Microfoundations of Strategic Agility in Emerging Markets: Empirical Evidence of Italian MNEs in India

We propose the individual-level microfoundations of subsidiary CEOs in emerging markets as antecedents of the strategic agility of multinational enterprises, and subsidiary embeddedness as a key organizational-level moderator of these relationships. Combining quantitative data on subsidiary CEOs operating in India with qualitative interviews with Italian HQ counterparts, our results suggest that subsidiary CEOs’ tenure in emerging markets, along with their overall experience, affects MNE strategic agility positively. Similarly, CEOs’ cognitive characteristics - problem solving and reasoning, and language and communication skills (individual-level microfoundations) - affected strategic agility positively, while subsidiary embeddedness moderated these relationships in different ways, leaving space for fresh managerial and theoretical considerations. © 2021

Cause-related marketing, legitimacy and internationalization of professional service firms:a case study of a football talent scouting microfirm

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the role of legitimacy in internationalization to Africa of a Finnish professional service microfirm, which uses cause-related marketing (CRM) as the business model. Design/methodology/approach: The paper consists of a single case study of a microfirm (two employees) originating from Finland, which has successfully internationalized to many African countries. Due to the uniqueness of the context, the authors use semi-structured interviews to collect founders’ insights to the issue being addressed. Moreover, along with interviews, secondary sources related to football talent scouting in Africa are also utilized in the paper. Findings: The authors found that the case company was established with the aim of helping and uplifting poor African footballers, so the business model is CRM. It has scouted many of them for professional football clubs in Europe. The authors further found that sociopolitical legitimacy plays a major role in dealing with African footballers and local stakeholders, while cognitive legitimacy helped the case firm gain the trust of European football clubs. Originality/value: Internationalization of microfirms operating in the service sector is a rather under-researched area compared to the internationalization of SMEs and large MNEs. The paper is one of the first to study internationalization of a professional service microfirm involved in scouting football talent in Africa and matchmaking them with European football clubs. It contributes to extant CRM and internationalization literature by being one of the first to analyze a firm whose business model revolves around CRM and discussing specific roles of different kinds of legitimacies needed for internationalization to Africa in this specific service sector

International joint ventures research on Africa: A systematic literature review, propositions, and contextualization

This study reviewed the research on international joint ventures (IJVs) in Africa up to 2017. The authors performed a systematic search of peer-reviewed good quality research using the 6W procedure and ensuring the quality of the review by using the 5Cs quality criteria. The content analysis was focused on four research questions. A total of 22 relevant studies were found. Overall, only about one-third of the lead authors were affiliated with African universities. A majority of the studies were quantitative, and 78% of the studies were done for three countries: Ghana, Morocco, and Nigeria. There was either just one or no study on trust and conflict, partner selection, and human resource management (HRM). At the contextual level, it seems that the most important factor influencing IJV strategy and success is institutions. We therefore suggest a greater use of institutional theory. Finally, we present a summary conceptual framework and four propositions to guide future research.©2021 Wiley. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Oguji, N., Degbey, W. Y. & Owusu, R. A. (2021). International joint ventures research on Africa: A systematic literature review, propositions, and contextualization, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21993. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Version of Record online: 04 June 2018fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed