Ties, status, and internationalization of Chinese private firms

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of network in affecting private firms’ internationalization decision. Specifically, it investigates the way that business ties, political ties and status influence an internationalization decision. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of the survey data collected from Chinese private firms, this study distinguishes business ties from political ties and introduces network status. Binary logistic regression is used to test the hypotheses. Findings Results show that private firms that have business ties are more likely to internationalize, whereas private firms that have political ties are less likely to internationalize. High-status private firms are more likely to internationalize. Political ties negatively moderate the relationship between business ties and internationalization. High-status firms with political ties are more likely to internationalize. Originality/value This study provides theoretical and practical contributions. Results complement previous research on social networks in the context of Chinese private firms and have implications for managers who exert effort to internationalize their firms.

Performance risk factors in SME strategic planning

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on the links between SME financial performance, business ties, and political ties. Business ties were revealed to be the fundamental microfoundations of formal strategic planning (FSP), by significantly boosting firms' financial performance. However, political ties were revealed to be something to avoid, in emerging market like Turkey, due to their distracting negative influence of firm performance. SMEs can overcome some of the disadvantages of their size by involving positive influence external parties in strategic work, to support internal stakeholders. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Relational governance, strategic planning and firm performance

PurposeWhile there is growing attention to the efficacy of business and political ties in emerging economies, there are not many studies explicitly examining the relations of business and political ties to small and medium enterprises (SME) strategy formation in emerging economies outside of the East-Asian setting. This study attempts to refine the facilitating role of formal strategic planning (FSP) in the relation of business and political ties to financial firm performance.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling and conditional mediation analyses were used.FindingsThe authors show that while business ties are positively related to FSP, political ties are negatively associated with it. In addition, this study provides empirical evidence that FSP positively mediates the relation of business ties to financial performance. Conversely, there exists a negative indirect relationship between political ties and financial performance. This study shows that the demand uncertainty negatively moderates the relation of FSP to financial performance.Originality/valueThe findings offer noteworthy inferences for firm managers and policy makers, who should evaluate the benefits and costs carried by business and political ties.

Foreign subsidiaries’ relational strategic emphasis and performance implications amid environmental turbulence

Purpose Grounded in strategic choice and resource-based views, this study aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of relational strategic emphasis of foreign subsidiaries operating in Thailand. Four types of relational strategies were identified with associated differential performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Data collected via self-administered surveys from a diverse sample of 168 foreign subsidiaries were analyzed in two stages. First, multinomial logistic regression was used to test whether resource-bridging capability, nonmarket-based assets and market-based assets were significant predictors of relational strategy type. Then, multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine whether the four relational strategy types differed in their strategic performance and financial performance. Findings The three resource-based motives are significant predictors of relational strategy. Firms adopting the “dual-relational” strategy tend to have the highest level of resource-bridging capability and nonmarket-based assets while firms pursuing the “business-oriented” strategy are likely to possess a higher level of market-based assets. Extensive reliance on relational ties enables foreign subsidiaries to achieve a much higher level of strategic and financial performance than those that chose to only rely on transactional or contractual relations. Practical implications Foreign subsidiaries operating in emerging markets characterized by an unstable market environment have to establish good relationships with buyers, suppliers and distributors, as well as government agents. Originality/value Using a juxtaposition of political and business ties, a typology of the relational strategy was conceptualized. This study extends non-market strategy research by investigating the relationship between resource and capability in the choice of relational strategy. Diverse degrees of political and business ties show different impacts on strategic and financial performances.

