PERFORMANCE OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS (MNCs): THE INFLUENCE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) CAPABILITY AND MARKETING CAPABILITY (MC)

Following the RBV, firms have been motivated to develop capabilities in order to operate and obtain better performance. Whereas technological capabilities, such as R&D capabilities have been highlighted in this regard, other capabilities, such as Marketing capabilities have been gaining attention. Further, whether both sets of capabilities seem relevant for firms overall, they assume a key importance for firms operating in international, more complex, settings. Previous studies have been providing understanding in these issues. Yet, most assume a developed country perspective. Considering the increasing role of developing economies worldwide, this study examines data on MNCs from both developed and developing countries. Specifically, the current research studies the influence of R&D and Marketing capabilities on performance. The results show that R&D capability has a positive influence on performance, whereas Marketing capability showed no statistical significance. In addition, the level of development of the MNCs’ country positively moderates the relationship between Marketing capability and performance