CEO International Experience Research Articles

CEO International Experience in Advanced Market Economies and Firm Investment Horizon in a Transitioning Economy

AbstractBuilding on the literature on managerial myopia, we investigate how chief executive officers’ (CEOs) international experience in advanced market economies affects their firms' investment horizons in a transitioning economy. To overcome myopia, CEOs should possess the knowledge needed to manage current tasks, thereby freeing up cognitive resources for future considerations. In the context of our theorizing, we argue that international experience in advanced market economies equips CEOs with knowledge about how to deal with their current tasks of market-oriented adaptation in a transitioning economy, freeing up cognitive resources for considering longer-term investment horizons. Additionally, the effect of CEO international experience in advanced market economies on firm investment horizon is stronger under conditions that increase the cognitive burden on CEOs to perform market-oriented adaptation tasks – specifically, when there is a high scope of pro-market reform, high intensity of foreign competition, analyst coverage, and a high level of institutional ownership. Our estimation based on a matched sample of 204 Chinese CEOs during the period 2002–2019 supports the majority of our predictions. Our study contributes to research on firm investment horizon, CEO international experience, and transition economies.

Dare To Be Different: CEO International Experience and Strategic Deviance

Extant literature on CEO international experience largely supports the positive relationship between CEO international experience on firm performance and internationalization; however, less is known about the decisions CEOs make that could lead to such outcomes. As international experience reflects not only cultural intelligence, but also correlates with traits like openness to experience, the impact of international experience may extend beyond strategic decisions that are directly tied to capabilities in a foreign context (e.g., foreign direct investments). In other words, CEOs with international experience may feel more comfortable making decisions that deviate from industry practices regardless if they relate to a cross-cultural decision. Integrating the ability, motivation, and opportunity framework with managerial discretion and drawing upon upper echelon’s theory, I propose that CEO international experience has a positive relationship with strategic deviance. Specifically, CEO international experience reflects the ability and motivation to be distinct while environmental uncertainty and the international experience of the board provide the opportunity to pursue deviant decisions.

The institutional context as a source of heterogeneity in family firm internationalization strategies: A comparison between U.S. and emerging market family firms

Existing research has underexplored the role of context as a source of heterogeneity in family firms’ (FFs) internationalization strategies. Drawing upon institutional theory, we develop and test a mid-range theory positing that differences in the quality of the institutional context can moderate the strength of the relationship between individual- and board-level attributes and FF internationalization. Our comparison of U.S. FFs with FFs from Brazil and Mexico reveals that in emerging market FFs, individual-level attributes such as CEO international experience, CEO educational attainment, and CEO international education exhibit a stronger relationship with internationalization. Similarly, we find that board-level attributes such as board size and board independence are also more strongly related to internationalization in emerging market contexts. We contribute to the literature by identifying a source of variation in FF internationalization strategies based on context and by examining the relationship between a wide range of FF attributes and internationalization.

CEO Characteristics and Environmental Performance: Evidence from Indonesian Banks

Following the paradigm shift of company performance, from merely financial aspects to the balance between economics and environmental aspects, a study that explores the drivers of company environmental performance is indispensable. This study aims to empirically examine the role of CEO characteristics in determining the environmental performance from CEO's gender, age, expertise, and international experience in Indonesian banks. We use secondary data from banks' annual and sustainability reports that were analysed using panel data regression. The results demonstrate that CEO's international experience and education level positively affect bank's environmental performance while foreign CEO and CEO's abroad study exhibit negative effect. Our findings emphasise that CEO plays a great role in initiating banks' environmental activities. CEO's decision is crucial to adopt environmental practice that leads to better environmental performance. The study contributes to the Indonesian literature by providing empirical evidence of CEO factors in determining banks' environmental performance, in which there are very limited studies examining the role of CEO. We also suggest the Indonesian Financial Service Authority to encourage banks to deliver higher environmental contribution by maximizing the role of CEO.

Achieving the Paradox of Concurrent Internationalization Speed: Internationalizing Rapidly in Both Breadth and Depth

In this paper, we draw on the notions of breadth and depth of internationalization speed in an attempt to examine the performance implications for multinational enterprises (MNEs) that rapidly and concurrently internationalize in new and existing foreign markets. Specifically, we examine the organizational paradox which suggests that firms which grow internationally by concurrently expanding rapidly in both new foreign markets (breadth) and in foreign markets they currently operate (depth), are better off than firms which do not adopt such an approach. Since past research has not examined the interaction between the breadth and depth of MNE internationalization speed on firm performance, we contribute to the temporal dimension of the internationalization process by developing a novel, yet paradoxical approach. Our analysis is based on a longitudinal sample of the world’s largest retail MNEs covering the period 2003–2012, which includes the 2008 financial crisis that had a significant effect on the global economy. We find that concurrent internationalization speed positively relates to firm performance during periods of stability. Further, we draw from the upper-echelons theory and find that the aforementioned relationship can be strengthened by the level of CEO international experience and CEO education.

