Six Decades of International Business Research: Where Next?

This article portrays the evolution of international business (IB) literature. We review the main issues and theoretical assumptions that have dominated research in the IB field during the last sixty years. Moreover, on the basis of the essential paradigms developed, we analyse what issues are of interest and may represent a potentially fruitful arena in which to develop future scholarly research

Roles estratégicos de las filiales de las multinacionales industriales en Cataluña

[spa] Esta investigación tiene como principal objetivo identificar el comportamiento estratégico de las multinacionales industriales extranjeras presentes en Cataluña. Mientras existen numerosos estudios que tratan estos aspectos para filiales situadas en otros países -por ejemplo, el Reino Unido (Taggart, 1998), Canadá (White y Poynter, 1984) y Escocia (Young, Hood y Dunlop, 1988)-, todavía no existe ningún estudio referido a Cataluña. La presente investigación pretende cubrir dicho vacío analizando qué tipos de roles estratégicos asumen las filiales catalanas de las multinacionales industriales extranjeras, así como determinar su evolución a lo largo del tiempo. Este análisis puede contribuir a una mejor comprensión de los efectos de las estrategias de las corporaciones multinacionales sobre la industria y la economía catalana. La tesis se estructura en ocho capítulos. En el primero capítulo, se expone el estado de la cuestión sobre las estrategias de internacionalización de las empresas. En el segundo capítulo se lleva a cabo una aproximación cuantitativa sobre la presencia de las multinacionales extranjeras en el sector industrial catalán; esta estimación corresponde al período 1971-2000. En los capítulos tercero, cuarto y quinto se exponen la metodología empleada en la investigación y el modelo utilizado para el análisis y las características de las empresas objeto de estudio. En los capítulos seis y siete se exponen los resultados de la investigación en términos de los diversos roles estratégicos de las filiales catalanas en el momento actual así como su evolución desde su implantación en Cataluña. El trabajo concluye con un capítulo de resumen y conclusiones, en el que se exponen las principales aportaciones de la investigación, junto con las consideraciones finales y las implicaciones de los distintos roles estratégicos sobre la industria catalana, así como las futuras líneas de investigación

España como destino de las multinacionales de países emergentes

Este artículo analiza la presencia directa de las multinacionales de países emergentes (EMNEs) en España. Los resultados muestran que nuestro país no es ajeno a esta inversión extranjera. Aunque este fenómeno es todavía reciente y relativamente pequeño comparado con la inversión de multinacionales de otros países desarrollados, sí se observa una clara tendencia al alza. A partir de fuentes secundarias se han identificado 515 filiales de EMNEs, entre las que destacan las asiáticas, las de Oriente Medio y las multilatinas. Para estas últimas, España ocupa un papel clave dentro de su estrategia de expansión internacional. En consecuencia, es necesario implantar una política eficaz a largo plazo no solo centrándose como hasta ahora en la captación de nueva inversión de países desarrollados, sino también apostando por atraer la inversión de nuevas economías emergentes

QUICKSERV: a service quality assessment tool for the quick-service restaurant industry

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to empirically develop and validate a practical, consistent and specific scale to assess perceived service quality at the service encounter at quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Design/methodology/approach - Development and validation of the scale involved a five-stage process. Data were collected from 430 customers of a QSR belonging to an international brand located in Barcelona. Surveys were applied immediately after the service encounter, using the face-to-face method. The scale development procedure involved exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings - The results suggest a specific and parsimonious measurement scale, whose structure comprises 14 items in four dimensions. In contrast to previous studies, this study identified the appropriateness of splitting the interaction quality dimension into two single dimensions, one focusing on the interaction time and other on staff-customer interaction. Furthermore, these indicate that a speedy service, pleasant treatment and food quality are the most valued attributes in QSR. Practical implications - This scale is a useful instrument to administer and assure service quality standards within QSR management systems. Its practical approach and short survey length ease data collection, considering that customers spend short amounts of time in this type of restaurant. Furthermore, it could also be used by franchisors and restaurant operators as a tool to monitor continuing compliance with service quality standards. Originality/value - The resulting scale introduces a novel four-factor structure with high goodness of fit to effectively measure customers' perceived service quality in QSRs, where the ease of use and speed of gathering client responses are a key factor for successful implementation

The nascence of a springboard subsidiary: drivers of the evolution of a subsidiary role

The aim of this study is to explore the drivers of the evolution of a subsidiary's strategic role from an ordinary subsidiary into a springboard subsidiary in multinational corporations, paying special attention to the role of subsidiary management in this transformation (...

