International Location Research Articles

The impact of OFDI in global cities on innovation by Indian multinationals

ABSTRACT We investigate the impact of Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) on the innovation performance of Indian multinationals by analysing their choice of entry mode (cross-border acquisitions versus greenfield investments) and their international location decisions (i.e. choice to locate in a global city). We rely on an augmented fractional logit estimator for 170 foreign investments in high- and medium-high tech manufacturing sectors in the period 2003 to 2011 and find that: (i) compared to greenfield investments, acquisitions generate more technological opportunities; (ii) location in a global city has a negative impact on the Indian companies’ innovation performance; (iii) the positive effect of acquisition decreases if the investment is focused on a global city. These findings should be informative for both firms and government authorities involved in developing going-global strategies.

The bright and dark sides of CEO hubris: Assessing cultural distance in international business

AbstractThis paper aims to enrich the behavioral theory of international business strategy by investigating how CEO hubris (i.e., excess pride and confidence) affects international strategic choices, that is, location selection, entry timing, and modes of entry into the target market. Specifically, we focus on the relationship between cultural distance and international strategic choices and consider hubris as a mechanism that influences CEOs' decisions. Our conceptual framework recognizes that the performance of international strategies managed by hubristic CEOs is extremely volatile. On the one hand, we corroborate the idea that hubris has a dark side that may lead to pernicious outcomes. On the other hand, we recognize a bright side of hubris related to the consideration that overconfidence may sometimes be seen as a necessary CEO quality that in turn differentiates one firm from the others.

Medication safety knowledge, attitude, and practice among hospital pharmacists in tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia: a multi-center study

BackgroundPharmacovigilance (PV) demarcates all actions involving the detection and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADR) for marketed drugs. However, ADRs are considerably underreported worldwide and continue to be a major concern to health care systems. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of hospital pharmacists regarding medication safety concerning PV and ADRs across multiple tertiary care centers around Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2019 and January 2020. Pharmacists working in the tertiary care centers of Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia were asked to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to conduct this study, it consisted of: 63 questions out of which 19 questions were knowledge-based, 15 were attitude-based, and 29 were practice-based questions.ResultsA total of 350 pharmacists were distributed and 289 agreed to participate, giving a response rate of 82.6%. Most pharmacists were aware of the concept of VP and its functions (96.5%) and (87.2%), respectively. Moreover, 90% said that ADR can be preventable and non-preventable. However, the findings revealed inadequate knowledge about the overall PV field, where the majority of the pharmacists failed to correctly answer questions related to independent ADRs treatment, Augmented drug reaction, the international location of ADR, and the World Health Organization “online database” for reporting ADRs. Moreover, incomplete and/or wrong answers were recorded for questions that included single or multiple correct answers. Regarding the participants” attitude, 96.9% were interested in ADR reporting, agreeing that ADR is important to enable safe drug usage. Although a general positive attitude was recorded, pharmacists have stated that the three main barriers that hinder reporting ADRs are: unavailability of information about ADRs, lack of awareness about the need to report ADRs, and lack of time. Concerning practice, 69.2% said they received training in ADRs reporting, and 70% have reported ADRs more than once a week.ConclusionSurveyed pharmacists from Riyadh hospitals showed narrow knowledge of the PV field. However, a positive attitude and satisfactory practice was observed among pharmacists. These findings warrant the need for educational programs and an encouraging environment for ADR reporting to increase ADR reporting rates and support PV activities in Saudi Arabia.

