Host Country Institutional Environments Research Articles

Internationalization tactics and enterprise value in the context of the "Belt and Road" initiative-Analysis from the perspective of host country institutional environment and enterprise digital transformation.

This paper analyzes the impact of internationalization tactics on the value of 1107 multinational enterprises investing in the "Belt and Road" countries (regions) based on the two dimensions: entry mode and the degree of internationalization (including the breadth and depth of internationalization). It is found that the choice of sole proprietorship in the "Belt and Road" countries has a positive effect on enterprise value than joint venture. The increase of internationalization breadth and depth can promote enterprise value. Further research shows that the institutional environment of the host country and the digital transformation of enterprises significantly affect the choice of internationalization tactics and enterprise value. Specifically, the better the institutional environment of the host country and the more adequate the digital transformation of enterprises, the more inclined enterprises are to choose the sole proprietorship in the "Belt and Road" countries (regions) to obtain higher enterprise value. A good institutional environment of the host country and the digital transformation of enterprises can positively regulate the relationship between the degree of internationalization and enterprise value. these findings have important for Chinese enterprises to implement internationalization tactics rationally and scientifically, and to continuously improve enterprise value.

Technology investments from China into other emerging economies: a push and pull perspective on the Eurasia region

PurposeDrawn from the push–pull perspective, this research aims to identify the determinants of Chinese technology's outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) into the Eurasian region.Design/methodology/approachThe authors argue that contrary to the extant literature, technology-driven OFDI from emerging-market multinationals (EMNEs) do not always seek developed countries, and EMNEs' technology investments in emerging economies are rising indicating that there are factors in these economies that can prove attractive. The authors recognize the influence of the macroeconomic environment and the interaction of home and host-country institutional contexts that influence the location choice of EMNEs technology-driven OFDI into other emerging economies, mediated by the industry sector and firm's ownership structure. The authors test our hypotheses using a sample of 1,656 observations of Chinese MNEs' tech-investments in the Eurasian region from 2005 to 2019.Findings The study results indicate that bilateral diplomatic relations pave the way of the host-country institutional environment for Chinese MNEs uncovering the role of the Chinese government as an OFDI facilitator. This study also unveils a lower technology level of the Chinese MNEs' investments in the Eurasian region connoting an interest in market opportunities exploitation through their existing technologies – through its comparative advantage in the global markets – rather than strategic assets acquisition aiming at augmenting their technological capabilities. This trend is similar to that of other major foreign direct investment (FDI) source countries.Originality/valueThis research contributes to a better understanding of the characteristics and the location choice of technology investments from EMNEs into other emerging economies that have received scant attention in the literature. In addition, it extends the institutional theory by analyzing how home-country institutions, through bilateral diplomatic relations, may smooth the host country institutional environment for home-country MNEs' foreign investments and contributes as well to the debate on the applicability of the existing theoretical framework in the case of emerging-market MNEs.

Migration and Global Network Formation: Evidence from Female Scientists in Developing Countries

As agents who have the opportunity to develop connections in multiple geographic locations and networks, migrants are uniquely suited to play brokerage roles in science, innovation, and entrepreneurship. But can they succeed in connecting others in their home and host environments? We investigate this question in the context of women in science in the developing world. We hypothesize that the extent to which such scholars facilitate connections will depend upon the extent to which their home and host country institutional environments support them in this brokerage role. Specifically, we propose that the effectiveness of female migrants as brokers is mitigated by national level gender parity, which we expect influences their level of legitimacy and opportunity for brokerage. Our analysis finds that female migrants in science are more likely to share international connections with non-migrants at home if their home countries and host countries have high levels of gender parity. We interpret these findings as providing evidence that institutional support is critical for migrant brokerage and the globalization of knowledge production. History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Migration & Organizations. Funding: This work was supported by the National Bureau of Economics Research Science of Science Funding program (Science of Science Funding program) J. L. Furman gratefully acknowledges financial support from NSF SciSIP grant, SES-1564368. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1683 .

