Learning from Semantic Inconsistencies as the Origin of Dynamic Capabilities in MNCs: Evidence from Pharmaceutical MNCs

This paper focuses on origins of dynamic capabilities in multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on literature in the area of organizational memory and organizational learning, we investigate factors that contribute to subsidiaries of MNCs ability to detach themselves from obsolete knowledge and practices. To construct the theoretical framework, 11 extensive interviews with marketing and sales executives from three pharmaceutical MNCs operated in Iran were conducted. We test our hypotheses using statistical quantitative analysis of data related to 459 observations from subsidiaries of 51 pharmaceutical MNCs during years 2005-2009. We examine the quality of corrective actions taken by subsidiaries of pharmaceutical MNCs subsequent to subsidiaries failing to meet expected performance objectives. Our findings confirm a moderating role for internationalization, span, and the composition of human resources on the quality of corrective actions pursued

Esforços de capacitação tecnológica das empresas multinacionais no Brasil: 2000-2008

TCC (Graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Socioeconômico. Curso de Graduação em Ciências Econômicas.A presente pesquisa estuda o processo de internacionalização da atividade de P&D no Brasil a fim de verificar os esforços de capacitação tecnológica de empresas multinacionais (EMNs) no País. Para tanto, expõem-se as abordagens teóricas acerca do processo inovativo de Schumpeter e de Neoschumpeterianos. Discute-se também o aparato teórico-analítico do processo de internacionalização da atividade de P&D das EMNs. Analisam-se ainda os esforços de capacitação tecnológica desenvolvidos pelas EMNs no Brasil, com base nos dados da Pesquisa de Inovação Tecnológica (PINTEC) do IBGE, a qual compreende os anos de 1998/2000, 2001/2003, 2003/2005 e 2006/2008. Faz-se também uma descrição analítico-histórica da política científica e tecnológica nacional, do arranjo institucional público voltado a impulsionar o desenvolvimento inovativo e da expansão das atividades de P&D das EMNs no País. Os principais resultados desta pesquisa evidenciam a ínfima contribuição que as empresas estrangeiras multinacionais têm dado ao processo de produção de inovação em território brasileiro, visto que as taxas de inovação e o esforço inovativo empreendido têm sido insuficientes para que se consiga um bom desenvolvimento das atividades inovativas.This research studies the process of internationalization of R&D activity in Brazil from the perspective of technical progress, taking into account the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow in the Brazilian market directed to this activity. Therefore, theoretical approaches are exposed on the innovative process of Schumpeter and Neo-Schumpetarians. This study also discusses the theoretical and analytical analysis of the internationalization of R&D activities of MNCs. In addition, it examines the efforts of technological capabilities developed by MNCs in Brazil, based on data from the Survey of Technological Innovation (PINTEC) IBGE, which comprises the years 1998/2000, 2001/2003, 2003/2005 and 2006 / 2008. Finally, a historical-analytical description was made concerning the national science and technology policy and public institutional arrangement which aimed at boosting the development and expansion of innovative R & D activities of MNCs in the country

Ethics and taxation : a cross-national comparison of UK and Turkish firms

This paper investigates responses to tax related ethical issues facing busines

Trojan Horses or Local Allies: Host-country National Managers in Developing Market Subsidiaries

We investigate a multinational corporation's (MNC) decision to appoint host-country national (HCN) managers to foreign subsidiaries based on the institutional context of and familiarity with the host country. HCN managers are commonly associated with specialized knowledge, superior responsiveness, and higher legitimacy. Yet, we argue that local familiarity of HCNs can also be perceived as risky or harmful by MNC parents. We analyze how formal and informal institutions affect the trade-off between positive effects and potential costs associated with HCN managers ("Local allies" vs. "Trojan horses"). We find that legal institutions protect foreign MNCs from potential costs, encourage the use of HCNs and reinforce their benefits. Corruption and corruption distance, however, increase perceived costs associated with HCN managers up to a point at which they outweigh their perceived benefits

Corruption and Multinational Companies’ Entry Modes.Do Linguistic and Historical Ties Matter?

Extant literature on FDI entry modes and corruption tend to convey the idea that corruption leads to the choice of low equity, i.e. joint-ventures with local partners, or non-equity modes, namely export and contracting, in order to avoid the contact with corrupt state officials. Recently, some studies argument that despite corruption, linguistic and historical ties between home and host countries guide MNCs to prefer high equity modes. Focusing on a rather unexplored setting, the African countries, most specifically the PALOP (Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa), which includes countries with both very high (e.g., Guinea-Bissau, and Angola), high (e.g., Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe) and middle (e.g., Cape Verde) levels of corruption, and that maintain quite close linguistic and historical ties with Portugal, we found that FDI entry mode is associated to the less corrupt markets. Thus, our results do not support the content that cultural and historical links are likely to perform an intermediating role in helping, through fostering foreign direct investment, African countries to overpass the dismissal growth that some have been facing in the last decades. On the contrary, our findings highlight the pressing need for these countries to combat corruption if higher economic growth via FDI attraction is envisioned.Corruption, Emerging Economies, Entry mode

