THE USE of CONSORTIA for the INTERNATIONALIZATION of FIRMS – MOTA-ENGIL CASE STUDY

Internationalization has been widely studied throughout the years. Broadly, it has been predicted as irrevocable and having increasing impact on firm-related strategy. Within entry modes, consortium, has not received as much attention as others. Hence, it seems important to understand how this specific entry mode allows the entrance of firms in the international markets. This study intends to answer the question of “how” to internationalize, anticipating the consortium as the most feasible way for construction firms to enter certain markets. The reasons that determine its choice concern the specificness of the projects, markets and of the firm. In the first part of the study, we review the existent literature on consortia as an entry mode and as a tool of internationalization used by construction firms. Through this review we build a framework that reveals the motivations that lead to this choice. In the second part, we present the case study of Mota-Engil, as a potential source of valuable information which may contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon under study. This case study corroborates the motivations found to create consortia. The paper closes with its contributions, limitations and suggestions for future researches.consortia, internationalization, cooperation, construction

Domestic Impact of Internationalisation: The case of JM

The influence of internationalisation processes in the domestic activities of firms’ has not been considered as an important issue in existing models, because they tend to focus on a partial and restricted view of the firm. The purpose of this paper is to challenge that view by attempting a dynamic view of the firm is which primal importance is given to the relationship between international and domestic activities. The main research question is whether domestic activities can be significantly affected by international activities, namely knowledge transfer. Results confirm the dynamic approach adopted by firms however there are no definitive answers in terms of the domestic impact of internationalisation. Despite clear hints of evidence for the internationaldomestic relationship, there was no confirmation of this relationship at the financial level.

The use of consortia in the internationalization of construction firms – Mota-Engil study case

Paper also presented at: 2nd Annual Copenhagen Conference on Partnerships: crating innovative solutions through collaboration, Copenhagen, 17-18 November.The phenomenon of internationalization has been actively studied, throughout the years. In its wide approach, it has been predicted as irrevocable and of increasing impact in the firm-related strategy. The way by which the internationalization occurs is connected with the modes used to enter in foreign markets, which have been also industriously scrutinized. One of those modes, the consortium, has not received as much attention as others. Thus, it seems important to understand how consortia allow the settlement of firms in the international markets. This study intends to answer the question of “how” to internationalize, anticipating the consortium as the most feasible way for construction firms to enter in certain markets. The reasons which determine its choice are related with aspects concerning the specificness of the projects, markets and of the firm in question. In the first part of the study, is introduced the revision of literature already existing about consortia as a entry mode and a tool of internationalization used by construction firms, resulting a analysis matrix which reveals the motivations conducive to their choice. In the second part, it is presented the study-case of Mota-Engil, as a potential source of valuable information which may contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon under study. The case-study allows corroborating the motivations found to create the consortia. The study culminates with a combination of contributions, limitations and suggestions for future researches

The impact of trust in international alliances - how satisfied are foreign companies with their cooperation with Portuguese partners?

This study will focus on the impact of trust, as a culturally defined characteristic of societies, in the performance of the alliances taking place between Portuguese partners and foreign ones. It is a work in progress and it involves different aspects to be dealt with at the same time: trust, national culture and cooperation. The operationalisation of those aspects will be done by the use of both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The results may help managers to develop a trust production process that may enable the achievement of their objectives throughout collaborative forms and its importance in internationalisation processes. The overall aim is filling some gaps identified in the literature in terms of the overlapping characteristics of presented topics, namely its actionability. Thus far, it has been done some research about trust and cooperative strategies that will be summarized in sections 1 and 2. The following sections will sum up the efforts done concerning model development and the methodology to use. The last part will recap work done to date and present intentions in terms of research

Empirical test of the trust – performance link in international alliances context

This paper focuses on the influence of trust on international alliances performance. Trust has been theoretically recognised to produce positive effects on alliances success. However, the link has rarely been empirically proven. We elaborate on the major difficulties that may explain this and propose a model for the understanding of that influence, where trust antecedents are also considered. The link is validated through primary data collected from 232 international alliances of Portuguese firms and analysed through structural equation modelling

Late starter: a situation or a process?

This paper critically evaluates the assumptions of the network model of internationalisation in terms of a firm’s market knowledge. The discussion is illustrated with the entry of a Portuguese firm into the United States, which can be regarded as a situation of Late Starter. The case suggests that foreign market entry cannot be dissociated from the firm’s ability to acquire knowledge through relationships with other firms. The notion of situations in the network model of internationalisation should thus be reformulated in order to consider the sub-processes they are associated with. One such a process is the firm’s acquisition of objective knowledge and experiential knowledge

Toward a model of inter-organisational cooperation

The technological development along with the fall of most political barriers has made the world a smaller place. Firms, even those that focus their operations in the domestic market, face an increasing competition. These phenomena have introduced an important shift in the way the competitiveness issue must be regarded. In fact, in a growing number of cases it is a matter of being competitive in webs of relationships where the particular position assumed by one firm is likely to affect not only its own performance but also the evolution of other players. The objective of this paper is to shed a new light on competitiveness supported by collaborative arrangements. The authors develop a model of inter-organizational cooperation based on four attributes: interests, resources, activities and trust

Manufacturing backshoring and direct brand creation: evidence from the footwear industry in Italy and Portugal

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