Highest International Level Research Articles

The Internationalization–Environmental Performance Relationship: Does it Differ between MNEs in Advanced and Less Advanced Economies?

AbstractThe environmental performance (EP) of multinational enterprises (MNEs) has attracted increasing attention amid rising concerns over environmental problems such as climate change. However, questions remain about the relationship between the internationalization of MNEs and their EP. In this paper, we show that the relationship varies depending on the home country's economic development level. For MNEs from an advanced economy, there is a U‐shaped relationship between the level of internationalization and EP of MNEs such that there is a negative relationship at low levels of internationalization but a positive relationship at high levels of internationalization. For MNEs from a less advanced economy, there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship such that there is a positive relationship at low levels of internationalization but a negative relationship at high levels of internationalization.

Does internationalization improve environmental disclosure willingness and quality? The moderating role of green investors.

Environmental issues have gradually become a key concern for society. The public has been paying increasing attention to corporate environmental disclosure and performance. With the "go global" trend, more and more enterprises are looking to overseas markets for new technologies and resources. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are facing more challenges than domestic enterprises. To remain competitive and sustainable, enterprises from developing countries need to gain a foothold in developed countries. We explore how MNEs' internationalization impacts environmental disclosure, specifically focusing on the role of green investors as stakeholders. We draw evidence from Chinese-listed MNEs, with a total of 4,709 panel data observations. For the main analysis, we use a fixed effect model. The findings suggest that a higher level of internationalization can improve both the willingness and quality of environmental disclosure for MNEs, and this relationship is further strengthened by green investors. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effect of internationalization on environmental disclosure is mainly present in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and developed host countries. We find that external pressure from host countries motivates MNEs to increase environmental disclosure willingness and quality. This study provides valuable insights for MNEs from emerging economies on how to achieve legitimacy and a positive reputation in overseas markets through environmental disclosure strategies. This study proposes the importance of green investors on environmental disclosure issues from a stakeholder perspective and provides new theoretical insights for environmental policy reform in developing countries such as China.

Identifying the proper mix of growth-seeking strategies for Spanish SMEs: An analysis during times of economic boom and crisis

This study explores the potential effects of different combinations of growth-seeking strategies on performance in SMEs during long times of economic boom and crisis. Our hypotheses are tested on a representative sample of Spanish SMEs between 1994 and 2014. During these years Spain suffered one of the periods of greatest economic stability/growth in recent years (1994-2008), followed immediately by a period of severe crisis (2009-2014). Using dynamic panel data models, our findings reveal that four combinations exhibit a positive and statistically significant effect on performance in times of economic boom: a related product strategy combined with low, moderate, or high levels of internationalization, and an unrelated one combined with a moderate level of internationalization. Meanwhile, we find only two combinations with a positive impact on SME performance in times of crisis: a related product strategy combined with low and moderate levels of internationalization, respectively

Digitalization, internationalization, and firm performance: A resource-orchestration perspective on new OLI advantages

Digital forces and digital global connection weaken traditional ownership, location and internalization (OLI) advantages and intensify new OLI advantages (open resources, linkages and integration). However, by building on the resource-orchestration theory, we raise the question of how digitalization (utilization and orchestration of digital resources) and internationalization (firm-level outward internationalization and country-level inward internationalization) affect firm performance. We introduce the degree of outward internationalization and home-country inward foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as moderators in achieving firm performance as a result of digitalization. Using a panel dataset of 571 U.S. manufacturing firms, we find a curvilinear relationship between digitalization and performance. The top quartile of digitalization efforts is rewarded by significant profitability. Moreover, high levels of outward internationalization and high net-FDI inflows increase the performance gains attributable to high levels of digitalization. Overall, the resource-orchestration theory complements new OLI advantages in explaining firm performance in the digital world.

The link between foreign institutional owners and multinational enterprises’ environmental outcomes

Many institutional investors claim to be leaders in their commitment to sustainability, yet their real impact is undetermined. We look at the relationship between the presence of foreign institutional owners and the firm’s environmental outcomes in terms of performance and innovation. We argue that foreign institutional owners seek to mitigate their exposure to reputational risks by encouraging their investee firms to move towards better environmental performance. However, these owners are less likely to engage in long-term investments derived from environmental innovations. We examine these paradoxical motivations in the context of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the chemical industry across 33 countries in emerging and developed markets and further explore how these investee firms’ international diversification affects these relationships. Our findings contribute to international corporate governance and sustainability research by uncovering that, contrary to institutional owners’ popular claims, foreign institutional owners have a positive effect on their investees’ environmental performance, but their influence is not statistically significant on environmental innovation. Specifically, the influence of foreign institutional owners on environmental performance is strong for MNEs with a low level of international diversification and marginal for those with a higher level of internationalization; meanwhile, domestic institutional owners are committed to advancing both environmental performance and innovation in their MNE investees. In sum, we show that environmental concerns are still quite localized.