ASSESSMENT OF COMPLETE END TO END VAPOR PHASE NITROGEN SHIPPING AND STORAGE ON GAMETE AND BLASTOCYST QUALITY

ASSESSMENT OF COMPLETE END TO END VAPOR PHASE NITROGEN SHIPPING AND STORAGE ON GAMETE AND BLASTOCYST QUALITY

Examining the International Location of Arabic Literature and Culture Politics

يتخذ الأدب العربيّ موقعًا بارزًا في الجغرافيا الثقافيّة العالميّة، وهو موقعٌ قديمٌ مُتجددٌ، فأمّا قدمه فيتصل في ارتباطه بأثر العرب ودورهم في المساهمة في مشروع الحضارة الإنسانية عن طريق الإسلام الذي استند على العنصر العربيّ الذي جسّد نموذجه البارز النبيُّ محمد – صلّى الله عليه وسلّم -. ومن خلال مقوّمات الثقافة العربيّة المتمثّلة في القوى البشريّة، والقيم الحضارية، والهويّة اللغوية المتمثّلة في اللغة العربية وآدابها ومعارفها ومذخورها الهائل في الشعر والنثر والقصص والحكايات والأساطير والخُطب، والرسائل. 
 تتأسس فرضية هذه الورقة على تصوّر مُفاده أنّ هناك ارتباطًا وشيجًا بين الأدب العربيّ والسياسات التي عبّر عنها الإسلام والمسلمون في التوسّع والسيطرة والانتشار ونشر الإسلام في أصقاع العالم القديم. فقد أدّت الإنجازات السياسيّة واللغويّة والبشريّة والدينيّة التي أحدثها المسلمون في نصف قرن من بدء دعوة النبيّ في مكّة إلى تعميق صورة الأدب العربيّ في خارطة الأدب العالميّ، ومن ثَمّ الافتتان بحضارة العرب وآدابها.
 لذلك تسعى هذه الورقة بحث السياقات الــمُتّصلة بجائزة الملك (أوسكار الثاني Oscar II) ملك السويد والنرويج الذي أنشأ مجمعًا علميًّا للغات الشرقيّة في العقد الثامن من القرن التاسع عشر. وقد كان يمنح هذا المجمع جائزة مُخصصة لأدب العرب وحضارتهم، وذلك بالتنسيق مع (السلطان عبد الحميد الثاني) ورجال السلطة والفكر والحضارة في إسلامبول.
 وقد حصل على الجائزة في سنة 1889 علاّمة العراق (محمود شكري الآلوسي)، وذلك عن كتاب ألّفه وفق معايير لجنة اللغات الشرقيّة في استكهولم، وهو كتاب: "بلوغ الأرب في معرفة أحوال العرب". ثم تبعه (الشيخ محمد محمود الشنقيطيّ)، وذلك عن قصيدة عصماء تحاكي قصائد الشعر الجاهليين نشرت في سنة 1901.

The influence of motivations on international location choice in least developed, emerging and developed countries: evidence from Chinese MNEs

PurposeThis research aims to assess variations of motivations when studying international location decisions. In particular, this study aims to assess the influence of diverse motivations – seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints – as determinants of the international location choice of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) entering least developed, emerging, and developed countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop a set of hypotheses based on the ownership–location–internalization framework and complement it with an institutional perspective. The conceptual model posits that the different internationalization motivations (seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints) will impact the location choice of EM MNEs in developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries. This study uses the 2013 survey data collected by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The final sample of analysis of this research includes 693 observations.FindingsAfter controlling for several variables, two-stage Heckman regressions show there is a variation of motivations when EM MNEs enter least developed countries, emerging markets and developed economies. EM MNEs are motivated to enter least developed countries to seek markets and resources. Conversely, those firms enter developed countries in their search for technological assets and to escape institutional constraints at home. While the present study findings show a clear difference in the motivations that lead to location choice in least developed vs developed countries, the results are not as clear for location in other emerging countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper offers empirical support for the importance of motivations as crucial determinants of location choice.Originality/valueThis paper provides a detailed quantitative study on the internationalization location choice of EM MNEs based on their motivations. Though theoretical models underscore the importance of motivations, we know very little about how, in practice, motivations drive location choice. This study contributes to the international location choice literature a deeper understanding of how diverse motivations drive choices of expansion into developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries.

Role of international border on healthcare access in West Bengal, India: A geographical analysis

Healthcare is the most important dimension to assess the health quality of people in any region. This paper is devoted to explore the role of Indo-Bangladesh international border to access the healthcare services in the districts of West Bengal which shares its whole eastern boundary with Bangladesh. For this purpose, the study adopted the Penchansky and Thomas’s concept of access which includes five dimensions i.e. availability, accessibility, affordability, accommodation and acceptability. The results of the study are pointing towards that inequality is prevailing in each dimensions of access to healthcare services between the Border Adjacent Districts and Border Distant Districts and it is very unfortunate that the districts located far from the border are in a better position to access each dimension of healthcare as comparison with the districts sharing its border with Bangladesh. Finally, the study concludes with the help of composite score of Healthcare Access Index that the Indo-Bangladesh international border adjacent location is more prone to vulnerability and distance from this border makes the location able to enjoy better access to healthcare facilities.

International location selection for production fragmentation

Today, many companies do not restrict their manufacturing activities to their home countries and are increasingly seeking new locations from which to operate cross-border production sharing. The location decisions involved in production fragmentation represent a strategic issue that has a significant impact on a company’s income and success. The location selection process considers many criteria, especially when the process involves international locations. Most criteria are difficult to assess precisely and quantitatively, and a rating scale may need to be employed. However, such scales, which are often based on linguistic variables, are not typically standardized across various decision-makers, making them dependent upon subjective judgments. To tackle such complications, fuzzy logic is adopted to reduce the uncertainties in group decision-making in such an environment. The purpose of this paper is to applya fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS) regarding the locations to be used in the international production fragmentation of an electronics company located in Thailand. This paper first examines the important criteria influencing location decisions for international production fragmentation. Fuzzy set theory is then applied to manipulate linguistic vagueness, ambiguities, and imprecise information and knowledge in such a manner as to determine weights for multiple criteria. The significant criteria for international production fragmentation are then identified and ranked through expert judgments. The results reveal that skill and competency level of labor force, adequacy of energy and electricity, and taxation and tax incentives are the most important criteria. The potential locations are finally ranked based on their overall performances. The paper also provides implications for management practices in international operations in terms of critical location criteria, decision-making methods, and uncertain situations.