Effects of the host-country institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises

PurposeThe operation mode of enterprises will affect its resource commitment in the host country, involving different costs and time, as well as risks. Yet, the current state of knowledge about how the institutional environment affects the operation mode change of international construction enterprises is equivocal. This study aims to explore the impact of a host country's institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises.Design/methodology/approachFirst, this study proposes a model on the impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises. Second, this study used the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) published by the World Bank and a questionnaire survey to collect data. Finally, the study employs a multiple regression methodology to test the hypothesis and discusses the results.FindingsResults highlight that the important impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change of international construction enterprises. The results showed that enterprises are more willing to increase resource commitments under the condition of stable institutional environment. In addition, enterprises' market-specific experience and general international experience, as moderating variables, weaken the impact of the institutional environment on the operation mode change. However, general international experience has no significant moderating effect.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide practical implications for the investment risk assessment of international construction enterprises. Enterprises need to consider the change in institutional quality and institutional instability of the host country, as well as their own international experience when changing operation mode.Originality/valueThis study extends internationalization theory to the international construction field and provided theoretical guidance for the mechanism of operation mode change of international construction enterprises.

Foreign market entry modes for servitization under diverse macroenvironmental conditions: taxonomy and propositions

PurposeThe article explores how servitization influences firms' foreign market entry mode decisions. This relationship is researched under the contingent effect of macroenvironmental factors in the host country, namely, market attractiveness, institutional environment and national culture differences between the home and host country.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a conceptual framework typology that interrelates, contextualizes and conceptualizes extant knowledge to develop explicit propositions.FindingsBased on the extant literature, using a 2 × 2 matrix, the authors delineate the influence of two dimensions of servitization on entry mode decisions: customer relationship focus and digitalization focus. They conceptualize that relationship management and digitalization-based servitization have an antagonistic effect on the need for entry mode resource commitments, and macroenvironmental factors' favorability moderates this tension.Research limitations/implicationsThe study extends and incorporates the servitization literature into the context of international marketing by exploring the combined effect of the two most significant dimensions of servitization, i.e. investment in customer relations versus investment in digitalization on entry mode, thus delivering valuable new insights and perspectives, as well as explicit propositions toward empirical testing.Practical implicationsThe authors’ framework increases foreign market managers' awareness of how servitization drives entry mode decisions of firms in international markets. Also, the framework explicates how the host country's market attractiveness, institutional environment and difference with the home country's national culture tangibly influence the relationship.Originality/valueThe study provides novel insights into the implications of servitization on international marketing, particularly regarding foreign market entry mode. The study also elucidates the combined effect of two servitization dimensions, i.e. customer relations and digitalization – a critical research area in which the literature is scant.

The impact of the institutional environment of the host country on the perception of compliance risk of the international engineering contractor: the moderating effect of absorptive capacity

PurposeWhile there is a general belief that a defective institutional environment will lead to higher compliance risk, the current state of knowledge about how the institutional environment affects enterprises' compliance is equivocal. This study aims to explore how does the host country's institutional environment affect the compliance risk perception of international engineering contractors and how to mitigate this impact.Design/methodology/approachThis study empirically tests the impact of the institutional environment from the two dimensions of the institutional environment: legal completeness reflects whether the formal regulations are clear, detailed and comprehensive and legal effectiveness reflects whether rules and policies can be implemented effectively when the proper legal codes are provided. Based on 213 questionnaire data, this study uses partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) and Smart PLS software to test the hypothesis.FindingsThis study finds a negative relationship between the host country's legal completeness (LC) or legal effectiveness (LE) and a contractor's compliance risk perception. Further, the results show potential absorptive capacity (PAC) and realized absorptive capacity (RAC) of a contractor are critical for mitigating the impact of low LC in the host country, but not when LE is low.Practical implicationsThe findings will be useful for international engineering contractors to respond to the compliance risk of the host country, both in choices of overseas investment locations and compliance capacity building.Originality/valueThis study reveals the impact of the host country's institutional environment on the compliance risk perception of international contractors, and provides theoretical guidance for how to alleviate the compliance barriers brought by the host country's institutional environment to international engineering contractors.

Determinants of technology investment from China into Latin America

ABSTRACT This research aims to study the determinant of Chinese technology FDI into Latin America, to identify the role of macroeconomic and institutional environment in their investment location choice, and to reveal the influence of key country-level effects. The results indicate that the host country’s economic development and the China-host country trade agreements positively influence Chinese technology investments, while the home economic growth of China might hinder them. These findings suggest a market-seeking motivation rather than the traditional resource-seeking one, whereas the institutional and cultural distance seems not deter Chinese technology investment into the region. Our findings suggest that Chinese OFDI toward Latin America is strongly driven by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and thanks to the support of their government, maybe less concerned by the host country's institutional environment. This research contributes to a better understanding of the location decision-making of MNEs from emerging markets carrying out investments in others emerging economies.

