Network centrality and organizational aspirations: A behavioral interaction in the context of international strategic alliances

Whereas social network analysis has been associated with organizational aspirations, little is known on how firm's structural positioning, and particularly network centrality, affects organizational aspirations to engage in international strategic alliances (ISA). This study examines the impact of network centrality on firm's internationalization behavior within the ISA domain in response to the performance-aspiration gap. We build on social and behavioral perspectives to predict that network centrality and performance-based aspirations will be associated with the number of ISA the firm engages in. Using a sample of 7760 alliance collaborations from the top 81 global pharmaceutical firms for the period of 1991-2012, we find supporting evidence for most of our arguments

Gender gaps and reentry into entrepreneurial ecosystems after business failure

Despite the significant role played by serial entrepreneurs in the entrepreneurial process, we know little about group differences in reentry decisions after business failure. Using an ecosystems framework and stigma theory, we investigate the variance in gender gaps related to the reentry decisions of 8,171 entrepreneurs from 35 countries who experienced business failures. We find evidence of persisting gender gaps that vary across ecosystem framework conditions of public stigma of business failure and public fear of business failure. Our findings shed new light on ecosystem inefficiencies that arise from multiple interactions between entrepreneurs and institutions

Sourcing Technological Knowledge Through Foreign Inward Licensing to Boost the Performance of Indian Firms: The Contingent Effects of Internal R&D and Business Group Affiliation

Sourcing technological knowledge from abroad is becoming a popular strategy among emerging market firms (EMFs). Combining the Knowledge-Based View and the Resource Dependence Theory, we argue that augmenting technological knowledge through foreign licensing enables EMFs to access state-of-the-art technological knowledge, reduce operational costs and risks associated to the innovation process, and develop a knowledge-based competitive advantage, ultimately boosting their financial performance. Using data about Indian firms observed from 2001 to 2013, we find that firms with a higher share of foreign inward technology licenses report better financial performance. However, the positive impact of technological knowledge accessed through inward licensing on firm performance is contingent upon: (1) the internal knowledge developed through R&D activity, and (2) the affiliation with business groups. While Indian firms with higher level of internal R&D are able to better leverage the value of foreign technological knowledge, thus reaching higher performance, firms affiliated to business groups gain fewer benefits from licensed foreign technological knowledge than non-business-group affiliated firms

On the performance of technology-sourcing partnerships: the interaction between partner interdependence and technology attributes

This study examines the outcomes of technology-sourcing partnerships from the sourcing firms' point of view. Using a knowledge-based perspective, the authors develop a contingency model suggesting how the imitability, uniqueness, and uncertainty associated with a technology interact with partner interdependence to influence sourcing outcomes. Ninety-five sourcing arrangements spanning licensing, joint development, and acquisitions were examined close to the time of conception and three to four years afterward. Overall, the results support a contingency framework

When do firms rely on their knowledge spillover recipients for guidance in exploring unfamiliar knowledge?

2014-2015 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journal201901_a bcmaVersion of RecordPublishe

Translating theoretical logics across borders: organizational characteristics, structural mechanisms and contextual factors in international alliances

In this essay, I critically review the 2006 JIBS Decade Award article by Lyles and Salk ‘Knowledge acquisition from foreign parents in international joint ventures (IJVs): An empirical examination in the Hungarian context’. This article develops theoretical arguments and empirically tests a two-stage research question: (1) What are the organizational characteristics and structural mechanisms between IJV parents that influence knowledge acquisition from the foreign parent, and (2) what is the relationship between knowledge acquisition and performance in Hungarian IJVs? The most important contribution is the focus on both the antecedents and the consequences of knowledge acquisition in IJVs. I also discuss subsequent research that draws heavily on the conceptual or empirical findings of the 2006 JIBS Decade Award paper. I conclude by suggesting areas of future research in the field of knowledge transfer, organizational learning and international strategic alliances. Journal of International Business Studies (2007) 38, 38–46. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400254

Are entrepreneurial cultures stable over time? Historical evidence from China

Are entrepreneurial cultures stable over time? In this paper, we use historicalmeasures of the outgrowth of entrepreneurial culture in China and test whether these correlate with entrepreneurial activities today. We employ provincial panel data from China documenting the regional distribution of entrepreneurial activities during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and private firm activities in post-reform China (1992–2012). Our study finds a significant association between the regional distribution of historical and current measures of entrepreneurship, supporting (1) the long-term stability of underlying regional cultural differences; and (2) the adaptability of entrepreneurial activities to changing institutional arrangements and relative payoff structures. These results are robust to numerous alternative explanations, including geography, agglomeration advantages, education, and technology.Our findings suggest that government efforts to encourage new business ventures—if they are to have more than short-term effects—will need to take into account local cultural norms