Internationalization strategies of frontier Lusophone-African multinational enterprises: comparative case studies of Angola and Mozambique

Internationalization theories suggest that enterprises from emerging and frontier markets will adopt different entry modes than those in advanced economies. There are very few studies to date, however, examining the process of how multi-national enterprises (MNEs) from frontier markets internationalize or evaluating which factors influence their mode of entry into global markets. This research investigates the internationalization strategies of Lusophone Africa MNEs from Angola and Mozambique, more specifically their entry mode, to expand the framework for entry mode strategies to include the motivations and issues of MNEs from emerging and frontier economies. Surveys, as well as in-depth, in-country, qualitative interviews reveal that these frontier and emerging market MNEs opted for equity-based investment strategies as their preferred mode of entry. A significant group second group opted for e-commerce/e-business strategies, and direct and indirect exports. Finally, a smaller portion of the interviewees chose Greenfield investment as a mode of entry. Many of these MNEs could be classified as born global/INV.https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2017.1335127Accepted manuscriptPublished versio

Social media as a data gathering tool for international business qualitative research: opportunities and challenges

Lusophone African (LA) multinational enterprises (MNEs) are becoming a significant pan-African and global economic force regarding their international presence and influence. However, given the extreme poverty and lack of development in their home markets, many LA enterprises seeking to internationalize lack resources and legitimacy in international markets. Compared to higher income emerging markets, Lusophone enterprises in Africa face more significant challenges in their internationalization efforts. Concomitantly, conducting significant international business (IB) research in these markets to understand these MNEs internationalization strategies can be a very daunting task. The fast-growing rise of social media on the Internet, however, provides an opportunity for IB researchers to examine new phenomena in these markets in innovative ways. Unfortunately, for various reasons, qualitative researchers in IB have not fully embraced this opportunity. This article studies the use of social media in qualitative research in the field of IB. It offers an illustrative case based on qualitative research on internationalization modes of LAMNEs conducted by the authors in Angola and Mozambique using social media to identify and qualify the population sample, as well as interact with subjects and collect data. It discusses some of the challenges of using social media in those regions of Africa and suggests how scholars can design their studies to capitalize on social media and corresponding data as a tool for qualitative research. This article underscores the potential opportunities and challenges inherent in the use of social media in IB-oriented qualitative research, providing recommendations on how qualitative IB researchers can design their studies to capitalize on data generated by social media.https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2019.1634406https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2019.1634406https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2019.1634406https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2019.1634406Accepted manuscriptPublished versio

Internationalisation strategies of African MNEs: a case analysis of Angolan and Mozambican enterprises

This study investigates the internationalisation strategies of Lusophone Africa multinational enterprises (LAMNEs) from Angola and Mozambique. While previous scholarship examining the investment decisions and actual investment commitments found that MNEs make choices to internationalise incrementally to reduce uncertainty, this research expands this body of scholarship by identifying Angolan and Mozambican MNEs that were born global or created to become international new ventures (INVs). Key implications of this study suggests that despite several disadvantages faced by entrepreneurs in frontier economies, particularly in Angola and Mozambique LAMNEs relied on external resources to launch themselves into international markets, utilising web-enabled digital and virtual resources, such as the Internet, social media and online professional communities of practice. In addition, most did not enter foreign markets alone and chose to rely on modes of entry that included joint ventures and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), e-commerce, and e-business.https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEXPORTM.2019.101809Accepted manuscriptPublished versio

Lusophone-African SME internationalization: a case for born global and international joint ventures

This study investigates the internationalization strategies of Lusophone Africa multinational enterprises (MNEs) from Angola and Mozambique, more specifically their entry mode. Information was gathered through a survey of 29 MNEs upper management respondents and subsequent face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 24 of them in their countries. The results suggest that most MNEs opted for equity-based investment strategies, mainly joint venture and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as their preferred mode of entry when internationalizing. A significant group of them opted for e-commerce/e-business strategies and direct and indirect exports. A smaller portion of the interviewees chose Greenfield investment as a mode of entry. Many of these MNEs could be classified as born global/international new venture (INV). Finally, this study presents a conceptual framework for use in studying the entry mode choice of enterprises from Lusophone Africa frontier markets and presents research propositions for better understanding the determinants of entry mode strategies of enterprise from Angola and Mozambique.https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2019.1634406Accepted manuscriptPublished versio

“Madam President: Changing Depictions of Female Presidents in American Popular Culture”

Film and television, as forms of popular culture, have the ability to both reflect and shape attitudes about a wide range of topics, including the American presidency. The role of popular media in shaping attitudes about political phenomena is particularly relevant in democracies where public opinion drives both the election and policy-making processes. Drawing on literature in political science, communication studies, and women’s and gender studies, this article analyzes fictional portrayals of female presidents since the 1920s, as they both represent and challenge prevailing national attitudes about gender and the American presidency. The article identifies three key messages derived from popular cultural depictions of women presidents between 1980 and 2008, including how women presidents gain access to the nation’s highest office, the ways in which masculine traits are valued in the administration of that office, and the unique challenges of negotiating the gender “double-binds” that women presidents are subject to beyond the Oval Office

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) production utilizing brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) flow-through aquaculture effluent