How do institutional pressures moderate the impacts of relational governance on the performance of international projects? An empirical assessment

Relational governance has been considered a major governance strategy to mitigate the increasing contractual hazards in today's complex and volatile markets. In international projects, the effectiveness of relational governance can be much complicated by the host country's institutional environments, especially when trust and relational norms are treated as different types of relational governance. This research aims to study empirically how institutional pressures may affect the effectiveness of trust and relational norms and to form a contingency theory of relational governance. In this paper, an empirical analysis was conducted to test and measure the moderating effects of institutional pressures on the performance impacts of trust and relational norms. The results show that institutional pressures positively moderate the impacts of trust but negatively moderate the impacts of relational norms, indicating that trust and relational norms function and benefit projects differently and should be employed differently contingent on the institutional environments.

How MNE subsidiaries transfer HRM practices in distant environments: A tale of two IKEA subsidiaries

While most research in the international business field focuses on the impact of the national institutional environment on multinational enterprises (MNEs), this paper explores the opposite relationship—the role and impact of MNE subsidiaries on the host country institutional environment. I analyze the subsidiaries' agency in the transfer activities of human resource management (HRM) practices by bringing the case of IKEA subsidiaries in Korea and Japan and find that these subsidiaries not only adapted to pressures arising from an institutional distance but also played an important role in influencing the institutional arrangement for employment system of their host countries. With a contextualized agency model, this study finds that institutional and organizational contexts that these subsidiaries are embedded in shaped their agencies and strategic responses and co-evolved with their host institutional environments while transferring HRM practices. These findings have implications for the IB and IHRM field, as they highlight the potential of MNE subsidiaries as agents.

The micro-foundations of the returnee liability: The interpersonal challenges of returnee entrepreneurs in Kenya

Although it is known that returnee entrepreneurs can contribute to technological and economic upgrading in their home countries, there is also evidence of a returnee liability where returnee entrepreneurs perform worse than locals. Apart from mismatches between home and host country institutional environments, this liability is argued to stem from interpersonal factors like cultural difficulties and the diminished social capital of returnees at home. Using interviews exploring the experiences of twenty Nairobi-based technology-enabled returnee entrepreneurs, we theorize the micro-foundations of the returnee liability: mismatched expectations, cultural tension and mutual suspicion. Returnees who sent remittances while abroad expect locals to support their return and entrepreneurial vision, but locals expect continued financial support. Returnees who had become more individualistic while fending for themselves in Western economies experience tension with the collectivism of locals, even while they seek to readjust to their home culture. The suspicion of returnees about unethical local business practices and frustration about locals’' apparent inability to value proposed innovations further complicate the ability of returnees to access local knowledge and networks. We discuss how the community support addresses these micro-foundations of the returnee liability and thus help developing countries better benefit from the knowledge and innovations of their returnees.

Does corporate internationalization affect corporate social responsibility? Evidence from China

Based on manually collected data, we investigate the effects of internationalization on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Chinese firms. We find that the internationalization is positively related to CSR scores. The results are robust when we address the endogeneity, and use alternative measurements of the dependent and independent variables. Furthermore, we find internationalization significantly improves the CSR performance when the quality of the host country's institutional environment is better and the firms are state-owned enterprises, business-to-consumer firms, and operate in socially sensitive industries. This indicates that legitimacy is the main motive for Chinese multinational companies to engage in more CSR.

Host-Country Institutions and Emerging Market Multinational Enterprises’ CSR Performance

Grounded in the institutional knowledge perspective, this study explores the mechanisms through which and the conditions under which exposure to high-quality host-country institutional environments can affect emerging market multinational firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. In doing so, we propose a three- stage institutional knowledge learning process model, namely institutional knowledge acquisition, assimilation and exploitation. We argue that high quality of host-country institutions will enable the institutional knowledge acquisition process, but may hinder assimilation process, thus exhibiting an inverted U-shape relationship between the quality of host-country institutions and CSR performance of emerging market multinational enterprises. Moreover, we propose that institutional knowledge base of emerging market firms can positively moderate this curvilinear relationship by facilitating the institutional knowledge acquisition, assimilation, and exploitation process. The results of analyzing a longitudinal dataset of listed Chinese firms from 2009 to 2017 support our key arguments.

