Multinationality and performance literature: a critical review and future research agenda

The literature on the relationship between the degree of multinationality (M) and performance (P) in the context of multinational enterprises (MNEs) has attracted a large volume of research in the past 50 years. Yet, the theoretical foundations and the empirical conclusions concerning the nature of M–P relationship vary greatly, thus call for a critical review and assessment. We examine 135 articles in 39 leading scholarly journals and classic books published during the period 1960–2015. We use an inductive approach and a qualitative content analysis methodology for our comprehensive and critical review of the literature. We incorporate international business, finance, and accounting perspectives in our analysis. We review the conceptualization and measurement of M, P, the findings on M–P relationships, methodologies, and geographic focus. We identify six key inconsistencies in the existing research, which cause ambiguity in the relevant findings. We make eight recommendations for future research to address these inconsistencies. Thus, our study contributes to the central debate in this research field

ICT, Financial Sector Development and Financial Access

This study assesses the role of ICT (internet and mobile phone penetration) in complementing financial sector development (financial formalization and informalization) for financial access. The empirical evidence is based on generalized method of moments with 53 African countries for the period 2004–2011. The following findings are established from linkages between ICT, financial sector development and financial activity. First, the interaction between ICT and financial formalization (informalization) decreases (increases) financial activity. Second, with regard to net effects, the expected signs are established for the most part. In spite of the negative marginal effects from financial informalization, the overall net effects are positive. Third, the potentially appealing interaction between ICT and informalization produces positive thresholds that are within ranges. Policy implications are discussed in three main strands. They include implications for (i) mobile/internet banking, (ii) a quiet life and (iii) ICT in reducing information asymmetry and surplus liquidity

Cost and profit efficiency of conventional and Islamic banks in GCC countries

Banking, Cost efficiency, Profit efficiency, Islamic banks, Stochastic frontier approach, GCC countries, C30, G21,

A three-stage theory of international expansion: the link between multinationality and performance in the service sector

It is generally assumed that the performance of a firm improves with greatermultinationality. Yet recent empirical studies have shown both a U-shapedrelationship (which suggests an initially negative effect of international expansionon performance, before the positive returns of international expansion arerealized) and an inverted-U-shaped relationship (which suggests thatinternational expansion beyond an optimal level is again detrimental toperformance, and results in a negative slope). This paper proposes a new unifiedthree-stage theory of international expansion that incorporates both concepts in asigmoid hypothesis. It then tests this on data from 11 service industries,highlighting the difference between knowledge-based and capital-intensiveservice sectors. Journal of International Business Studies (2003) 34,5–18. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400003