Mitigating the Isomorphic Conflicts Faced by EMNEs in Southern Europe: The Case of Chinese Subsidiaries in Spain

Emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) are rapidly increasing their foreign direct investment around the world and, in particular, in the countries of Southern Europe. Although, international business scholars have been quick to put the spotlight on this new phenomenon, the cultural adaptation of EMNE subsidiaries to host-country environments, especially those of Europe, has remained largely unexamined. This question acquires particular relevance owing to the considerable cultural distance between emerging and developed economies and the isomorphic conflicts that can arise at the subsidiary level. Here, we examine this situation by reporting two case studies of Chinese subsidiaries operating in Spain. Our findings suggest that guanxi – the deep-rooted system of personal relations and social connections founded on mutual interests – plays a major role in the search for legitimacy undertaken by Chinese subsidiaries located in Southern Europe. The adoption and adaptation of Chinese cultural values and practices to the local environment allow the subsidiary to align itself with the culture of the parent organization at the same time as it embeds itself in the host environment, thus resolving any isomorphic conflicts

La globalización como desencadenante de la transformación de las empresas del clúster textil-confección hacia el clúster textil-moda en Cataluña. Análisis del caso BASI

Recientemente, los clusters de la industria textil y de la confección españoles han sufrido profundos cambios a raíz del proceso de globalización de la economía. La entrada de China en 2001 en la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC) y la eliminación de todas las restricciones a la importación de productos textiles y de la confección en Europa en enero de 2005 han provocado la irrupción de las importaciones asiáticas en los mercados europeos así como la caída de los precios medios de los productos textiles. Este nuevo escenario ha supuesto un cambio radical en las reglas del juego para la industria textil española, que ha obligado a las empresas con modelos de negocio tradicionales basados en las economías de aglomeración a tener que reinventarse para poder sobrevivir ante el nuevo escenario global

El éxito de la estrategia internacional de Fluidra. Análisis del modelo de negocio

En contraste con la concepción tradicional de la internacionalización de la empresa como un proceso lento y progresivo, reservado a las grandes corporaciones multinacionales, en la última década numerosas empresas, no necesariamente de gran tamaño, deciden abordar los mercados extranjeros casi desde su misma fundación. Este fenómeno, conocido en la literatura como international new ventures o born global, (Knight et al., 2004; Knight y Cavusgil, 1996; Oviatt y McDougall, 1997) hace referencia a la internacionalización acelerada experimentada por un número creciente de pequeñas y medianas empresas de reciente creación (Pla y León, 2004; Rialp et al., 2005). La tendencia creciente de este tipo de empresas cuestiona algunos de los paradigmas tradicionalmente establecidos en el campo del International Business despertando gran interés por su estudio

Corporate financial structure and firm's decision to export

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the decision to export in relation to financial issues, specifically the impact of corporate financial structure on a firm's export propensity (the likelihood of a firm becoming an exporter) by firm size. Design/methodology/approach - A multivariate probit model is applied to a sample of 8,019 Spanish manufacturing firms drawn from the Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System (SABI). The analysis is performed separately for small, medium and large firms. Findings - The paper evidences, by firm size, a positive link between ownership concentration and export propensity, although for SMEs if shareholder concentration is very high it can be counterproductive. In addition, a high degree of liquidity influences the probability of entering export markets, while those firms that face high costs as result of their export activity may need to become indebted in order to secure the necessary financial resources. However, the strength of these latter effects differs in SMEs. Originality/value - This paper broadens the understanding of the relationship between firms' export propensity and their financial health and ownership concentration, an internal factor not previously considered in the international business literature despite its relevance for firm's decision to export. The paper highlights that their influence is not uniform but affects firms of different sizes in different ways. This is of interest and value to scholars, investors and policy makers worldwide, since handling corporate financial structure and international strategies needs to be addressed in today's global business environment. Keywords Capital structure, Ownership structure, Financial constraints, Export propensity, Small and medium-size enterprises Paper type Research pape

Knowledge sharing and subsidiary R&D mandate development: A matter of dual embeddedness

Sharing knowledge across borders has proven to be especially relevant to multinational corporations (MNCs). Foreign subsidiaries have become active players in these knowledge flows. However, the network effects of interacting with multiple agents on the evolution of the R&D role played by subsidiaries are still undeveloped. The present study focuses on changes in subsidiary capabilities and on the dynamic mechanisms by which their R&D role might evolve, especially, as a consequence of their interaction with a variety of knowledge networks. We examine this issue by conducting four longitudinal case studies of subsidiaries operating in Spain. Using an inductive approach to theory building, we develop a general theoretical framework considering the subsidiary's embeddedness in the knowledge networks within the MNC (internal) and within the host country (external). We find that evolving towards a competence-creating mandate is characterised by the simultaneous growth of embeddedness in both internal and external networks; otherwise, a subsidiary may gravitate away from upgrading its R&D role. Thus, the contribution of this paper is to present a dynamic model that sheds light on how internal and external knowledge embeddedness interact in generating outcomes for subsidiary R&D roles