The International Biotechnology Industry: A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective

This paper extends our understanding of the diffusion of technology across firms and nations. The dynamic capabilities perspective in its micro and macro version provides the theoretical framework for an explanation of the international organization of the biotechnology industry. We address two interrelated aspects of the phenomenon of international diffusion: organizational form and geographical flows. An examination of the empirical profile lends support to the dynamic capabilities argument.© 2000 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (2000) 31, 325–335

Reassessing (home-)regionalisation

Alan Rugman and co-authors argue that globalisation, and with it global strategy, is a myth. This contention rests on a taxonomy of the world's largest firms based on their sales, showing an overwhelming share of home-regional firms. We question the rationales underpinning their classification scheme. When retesting the data using different schema we find that the original results are far from robust, with a significant share of firms attaining bi-regional or global status. Further longitudinal analysis shows that large firms increasingly are extending their sales beyond the home region. Our results defy regionalisation theory in its current form, and we call for refinements through further research. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 184–196. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400345

Regionalization strategies of European Union electric utilities

As part of the debate about globalization and regionalization, this paper adds a perspective that has so far remained underexposed, that of (formerly state-owned) firms in (previously) regulated industries, in order to better understand the (changing) role of the home country/region in internationalization processes in the context of regional market liberalization. We explore the global/regional orientations of the seven major European Union electric utilities from five different home countries, which are active in both fossil-fuel and renewable energy generation. Using a multiple case study design, we collected internationalization/regionalization data from firms' annual reports for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, supplemented with an analysis of secondary sources. Firms show a clear pattern of increasing internationalization away from the home-country market, coupled with a home-region orientation for traditional generation activities which differs from the more international, wider and often multiple regional presences in the newer renewables business for some firms. Institutional factors are argued to play an important role in both processes. Findings suggest distinct regionalization patterns for business units and different firm-specific advantages, with strategic opportunities related to asset positions. Home-country effects may be linked to a heterogeneous firm-specific home-region liability of foreignness, resulting in incomplete home-region internationalization in most case

Internationalization and hotel performance: Agglomeration-related moderators

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of internationalization on hotel performance. We focus on two distinct facets of internationalization (i.e., international intensity and international diversity), and analyze the impact of internationalization within the context of two interesting moderating variables (positive differentiation within the cluster and location of the cluster). The reasoning behind investigating these moderators relies on arguments from both agglomeration and internationalization theories. The results support distinct relationship patterns between internationalization and hotel performance. In particular, we show how international hotels face different kinds of costs and benefits at different levels of international intensity and diversity. Further, the selection of new international locations needs to be carefully aligned with the type of internationalization strategy