NeuroAI - A strategic opportunity for Norway and Europe

At an energy consumption of merely 20 watts, the brain is able to learn, perceive its surroundings, analyze solutions, predict the future and choose actions in a much more general way than any computer algorithm and infrastructure. NeuroAI, an emerging field at the intersection of brain sciences and artificial intelligence, is expected to become a large research field in the years to come. The main promise of NeuroAI is that by understanding how the brain and biological neural networks compute, it will be possible to identify the key components of human intelligence in order to drive the development of a more energy-efficient and flexible artificial intelligence (AI) that will match, perhaps even surpass, human intelligence. NeuroAI is a truly multidisciplinary effort, spanning across several disciplines such as computer science, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, law and ethics. Norway has unique world-class expertise in brain sciences, and a fast growing, well-organized AI community at the highest international level. In this opinion article, we argue that Norway has competitive advantages within NeuroAI, and that Norway has the ideal ecosystem to take a leading role in NeuroAI initiatives in Europe. Norwegian investments in NeuroAI may be a strategic initiative to position Norway in the forefront of AI research worldwide.

The role of biotechnology in the development of the bioeconomy

This paper analyzes the steps of the strategic development and use of innovations in the field of biotechnology in the largest and most developed countries of the world. Support for applied recommendations for state-level fundamental provisions regarding initiatives to develop the capacity of the biotechnology sector and increase the level of an international, strategic and competitive industry is presented. The authors conducted a study and evaluated the further promising use of innovations in biotechnology on the example of the EU-15 and EU13 countries. A regularity was revealed that the biotechnology of the EU countries (EU-15) is developed at a high national and international level. The overall results of our work have helped to define further strategic directions and presented potential prospects for innovation in the field of biotechnology, which will subsequently lead to increased investment in this area. Using the graphical method, a dynamic model of trade turnover in the bioeconomy of the EU-15 countries is presented, followed by the construction of a trend line. And also formulated and predicted the value of trade in the bioeconomy of the EU-15 and EU-13 for the next decade.

Open Innovation and Resource Flexibility in Times of Crisis: The Roles of Firm Characteristics

The covid-19 pandemic has been a global threat and a large number of firms suffered from this grand challenge. This study aims to investigate how firms survive crises by using different strategies and how these strategies influence firms’ performance differently. From the perspective of dynamic capabilities and using survey data collected from 538 companies during the Covid-19 in China, we empirically tested the hypotheses via an ordered probit model. The results indicated that both resource flexibility and open innovation strategies have a positive effect on firm performance in times of crisis. The effect of resource flexibility and open innovation are more significant in firms with a higher level of internationalization. In addition, accounting for the ownership, we found strong evidence that resource flexibility has a more significant and positive effect on state-owned firms than private firms, while open innovation has a more significant and positive effect on private firms than SOEs. This study contributes to the literature in the organizational management area and international business and provides useful insights for managers who wish to maintain organizational resilience in times of global crisis.

Digital Transformation, Corporate Innovation, and International Strategy: Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in China

This paper empirically investigates the impact of digital transformation on corporate international strategy. With a dataset of the Chinese stock market from 2014 to 2020, our empirical results reveal that digital transformation has a positive impact on the international strategy of Chinese enterprises. More specifically, firms with digital transformation are more likely to implement international strategy, and firms with a higher degree of digital transformation are associated with a higher level of internationalization. In addition, our empirical results reveal that corporate innovation exhibits the mediation effect. Moreover, our findings show that the impact of digital transformation is more pronounced for private firms and non-high-tech enterprises, and this impact is also moderated by high institutional development in eastern China. Our findings survive numerous robustness checks.

Department of energy and power systems – 80 years of success in science, teaching and cooperation with industry

The Department of Energy and Power Systems of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb was founded in 1934 and celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2014. In its long history, many well-known experts, members of the Department, have left their mark on the power engineering activity in Croatia. The Department has been studying and creating improvements in the fields of production, transmission, distribution and final use of electricity, renewable energy sources, advanced power grids, electricity management problems, electricity trading and markets problems and usage of other forms of energy. Throughout the years, the Department has become the leading institution in the field of electrical power engineering in the region, maintaining long-term cooperation with the industry sector and has been recognized for scientific activity since the time of professor Požar and his establishment principles of the Zagreb School of Energy. Determined to remain a respectable research institution, the Department undertakes scientific research at the highest international levels through which valuable international cooperation with many research institutions around the world has been established.