Internationalization speed and subsidiary survival of EMNCs: The moderating roles of CEO international experience and state ownership

In the process of internationalization, effective management of dispersed location-specific knowledge is the key to successful internationalization strategies for companies. Rapid internationalization often prevents multinational corporations (MNCs) from absorbing and internalizing internationalized knowledge in a timely manner and achieving ideal performance. Compared with MNCs in developed countries, emerging market multinationals (EMNCs) are more inclined to implement a rapid internationalization strategy to enhance their own competitive advantage. However, their internationalization process is limited by their lack of managerial resources. Why and how would internationalization speed impact the survival of EMNCs Subsidiary? Using the survival analysis method and taking the Chinese A-share listed companies as empirical setting, our results show that the internationalization speed negatively affects the survival of EMNCs Subsidiary; Both CEO international experience and state ownership weaken the negative impact of internationalization speed on the survival of EMNCs Subsidiary. We argue that rapid internationalization underestimates the Penrose effect in the process of internationalization, that is, underestimates the managerial resources required to learn and accumulate absorptive capacity, and effectively manage dispersed knowledge. Based on the dual context of dispersed knowledge management and managerial constraints, this paper expands the understanding of the impact mechanism of internationalization speed on corporate performance, and also has certain guiding significance for the selection of internationalization speed of EMNCs.

CEO international experience and foreign IPOs

This paper examines listing location as a managerial decision by using a sample of IPOs of Chinese entrepreneurial firms in mainland China, the United States and Hong Kong. We find that Chinese entrepreneurial firms managed by CEOs with international experience are more likely to undertake foreign IPOs, especially those returned from countries with more advanced legal institutions and those operating in high-tech industries. The credibility crisis for Chinese firms in 2010 switched the focus of foreign IPOs from the US to Hong Kong. These results are consistent across returnee CFOs and other senior executives with international experience.

How CEO Power within Boards and TMT Moderate Effect of CEO's International Experience on Firms' Earnings Management

Agency theory pays much attention to CEO-chair duality, an indicator of CEO power within boardroom, and documented board independence- undermining effect for CEO-chair duality. This study distingui...

The Relationship between Globalization and Financial Performance of Venture Firms in Korea: The Moderation Effect of CEO International Experience

The Relationship between Globalization and Financial Performance of Venture Firms in Korea: The Moderation Effect of CEO International Experience

CEO international experience: Effects on strategic change and firm performance

Despite the growing importance of CEOs’ international experience (IE), we have yet to gain sufficient insights into its conceptualization and effect on firm outcomes. Based on prior research and work experience models, we suggest a new framework for measuring IE, including three components: length of time, number of countries, and cultural distance, along with their interactions. Drawing upon social and cognitive learning theories, we explore the impact of CEOs’ IE on two outcomes: strategic change and firm performance. We argue that IE components affect the two outcomes by enhancing executives’ international knowledge and general competencies. While international knowledge may affect firm performance directly, general competencies may affect firm performance both directly and indirectly through strategic change. Using a sample of 387 new CEOs, we found that time abroad had a positive effect on strategic change and firm performance, while number of countries and cultural distance positively moderated these relationships. Additionally, we also found that these components affected firm performance both directly and mediated through strategic change. Our findings have important theoretical implications for the conceptualization and impact of CEOs’ IE and practical implications for executive development and promotion.

CEO International Experience and Firms’ Temporal Orientation in a Transition Economy

In this study, we address the question of why CEOs with international experience adopt a longer temporal orientation in transition economies. We propose a theoretical framework that links CEO inter...

CEO Experiences: Effects on the Choice of FDI Entry Mode*

abstract Drawing on the strategic management and international business literatures, this study examines the relationships between the experiences of newly selected CEOs and their choice of foreign direct investment (FDI) entry modes. Based on a sample of 380 foreign market entry events involving acquisitions, greenfield investments, and joint ventures, our findings indicate that CEOs with less firm experience preferred acquisitions and greenfield investments to joint ventures and, older CEOs were more likely to opt for joint ventures over greenfield investments. In addition, CEOs with throughput functional experience favoured acquisitions over joint ventures and greenfield investments. Finally, CEO international experience was associated with a greater propensity to choose greenfield investments and acquisitions over joint ventures and also greenfield investments over acquisitions. The implications of the findings from the perspective of theory and managerial practice are discussed, along with possible directions for future research.

International experience and CEO selection: An empirical study

This paper extends the upper-echelons theory by examining if observable demographic characteristics can be used to predict CEO selections. Based on an empirical analysis of recent successions at USA Fortune 200 companies, it identifies international experience as an important construct associated with accession to the CEO position of large corporations. The study also finds that CEO international experience is higher in firms that are highly international in terms of sales and assets. Firm and individual control variables are discussed and included in the empirical analysis. Managerial implications and suggestions for related future research are provided.

International experience in the executive suite: the path to prosperity?

Attention is increasingly focused on the potential individual career and firm-level benefits of international experience for upper level executives. This research examines the relationships between CEO international experience, CEO tenure, firm internationalization, succession events, and corporate financial performance. Results indicate a significant interactive effect between CEO tenure and outside succession on CEO international experience. In addition to a relationship with CEO international experience, there are two additional interactive effects in the examination of corporate financial performance: (1) CEO international experience and the degree of firm internationalization, and (2) CEO international experience and CEO succession. These interactive effects are evident in accounting and market indicators of corporate financial performance. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.