Dissolved nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) present in flow-through aquaculture effluent can pose the risk of eutrophication to receiving streams when discharged from flow-through systems. One potential solution to prevent nutrient loading is the establishment of an integrated system that cultures green plants in the effluent. The objectives of this research were to determine watercress\u27 (Nasturtium officinale) growth and nutrient contents in both a hydroponic controlled environment and a flow-through aquaponic production system utilizing brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) aquaculture effluent; and to evaluate various treatments to determine the best cultural conditions for watercress in the aquaponic system for optimization as a nutrient recovery option for and value-added by-product to fish production. A 6-week long hydroponic and three 12-week long aquaponic experiments were conducted to meet these objectives. The hydroponic experiment studied the effects of light intensity and nutrient solution concentration and the aquaponic experiments studied the effects of water velocity, plant density, growing media, location, and season on watercress growth and nutrient contents. Whole plants were sampled for growth data (fresh weights, lengths, and dry weights) and dried tissue was analyzed for total N and P content. All experiments were randomized complete block (RCB) designs with three replications per treatment. Growth and nutrient data were analyzed separately and all significance was determined using SAS software. Data from the hydroponic experiment indicated that watercress growth and nutrient contents were greatest in the intermediate light intensity. The half-strength Hoagland\u27s nutrient solution treatment resulted in significantly longer plants but had no significance on fresh weight or nutrient content versus the full-strength nutrient solution treatment. Overall, results from the aquaponic experiments provided that watercress growth was significantly greater when grown in the high water velocity, high plant density, paper growing medium, Aquaponic Production Greenhouse (APG), and spring season treatments. These treatments also resulted in greater nutrient contents in dry tissue, with the exception of greater nutrient contents in plants grown during the winter season. Nutrient sufficiency ranges may or may not have been met in the various experiments which suggest that the effluent may be nutrient limiting at times. In conclusion, watercress production is possible utilizing brook trout flow-through aquaculture effluent. The risk of nutrient loading from the system studied is insignificant because watercress growth and nutrient contents were not significant among treatments exposed and not exposed to effluent. Therefore, the focus of this integrated watercress and trout production system becomes a sustainable agriculture versus a phytoremediation approach that takes advantage of resources already available. Watercress could also serve as a secondary marketable crop for farmers to potentially increase farm income

Perceptions of Lifeguard Training Programs from Park District Aquatic Managers in Illinois

The responses from park district personnel concerning the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training program (ARCLTP) and the Ellis & Associates National Pool and Waterpark Lifeguard Training program (E&ALTP) were examined and analyzed in this study. Subjects were employees from park districts, which are members of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and/or the Illinois Park & Recreation Association. Data were collected by a questionnaire, which measured each lifeguard training program\u27s rescue procedures in terms of: l) emergency action plans, 2) communication systems, 3) entries, 4) approaches, 5) rescues, 6) risk management and 7) legalistic concerns. Demographic data were analyzed by frequency counts and percentages. A chi-square analysis with a .05 level of significance was computed on selected responses from subjects. The results of the study yielded a relatively small number of significant differences between the lifeguard training programs. There were five statements which exhibited a significant difference. Whistles were more commonly used as a communication device than hand signals for both programs. E&ALTP facilities more frequently than ARCLTP facilities had lifeguards jump directly off their stands when entering deep water for an emergency. ARCLTP lifeguards were much more apt to dive off the deck in deep water to rescue a victim. The entry most commonly used by E&ALTP was the compact jump entry. Because the E&ALTP requires a lifeguard to possess a rescue tube, all of E&ALTP respondents agreed that lifeguards carry a piece of equipment while on duty. Because ARCLTP lifeguards were taught lifesaving skills which do not require the use of equipment, these facilities indicated having equipment 5-10 feet from the lifeguard chair instead of carrying equipment. The other 15 statements in the questionnaire did not exhibit a statistical difference. Due to the variation of the answers received, the author cannot conclude that aquatic managers perceived either program to be superior to the other. A lack of substantial difference in the data demonstrates that each certification meets the requirements of an efficient lifeguard training program

Perceptions of Lifeguard Training Programs from Park District Aquatic Managers in Illinois

The responses from park district personnel concerning the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training program (ARCLTP) and the Ellis & Associates National Pool and Waterpark Lifeguard Training program (E&ALTP) were examined and analyzed in this study. Subjects were employees from park districts, which are members of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and/or the Illinois Park & Recreation Association. Data were collected by a questionnaire, which measured each lifeguard training program\u27s rescue procedures in terms of: l) emergency action plans, 2) communication systems, 3) entries, 4) approaches, 5) rescues, 6) risk management and 7) legalistic concerns. Demographic data were analyzed by frequency counts and percentages. A chi-square analysis with a .05 level of significance was computed on selected responses from subjects. The results of the study yielded a relatively small number of significant differences between the lifeguard training programs. There were five statements which exhibited a significant difference. Whistles were more commonly used as a communication device than hand signals for both programs. E&ALTP facilities more frequently than ARCLTP facilities had lifeguards jump directly off their stands when entering deep water for an emergency. ARCLTP lifeguards were much more apt to dive off the deck in deep water to rescue a victim. The entry most commonly used by E&ALTP was the compact jump entry. Because the E&ALTP requires a lifeguard to possess a rescue tube, all of E&ALTP respondents agreed that lifeguards carry a piece of equipment while on duty. Because ARCLTP lifeguards were taught lifesaving skills which do not require the use of equipment, these facilities indicated having equipment 5-10 feet from the lifeguard chair instead of carrying equipment. The other 15 statements in the questionnaire did not exhibit a statistical difference. Due to the variation of the answers received, the author cannot conclude that aquatic managers perceived either program to be superior to the other. A lack of substantial difference in the data demonstrates that each certification meets the requirements of an efficient lifeguard training program