Academic Profession in Chile: Perspectives From an International Survey

Este artículo presenta los primeros resultados para Chile de la encuesta internacional de la profesión académica APIKS (Academic Profession in the Knowledge-Based Society), aplicada a los académicos de 11 universidades entre fines de 2018 y principios de 2019. Las universidades participantes incluyen los tres tipos principales de universidades en Chile: estatales, privadas con aporte estatal (conocidas también como G9) y privadas sin aporte estatal. Respondieron la encuesta, de manera completa, 1.258 académicos y académicas. Se presentan aquí, descriptivamente, los resultados de los siguientes módulos de la encuesta: distribución del tiempo de los académicos en las diversas funciones universitarias, características de la labor de docencia, características del trabajo de investigación y perfil de las actividades de vinculación con el medio. También se informan los resultados de la experiencia de los académicos en etapas formativas de sus carreras: profesores instructores y asistentes. Los principales resultados sugieren que la docencia de pregrado sigue siendo la labor central de los académicos en todos los tipos de universidades, que una cuarta parte del tiempo se dedica a la gestión, que los modos de producción de conocimiento, con altos niveles de colaboración nacional e internacional, enfatizan la publicación de artículos en revistas por sobre otras formas de comunicación científica, y que los vínculos con el medio privilegian, como socios, a otras universidades, al gobierno y a las ONG, en desmedro de la empresa privada. También aparece que los apoyos de las universidades a sus académicos, en etapas formativas, son aún incipientes.

'The Little Engine That Could': A Qualitative Study of Medical Service Access and Effectiveness among Adolescent Athletics Athletes Competing at the Highest International Level.

Little is known about provision of medical services to adolescents prior to participating in international top-level sports. This study aimed to investigate experiences of medical service provision among high-level adolescent athletics (track and field) athletes from three continents. A thematic narrative analysis was applied to data collected from 14 athletes by semi-structured interviews. Although competing at the highest international level, these adolescent athletes had difficulties making sense of symptoms of ill health, especially on their own. With increasing exercise loads, the athletes’ medical support needs had extended beyond the capacity of parents and local communities. As there was no organized transfer of the responsibility for medical support to sports organizations, the athletes often had to manage their health problems by themselves. There were major variations among the adolescent athletes with regards to medical service access and quality. The services used ranged from sophisticated computer-assisted biomechanical analyses to traditional healers. Decreased exercise load was the common sports injury treatment. The results of this study demonstrate how the ethical standards underpinning youth sports as well as the equal provision of medical services to adolescents are challenged across the world. Further research on health service provision to adolescent top-level athletes is warranted.

«Å ALLTID VILLE NOE – En beretning om immunologiprofessor Jacob Birger Natvigs liv og virke» by Per E.Hem, 283 pages, 2021. www.kolofon.no ISBN: 978‐82‐300‐2181‐1

English title freely translated: ‘The energetic doer—A biography of the professor in immunology Jacob B. Natvig’ This Norwegian biography about Jacob B. Natvig is an interesting story of his life and adventure over 86 years. The book has been authored by Per E. Hem who has a track record of writing biographies of prominent Norwegian politicians and community builders. Natvig, one of the true pioneers in immunology in Scandinavia, died peacefully in his home on 2 April 2021, about the time when this book was published. Not only was Natvig a well-respected scientist but also a person with an inspiring and dedicated personality. The book gives the background of his career where Natvig already in the 1970s became a well-respected scientist in immunology. Further, it presents the story of one of the lasting legacies of Scandinavian immunology when Natvig together with Morten Harboe founded the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology in 1972, with Scandinavian collaborators Gunnar Bendixen, Olli Mäkelä and Hans Wigzell. The establishment of the journal was at the very right moment when immunology rapidly developed. In 1989, Natvig was elected president of the International Union of the Immunological Societies (IUIS) where he made a major effort for immunology in the developing countries. Natvig has been ambitious, but not really followed a strait career path. Rather, his dedication was that ‘the road was developed while walking’. In 1966, he did his postdoc with one of the world’s most famous immunologists—Henry G. Kunkel—at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research in New York. This close collaboration had a major impact on Natvig’s future career in immunology at a high international level. When he arrived back to Norway in 1967, he became chief physician and the first head of the newly developed research institute of immunology and rheumatology (IGRI) at the National Hospital in Oslo, at that time only 32 years old. His subsequent career involved also an 8-year period as director of the National Hospital between 1978 and 1986, a period characterized as very demanding but exciting regarding development in several medical fields. After this, he went back to science and then as professor of immunology at the University of Oslo. This biography about Jakob Natvig is an outstanding story of an immensely energetic and engaged person, and dedicated representative for the entire field of immunology in a global perspective. In all, we can follow his career as one of the key pioneers of immunology and clinical immunology in Scandinavia. The value of his dedicated international engagement should not be underestimated, not the least within the IUIS. All in all, he was not only a dedicated leader and an inspirer but also a warm-hearted personality with a passion for his work and field. The book can be highly recommended for those who master one of the Scandinavian languages. It is easy to read and should also be of interest not only for immunologists.