Customer prioritization, product complexity and business ties: implications for job stress and customer service performance

Purpose Drawing on the theoretical lens of the job demands-resources model, this study builds upon and tests a conceptual model that links customer prioritization, product complexity, business ties, job stress and customer service performance. Conceptualizing customer prioritization and product complexity as job demands and business ties as personal job resources, this research explicates the mediating process by which customer prioritization and product complexity affect customer service performance through job stress and its boundary conditions. The purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical framework in which business ties moderates the mediated relations of customer prioritization and product complexity to customer service performance. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling and a moderated mediation analysis were used on a unique multi-level, multi-respondent data set of 248 participants from 124 small and medium-sized enterprises in Turkey. Findings This study finds that both customer prioritization and product complexity increase job stress. In addition, this paper finds that business ties have a bitter-sweet nature as a personal resource and reverse the relation of customer prioritization to job stress while strengthening the negative direct relation of product complexity to job stress. Finally, this study finds that the indirect relation of customer prioritization to customer service performance through job stress is contingent on business ties. Specifically, this paper finds that high levels of business ties negate the indirect relation of customer prioritization to customer service performance while low levels of business ties exacerbate the negative effects of customer prioritization to customer service performance, channeled through job stress. Practical implications The findings demonstrate the critical role that personal networks play in reducing job stress and enhancing customer service performance for small and medium-sized enterprises that adopt customer-centric strategies such as customer prioritization. Nevertheless, the results suggest that the managers need to cognizant of the undesirable consequences of business ties may have on job stress when boundary-spanners handle a wide range of products/services that are technically complex. Accordingly, this study recommends small and medium-size enterprise managers and owners should be cautious in resource allocation to establish informal, personal ties with suppliers, competitors, customers and other market collaborators. Originality/value This paper offers a deeper perspective of the relations of customer prioritization and product complexity to job stress and customer service performance. This study also specifies business ties as a personal coping resource, which decreases the undesirable consequences when used in small and medium enterprises that adopt customer-centric strategies.

Corporate networking management based on the cost approach

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant drop in the tourism sector. Precarious existence of the tourism agencies can be based on the development of the corporate business network managed by the formation of the key network resource – social capital. This research is aimed at the development and testing of the original toolset for the assessment of social capital and creation of the universal model of corporate networking management based on it. The subject of this article is the social capital of a company. The object is the operating tourism agency of Sverdlovsk Region “Mellow Season” LLC. The information framework is comprised of the corporate financial data for the period from 2014 to 2020. The expediency of implementation of cost approach on the level of individual companies is determined. The algorithm of corporate networking management based on the analysis of sustainable business ties portfolio is offered and tested. The author establishes that the company practices one-time and repeated transactions mainly with non-specific assets; specific assets are used only in transactions with the customers. Typical precontractual costs are the costs for searching information, negotiating, and concluding the contract. Typical postcontractual costs are the costs for monitoring and enforcing the counteragents to discharge their obligations. The author analyzes the information on the components of the social capital. Sustainable business tie was identified with 12 suppliers, 28 tourism agencies, and 158 customers. The analysis of behavioral practices of tourism agencies and expert assessments establishes the efficiency standards of transaction costs. It is also determined that the cost savings from the use of social capital for the company under reviews amount to 46.8% of their volume without its use. The recommendation is made to maintain the existing network of sustainable business ties; use the accumulated trust in sustainable business ties with the customers to expand the client base; shift priorities from the transactions made due to the established mechanism of business procedures towards seeking for new opportunities on the market. The author develops the universal model of corporate networking management.

The too-much-of-a-good-thing effect of new ventures' opportunity development on innovation strategy under the Chinese context

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to reveal how to improve the quality of entrepreneurship by exploring the key factor, opportunity development, impacting the innovation strategy of new ventures. It also introduces political and business ties as moderating variables to reveal the uniqueness of entrepreneurial activities in the Chinese context.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data from 215 entrepreneurs and top executives in Chinese new ventures were gathered through a survey and the statistical method used is the regression model.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that: (1) new ventures' opportunity creation positively impacts innovation strategy, while opportunity discovery has a curvilinear (inverted U-shape) impact on innovation strategy; (2) the relationship between opportunity development and innovation strategy is moderated by political and business ties.Originality/valueThis research analyzes and compares the effect of opportunity discovery and opportunity creation on new ventures' innovation strategy. This research further offers an in-depth understanding of the influence mechanism between opportunity development and innovation strategy among Chinese new ventures. Further, the results provide practical guidance for new ventures to develop innovation strategies and for Chinese governments to make entrepreneurial policies.