-debilitating behavior, which may hinder their attempts to implement CSR initiatives in more developed countries. Paradoxically, engaging in CSR initiatives could help reduce liability of foreignness and increase chances for competitive advantage. Practical implications MNEs from developing countries should be aware of a potential country-of-origin bias affecting decisions on CSR implementation and that could also be detrimental to their competitive advantage when operating in more developed countries. Conversely, MNEs from developed countries should be ready for higher expectations of their CSR initiatives in less developed countries. Originality/value This paper strives to contribute to two extant literatures. First, it contributes to the social dominance literature by applying the perspective in the international business context, specifically research on MNE liability of origin. Second, this perspective offers testable propositions on how perceived hierarchies and liability of origin affect firm decision-making, specifically in the context of developing country MNEs. Third, this paper seeks to expand the discussion of MNE subsidiary CSR behavior to account for the relative context of the home and host country.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gahye Hong ◽  
Eunmi Kim

Retaining talented expatriates is important for multinational enterprises (MNEs) to maintain knowledge sustainability between their headquarters (HQ) and subsidiaries. However, depending on the host country image of a subsidiary, the attractiveness of the subsidiary may make it challenging to recruit prospective expatriates. Based on the sustainable human resource management (HRM) perspective, this study examines the direct effect of the host country image of a subsidiary and the moderating effect of family support policies on a subsidiary’s attractiveness, by comparing subsidiaries in the US and Vietnam. The results are based on data from 434 Korean potential expatriate applicants and show that the host country image of a subsidiary has a direct effect on the subsidiary’s attractiveness. Specifically, expatriate applicants are less attracted to a Vietnam-based subsidiary than to a US-based one. Further, the positive moderating effect of family support policies on subsidiary attractiveness is more relevant for the Vietnam-based subsidiary. This result suggests that family support policies can be a key strategy for overcoming the less preferred host country images of subsidiaries in emerging markets, thus improving subsidiary sustainability in the long term. The implications of these findings are provided in the context of sustainable HRM and the existing expatriate literature.


Author(s):  
Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra ◽  
Alicia Rodríguez ◽  
C. Annique Un

This chapter analyzes the internationalization of emerging-market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) to clarify past contributions and outline suggestions for future research. We critically review the novelty of the phenomenon associated with the foreign expansion of firms from emerging markets, the new theoretical concepts introduced from analyzing these firms, and the new explanations related to their internationalization. We propose that future research can advance our understanding of these firms by studying how the underdevelopment of the home country’s economy and institutions influences firm internationalization. We specifically discuss four areas that can yield promising insights for internationalization research: frugal innovation, contractual innovation, upgrading escape, and institutional escape.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Panibratov

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how the government influences the internationalization of emerging MNEs and, more specifically, answer the questions how and to what extent does the combination of the home country government’s control and interest influence Russian MNEs. Design/methodology/approach First, the author examined sector-specific factors and institutional forces that affect the development of the Russian economy’s industries. Second, the author has classified the sectors included in this study into four groups according to the following two main criteria: the interest of the government in the development of the sector, and the degree of state control for the firms in the sector. Third, the author has analyzed the forms and types of the government participation in firms’ internationalization in defined groups based on the observation of industries’ legislative acts and state decrees and orders. After that, the author has verified the existence of certain similarities of strategies under the governmental influence, and finally discussed the extent of the control and interest implied by the government toward these firms. Findings After analyzing the patterns of the state involvement in firms’ internationalization in various groups the author found that some of the groups are characterized by similar types of government role and their responses are, also, sometimes similar. The author presents a more detailed look at the above results in Table III, and explain the two-sided role of the government in different groups of firms. Research limitations/implications While the literature emphasizes that institutional forces shape the internationalization of emerging multinational enterprises, they have not been comprehensively linked to explaining the contradictory role of the government in this process. The author addresses this gap by examining an integrated influence that home government factors (namely, control and interest) exert in enabling firms to compete abroad. In addition, the author contributes to the knowledge about the behavior of Russian firms, which is one of the less researched areas in the field of international management. Practical implications The paper also has value for companies’ strategists as it provides them with understanding of the complexity of government-related determinants influencing the internationalization process of their firms and the types of firms’ abilities to be developed or supported. It also provides a practical tool for modeling their international strategy formation and accounting for different types of state influences on internationalization of EM firms. Originality/value This paper highlights the government-related aspects of the internationalization of Russian MNEs. Even when they go abroad with strong product capabilities and a proactive managerial style, they still benefit from home country institutional resources. The author sees the strength of the empirical findings in further extension of the understanding of origins, consequences and prospects of internationalization of emerging market firms with the home government involvement.


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