The internationalization of Italian firms in India: some empirical evidences

This study explores the characteristics of Italian foreign direct investment (FDI) in India and aims at filling the gap identified in the literature by providing a comprehensive empirical analysis on this issue. More specifically, we try to understand the reasons behind internationalization decisions in India, the strategic goals associated with them (i.e. manufacturing vs. commercial), the role played by the Indian subsidiary and its value chain configuration. In order to investigate the research questions, a unique database of Italian firms that invested in India was created. The first empirical confirmation we collected was about the low number of Italian companies with subsidiaries in India. In terms of internationalization goals it emerges clearly from the research that the main target is market seeking. In order to acquire that market share Italian companies have organized their subsidiaries as partially independent companies, adopting a typical “Multidomestic” approach customizing products and services to the local needs and demands.Moreover, the industry fragmentation suggests that so far only the best in each class hav approached India. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that it is indeed almost impossible to find two Italian competitors present at the same in India.India, internationalization, FDI, value chain

Inward FDI and firm-specific advantages of Indian manufacturing industries

The unprecedented growth of international productions and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows over the last two decades has led to the upsurge in scientific investigation into the distinctive facets of FDI. Despite the considerable amount of research undertaken, it seems that there is very little comprehensive economic analysis of FDI flows with respect to Indian firms. The present study attempts to bridge this gap by answering the following research question: what are the micro-level causes of FDI inflow, i.e. what are the determinants or pull factors of FDI inflow into Indian domestic firms? In order to analyze this question the study uses a panel data structure constructed over the recent 5 years, ranging from 2006 to 2010 and covering 22 sectors in Indian Manufacturing Industries. Adoption of Fixed and Random effects estimation procedure help to identify that among a set of firm-specific factors, only technological intensity, both in-house and import along with product differentiation have negatively contributed for foreign investors’ shareholding of local firms. The export performance, age, asset size and sales volume are among other remaining firm-specific characteristics which lack effective pulling effects in attracting FDI.Key words: FDI; firm-specific factors; panel data

Managing R&D activities in the Italian red biotech industry. A comparison between Italian independent firms and multinational companies

This paper aims at analysing the main features of R&D activities carried out by the Italian biotech companies. The proposed contribution can be ascribed to the massive stream of research related to the reconfiguration of the value chain activities at the international level. Such a topic has become more and more actual because of both the markets globalisation and diffusion of networked architectures within internationalised companies (see, among others, Bartlett 1986; Bartlett and Goshal 1987, 1990; Bartlett, Doz and Hedlund 1990; Forsgren 1993; Forsgren and Holm 1993; Forsgren, Holm and Johanson 1991, 1992; Forsgren and Johanson 1992; Forsgren and Pedersen 1998; Hedlund 1979, 1980, 1986, 1994; Hedlund and Ridderstrale 1994; Hedlund and Rolander 1990; Lipparini and Fratocchi 1999). Within such a stream of research, we decided to focus the attention on the biotech industry, due to its specific features, that deeply influence both the strategic behaviour of firms and the economic environment of the countries where they operate.Keeping in mind the different types of biotech firms operating at global level, we have decided to focus our attention to a less heterogeneous population. In so doing, we narrowed the analysis to the red biotech segment (that is health care biotech companies which develop drugs and diagnostics), because of its absolute predominance both in Italy (73% of enterprises, 94% of total revenue and 86% of investments1) and at worldwide level (51% of EU firms and 60% of USA ones2). First of all we collected data for a sample of companies operating in the Italian red biotech industry. Particularly, we focused on R&D activities: we tried to quantify its extent, to understand where they are located (domestically or abroad) and the role played by alliances/cooperation with -in and -out the industry. More specifically, in order to reach the goals above described, attention was paid to the aptitude of the Italian country-system to attract investments from abroad. In doing so, we studied separately the Italian independent firms and MNCs. Analysing the peculiarities of how Italian independent firms and MNCs manage R&D activities, we tried to find out the existence of a different approach to R&D investments. The paper is structured in four main sections. In the first one, the main relevant features of biotech firms are discussed and the literature background presented. The second paragraph deals with sample and methodology description. In the third section, the main results regarding the analysis of R&D activities carried out by the red Italian biotech companies are presented. The conclusions complete the paper.Biotech, localisation, R&D, collaborative R&D, MNCs.

International venturing emerging paradigms - a study of the Indian IT industry

Cross border mergers and acquisitions is the fastest means of making an international presence for a business firm. It is a mode of outward FDI which has so far been explained best in terms of Dunning’s OLI framework. The emergence of outbound FDI from the developing world however, has looked at alternate frameworks emphasizing outward orientation, leverage through building linkages and achieving organizational efficiency through integration. The study seeks to explain outbound M&A in the Indian IT industry during 2000-2006, in the changing global competitive scenario .Cross-border mergers and acquisitions; Indian IT, motives; strategy

The internationalization of Chinese and Indian firms: trends, motivations and strategy

The last two decades have seen significant internationalization of firms from developing economies, in terms of their greater participation in international trade, growing outflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), and a recent surge in their cross-border mergers and acquisition activity. Outward investment from developing countries is not a new phenomenon but in recent years there has been a marked increase in the magnitude of flows and a qualitative transformation in their pattern. Within this broad trend, the growing internationalization of firms from two fastgrowing developing countries, China and India, is particularly notable. Exports have been a central feature of the growth of the Chinese economy over the last three decades and, more recently, they have made a visible contribution to Indian growth too. Outward FDI from China and India has grown rapidly in recent years, and firms from these two countries are increasingly involved in overseas mergers and acquisitions