Economic and legal aspects of international scientific and technical cooperation

The study is devoted to the systematization of the economic and legal aspects of international scientific and technical cooperation. The implementation of international scientific and technical cooperation opens up new opportunities for additional funding, which, in turn, makes it possible to bring scientific cooperation to a qualitatively new level, as well as obtain more significant results from the joint work of teams with diverse competencies. Equal cooperation between the foundations of the parties providing support on a competitive basis to the most active and competitive teams carrying out research at a high international level can help in the implementation of the most ambitious scientific tasks. As a coordination mechanism of bilateral agreements, a mixed commission on scientific and technical cooperation should be formed, in which both parties are represented and which has a certain potential to ensure the development of scientific and technical cooperation.

UKRAINIAN STUDIES IN SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY

The article illustrates the process of formation and the current state of the specialty of Ukrainian language and literature in Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Founded in 2007, it is one of the first Ukrainian studies in the People’s Republic of China and nowadays has significant educational achievements and an interesting history of China-Ukrainian educational and cultural relations. The Ukrainian studies in SISU develop in the context of general progress of the university and organization of foreign language teaching: from the Shanghai School of Russian (1949) to the modern multidisciplinary university of foreign languages with high international level. Now, SISU, teaching 46 foreign languages, is one of China’s leading universitiesand demonstrates a high level of international cooperation. Ukrainian studies have an interesting academic history among the specialties of SISU. The author widely covered the institutional history of the specialty: the establishment of educational program of Ukrainian studies at the Faculty of Russian Language and Literature (2007) and its gradual development into a selfsufficient specialty (2015). Among the important moments in the history of Ukrainian studies at SISU is the foundation of Ukrainian Research Center (2015) as an important center of regional and national studies. The author showed in detail the content and structure of the curriculum of the specialty Ukrainian language and literature, presented the scientific and methodological achievements of teachers of Ukrainian studies, and displayed a wide range of educational, cultural and artistic activities in Ukrainian studies. The integral element of successful teaching of the Ukrainian language in a non-native environment was separately illustrated, such as cooperation of teachers and students with Ukrainian universities, national and social organizations both in China and in Ukraine (in particular with Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Consulate-General of Ukraine in Shanghai, the Association of Ukrainians in Shanghai, etc.). Key words: Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), Ukrainian studies, specialty of Ukrainian language and literature, Ukrainian Research Center, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv

Evaluation of accounting journals by coverage of accounting topics in 2018–2019

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the coverage of accounting topics in 2018 and 2019 by the high-ranked and cited journals of popular international publishers. To achieve this, the study provides (1) research on the proportion of accounting journals in the international publishers; (2) identification of the largest publishers by the number of accounting journals; (3) a check of the high-ranked and cited accounting journals according to the journals’ websites, the SCImago database, and Web of Science database; (4) investigation of the trend in the number of accounting publications in 2018–2019 compared with 2016–2017 by SSRN, IDEAS/RePEc, and DOAJ; (5) a detailed overview of 1749 accounting publications for 2018 and 2019 using the reference databases of such international publishers as Blackwell, Elsevier, American Accounting Association, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Springer; (6) a self-developed classification of the accounting topics into 14 main directions; and (7) an assessment of the extent of coverage of accounting topics by each journal. The research methods are based on a cross-sectional survey between the website of each publisher and the SCImago database, and on a bibliometric analysis of the metrics and citation impact, the number and proportion of articles in the “major” journals in accounting, and the major bibliometrics databases. SCImago, as the main bibliometrics database, was used for the first time to identify the top-ranked and cited journals. This study highlights the importance of accounting in international publications in the high-ranked and cited journals, emphasizing the actual publications obtained in 2018–2019. The results indicate that a high quartile or high international citation level does not determine the full coverage of accounting topics in a journal. It was found that assets, control, management accounting, and financial reporting were the most frequently published topics in 2018 and 2019. The blockchain technology and IFRS research in accounting were published within 2018–2019 in only 125 articles (7.14%) by 26 accounting journals among the high-ranked and cited journals with an obtained high coverage of accounting topics. This study may help scientists to select a journal for publishing or researching an appropriate accounting topic. Moreover, to increase the coverage extent of accounting topics, the analysis and classification of publication topics conducted in this work are also recommended to editorial boards of accounting journals as information regarding the least disclosed accounting topics over the last 2 years.