Towards a balanced multiculturalism? Immigrant integration policies and immigrant children's educational performance

AbstractThe present study examines whether a host country's institutional environment of immigrant integration influences immigrant youth's integration into its educational system. Ensuring immigrant youth are well integrated into the educational system bears paramount societal significance because the educational pathways of these youth will determine not only their own life trajectories but also the future of society as an integrated whole. Based on a dataset that links PISA 2015 with MIPEX 2010, a series of cross‐national multilevel analyses has been conducted for 227,028 children in 34 OECD countries. Two important patterns stand out in the results. First, the academic performance of immigrant children tends to be more comparable to that of their non‐immigrant peers in countries characterized by a more egalitarian distribution of civic rights. Second, the performance gap for immigrant children appears smallest in countries characterized by a medium level of sociopolitical promotion of group‐based cultural rights. These patterns suggest that policy efforts toward balancing between diversity and unity combined with systemic levers for egalitarian civic rights may contribute to the macro‐level institutional environment in which social disadvantages of immigrant students can be mitigated.

The impact of institutional quality on Chinese foreign direct investment in Africa

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impacts of the host country institutional environment on Chinese foreign direct investment in Africa. As one of the few papers to explicitly address the role of institutions on China–Africa foreign direct investment, our results highlight that countries who are able to provide a politically stable environment and control levels of corruption exert the greatest effects on Chinese foreign direct investment. After controlling for firm level motivation, the findings also reveal that as Chinese economic development evolves so does the apparent strategic direction of their investment patterns with greater attention now being given to investment quality and return on investment, rather than simply acquiring and extracting natural resources. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest three areas of development to promote increases in, and the sustainability of Chinese investment in Africa. First, the implementation of mechanisms to better control levels of corruption. Second, the promotion of long-term political stability to reduce investor uncertainty, and third, increased investment in supply-side initiatives to boost host country productivity to reflect the changing nature of Chinese investment patterns in Africa.

Local responsiveness strategy of foreign subsidiaries of Chinese multinationals: The impacts of relational-assets, market-seeking FDI, and host country institutional environments

We build upon the theoretical framework of firm-specific advantages (FSAs) and country-specific advantages (CSAs) to examine the determinants of the local responsiveness strategy of foreign subsidiaries of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs). Specifically, we focus on relational assets (R-assets is seen as a unique type of Chinese MNEs’ FSA), the market-seeking foreign direct investment (FDI) and host country institutional environments as drivers of the local responsiveness strategy. We empirically test our hypotheses using a survey data of the foreign subsidiaries of Chinese firms together with other secondary data sources. We find that both Chinese MNEs’ R-assets and the market-seeking oriented FDI are positively related to subsidiaries’ local responsiveness strategy in accommodating local customer needs, government policies, market conditions, and competitive intensity. Moreover, the impact of R-assets in motivating the local responsiveness strategy is stronger in a host country with a weak and underdeveloped institutional environment. While the evidence confirms the existence of the R-assets in influencing subsidiary level strategy, it also casts doubt on such relations-based firm resources in advanced host countries with highly developed institutions.

Host country experience, institutional distance and location choice of Chinese MNEs

PurposeThe conventional wisdom suggests that the lack of prior host country-specific experience and a higher institutional distance deter multinational enterprises (MNEs) from entering a foreign country. However, past studies report that Chinese MNEs show an unconventional risk-taking behavior choosing foreign locations, where they have no prior experience or there is an increased institutional distance. Drawing on the institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to argue that Chinese Government official visits to the host country may act as a risk-reduction device, thus providing an explanation for such an unconventional behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop two hypotheses regarding how Chinese Government official visits moderate the impact of host country-specific experience and institutional distance on the location choice of Chinese MNEs. The authors test the hypotheses using a sample of investment location decisions by Chinese MNEs in Latin America.FindingsThe authors find that government official visits mitigate the lack of firm’s prior host country experience. However, only high-level government visits reduce institutional distance.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the international business literature by analyzing how home country government diplomatic activities may pave the way of host country institutional environment for foreign MNEs from that home country. In addition, the authors provide an additional explanation for the unconventional risk-taking behavior of Chinese MNEs. Finally, the authors also contribute to a better understanding of the decision-making process of emerging-market MNEs entering other emerging economies.