A Study of the Internationalization–Performance Relationship in Global Retailing: The Moderating Role of Brand Standardization and Cultural Diversity

While the internationalization–performance relationship has been extensively studied in the international business literature, it has only recently begun to be systematically and empirically explored in the retailing context, albeit with mixed findings. This study extends this emerging stream of research on retail internationalization by investigating the moderating role of brand standardization, or the extent to which retailers standardize their domestic store-as-a-brand across foreign markets, using longitudinal data from global retailers. The authors demonstrate that the internationalization–performance relationship is positive and curvilinear for retailers, and it is positively moderated by brand standardization. In particular, brand standardization offers benefits at low and high levels of internationalization, which suggests a learning curve with respect to global brand management as retailers internationalize. The study also finds that cultural diversity in retailers’ foreign markets acts as a boundary condition by weakening this moderating effect of brand standardization. This research contributes to firm internationalization, standardization–adaptation, and global brand management literature streams, with implications for global retailers.

Improving Methods and Facilities for the Evaluation of Earth Orientation Parameters at the MMC SSTF

The results of work carried out over the last five years to improve the methods and facilities of the Main Metrological Center of the State Service of Time, Frequency, and Determination of the Parameters of the Earth Rotation (MMC SSTF) are described. Modernization was carried out both in terms of hardware and software. As a result of the work carried out at the MMC SSTF, a software correlator has been established, computer facilities have been updated, and a Data Processing and Analysis Center has been created. The All-Russia Research Institute of Physicotechnical and Radio Measurements now possesses a new-generation satellite laser range finder created by the Scientific and Production Corporation Precision Instrumentation Systems. New software packages for processing laser measurements, including lunar laser range-finding measurements, were developed. Software providing metrological support for the spacecraft orbits of Russian and American global navigation satellite systems was developed. Software for processing measurements on radio interferometers with extra-long bases and joint data processing has been modernized. The development of facilities for determining and predicting the Earth’s rotation parameters took place in line with current international trends, allowing work aimed at determining and predicting parameters of the Earth’s rotation to be carried out at a high international level.

Breathing resistance in metabolic systems: Its effects on pulmonary ventilation and oxygen uptake in elite athletes with high aerobic power

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on pulmonary ventilation and oxygen uptake ( [Formula: see text]O2) in athletes with a very high maximal oxygen uptake ( [Formula: see text]O2 max) and corresponding high ventilation capacity when using a modern metabolic system with relatively high resistance to breathing (HIGHRES), compared to a traditional system with low resistance to breathing (LOWRES). Four rowers and three cross-country skiers (without asthma), competing at a high international level, performed in experimental conditions with LOWRES and HIGHRES using a rowing ergometer and roller skis on a treadmill. The results showed that [Formula: see text]O2, blood lactate, heart rate and respiratory exchange ratio were not different between the LOWRES and HIGHRES test conditions during both submaximal and maximal exercise. Also, the athlete’s time to exhaustion (treadmill) and mean power (rowing ergometer) from maximal tests were no different between the two conditions. However, ventilation and expiratory O2 and CO2 concentrations were different for both submaximal and maximal exercise. Thus, the authors have concluded that the differences in resistance to breathing of metabolic systems influence elite endurance athletes [Formula: see text] E at low to very high workloads, thus affecting the expired gas fractions, but not the submaximal [Formula: see text]O2, [Formula: see text]O2 max and performance in a laboratory setting at sea level.

Do Returnee Faculty Promote the Internationalization of Higher Education? A Study Based on the “2014 Faculty Survey in China”

Based on data from the “2014 Chinese University Faculty Survey,” this article analyzes the distribution characteristics and manifestations of internationalization from returnee faculty to Chinese colleges as well as their impacts on the internationalization of higher education in the three dimensions of scientific research output, teaching content and methods, and international exchanges. Compared to local teachers, returnee faculty members adjust their research output strategies to reach a higher level of internationalization. They favor publishing papers in international journals and publish fewer domestic papers and make fewer domestic patent applications. They focus on international perspectives and content in their course teaching content and methods. In terms of international exchanges, they participate in international academic conferences and travel abroad more often for advanced studies. Their experiences studying overseas accumulate their comparative advantage in the internationalization of the academic profession. Higher education institutions should make them play larger roles in promoting the internationalization of scientific research and teaching as well as international academic exchanges to improve the level of internationalization of Chinese higher education.