MNEs' Agency Within Institutional Contexts: A Study of Walmart's Post-acquisition Practices in Mexico, Germany, and Japan

Abstract The issue of MNEs' adaptation to host country institutional environments in their post-cross-border acquisition implementation, and the outcomes thereof, remains underexplored in international management studies. The purpose of this paper is to assess the applicability of three institutional approaches — (1) the earlier variant of the neoinstitutional theory (ENIT), (2) its recent variant (RNIT), and the comparative institutional analysis approach (CIA) — to explain (non)adaptation behavior in host country environments. Using Walmart's acquisition cases, we show that the MNE adopted a non-adaptation behavior in Mexico and Germany—countries which represent vastly different institutional environments—and succeeded in the former, but failed and withdrew from the market in the latter. However, in the Japanese institutional environment, which is similar to the German one, Walmart engaged in selective adaptation and survived in the market. Based on the case data, we offer a critical assessment of the applicability of the three approaches. These three approaches provide a base on which to develop a model to explain the relationship between institutional influences, an MNE's organizational agency and adaptation behavior, as well as outcomes. Moreover, we discuss future research directions and provide implications for practitioners related to MNEs' adaptation behavior and the ensuing outcomes in host markets.

Subsidiary Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Opportunity: An Institutional Perspective

Abstract A subsidiary's ability to identify opportunities in the host country and to subsequently exploit these opportunities could create competitive advantages for the Multinational Corporation. While research on subsidiary entrepreneurship has focused primarily on subsidiary-specific resources and capabilities, as well as environmental factors, the type of opportunities that the subsidiaries may find in the host environment has been underexplored. Drawing on the subsidiary entrepreneurship literature, institutional perspectives, and entrepreneurship research, this paper suggests that subsidiaries embedded in institutional contexts that are different from those of their home country have unique advantages that enable the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities. Accordingly, a theoretical framework is proposed, based on contingency perspectives on the different views of entrepreneurial opportunities in relation to business processes in the host country's institutional environment, vis-a-vis uncertainty levels and legitimacy requirements. In addition, appropriate strategic approaches are suggested, through which subsidiaries can exploit these entrepreneurial opportunities.

Strategic motives, institutional environments, and firm’s FDI ownership

Purpose The study conceptualizes how firms’ strategic motives interact with the heterogeneity of host country institutional environments in determining the subsidiary ownership. The author hypothesizes and tests two interaction effects. The study found that firms with market-seeking motives are more affected by the heterogeneity of host country institutional environments, while firms with resource-seeking motives are less affected by the heterogeneity. The empirical findings are based on a sample of overseas subsidiaries reported in the annual reports of listed firms in China. Design/methodology/approach In this study, an empirical investigation was conducted using a sample of subsidiaries of listed firms in China. The data were compiled from 2012 annual reports of listed firms in China. The sample consists of 2,270 subsidiaries of these firms. Findings The study conceptualizes that firms with market-seeking motives and resource-seeking motives are influenced differently by the heterogeneity of host country institutional environments in determining their subsidiary ownership. We hypothesize two interaction effects. Firms with market-seeking motives are more subject to the heterogeneity of host country institutional environments in determining their FDI ownership level. In contrast, firms with resource-seeking motives are less subject to this heterogeneity. The findings largely supported the study’s hypotheses. Originality/value This study fills an important gap in the literature by incorporating the interaction between strategic motives and host country environments in the analysis of subsidiary ownership. The findings of the study suggest that firms with a market-seeking motive are more particular about the host country institutional environments. They will acquire a high level of ownership in host countries with attractive institutional environments. In contrast, firms with resource-seeking motive are less concerned with the host country institutional environments. Their decision on subsidiary ownership is less affected by the variance in host country institutional environments. This study adds to the stream of studies that have examined outward investments of firms from emerging economies, particularly the outward expansion of Chinese firms with different strategic motives.

Workforce reduction across borders: The role of legal frameworks

This article reports on a case study of a Swedish multinational corporation where human resource practices were successfully transferred to its foreign subsidiaries in the context of extensively regulated host country institutional environments, offering an opportunity to provide a deeper understanding of the role of legal frameworks when transferring human resource practices within multinational corporations. The findings indicate that the transfer of human resource practices was not simply a matter of passively adapting to host country legal frameworks. A more balanced conceptualisation of the role of legal frameworks in human resource practice transfer is needed, including a view of law as negotiable and open to interpretation and that host country institutional environments can also contribute to and support multinational corporations to transfer human resource practices across foreign subsidiaries.