Evaluation of the optical criteria for sessile serrated lesions of the colon: A prospective study on a colorectal cancer screening population.

Background and study aims We aimed to describe the presence and combination of Hazewinkelʼs optical diagnosis (OD) criteria for sessile serrated lesions (SSL), determining which lesion characteristics increase the probability of a correct OD, with a focus on diminutive lesions. Patients and methods This was a prospective study describing the presence of Hazewinkelʼs OD criteria for SSL in lesions found in consecutive CRC screening colonoscopies. The presence of each OD criterion and their diagnostic combinations in SSL, related to the lesion’s NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic (NICE) classification category, size, and location, were described. The presence of two or more optical criteria was considered diagnostic of SSL. The OD was compared to pathology as the gold standard. Results Seventy-nine SSLs (5.6 %) were diagnosed. Cloud-like appearance was the most prevalent OD criterion (35, 44.3 %). OD criteria were more frequently identified in NICE type 1, ≥ 10 mm, and proximal lesions. Only 26 SLLs fulfilled the OD criteria (sensitivity 32.9 %, 95 % CI 29.1 %–36.7 %). The sensitivity for diminutive SSL was 14.7 %, (95 % CI 11.9 %–17.6 %). Eighty-five lesions were optically diagnosed as SSL. However, only in 26 SSL was this the definitive diagnosis (positive predictive value 30.6 %, 95 % CI 26.9 %–34.3 %). Size > 5 mm and proximal location increased the probability of a correct diagnosis. The overall accuracy of the optical criteria was 92.0 % (95 % CI, 89.8 %–94.2 %). Conclusions The Hazewinkelʼs optical criteria are not reliable for a positive diagnosis of SSL, particularly for diminutive lesions.

The international location decision: a study of manufacturing firms

The aim of this paper is to build a broader understanding of the international location decision (ILD) of manufacturing by investigating and mapping Danish manufacturing firms' related activities and underlying processes. Using an exploratory survey approach on 17 Danish firms, the study shows there is less emphasis on cost than in past studies and a large unstructured human influence. A framework containing six categories of ILD factors - cost, labour and social characteristics, infrastructure, politics and regulations, economics and markets and resources - and an assessment of their respective single factors are presented. Lastly, the paper identifies five major shortcomings in the current practice: unstructured processes, non-involvement of the operational level of the organisation, static perspective of dynamic factors, uneven balance between quantitative and qualitative factors and no organisational learning. For engineering managers facing an ILD, the insights in this paper can be used to reflect and identify potential shortcomings in own practice of ILDs and help refocusing future process designs.

The international location decision: a study of manufacturing firms

The international location decision: a study of manufacturing firms

Moves and countermoves in the digitization challenges to international taxation

• Digitization first enabled tax evaders. • Authorities responded with innovations of their own. • Digitization made international business location increasingly problematic. • Old business tax conventions are being revised in response. • International cooperation is limited by sovereignty and privacy concerns.

Analysis of Seven International Indonesian Hub Ports Policy Development Impact on Shipping and Port Sector

The Indonesian government has just issued a policy plan of international hub port location, Integrated Port Network (IPN) to suppressing logistic cost. This study examines the IPN impact on shipping and port sectors by the total cost. The methods used in this research are set covering problem and cost comparison between transshipment in Singapore and directly shipped containers through the hub ports. As a result, IPN will be able to decrease the cost of logistics by 8%, which is the total cost of 9,220 billion.Rp/year. The current ships used are 1,500–2,500 TEUs. Meanwhile, the largest ship size by the IPN concept is to 3,000TEUs and the smallest is 300TEUs, the greatest number of ships is on the Priok-Port of Singapore route as many as 14 units. On the port sector, not all designated ports are able to accommodate and serve the 2,000 TEU ships due to the facilities and port infrastructure. At least it costs Rp 1.183 trillion-Rp so that the concept of 7 hub ports can be implemented. After the implementation of IPN will cause a potential loss for both Tj Priok and Tj Perak. On the contrary, IPN will increase the potential throughput of the Kijing, Makassar, Bitung, and Sorong.

Taxes and the location of targets

We use firm-level data to investigate the impact of taxes on the international location of targets in M&A, allowing for domestic acquisitions and heterogeneous responses by companies. The statutory tax rate in the target country is found to have a negative impact on the probability of an acquisition in that country. In addition, the estimated size of the effect is found to depend on whether (i) acquirer is a domestic or a multinational enterprise; (ii) the acquisition is domestic or cross-border; and (iii) the acquirer's country has a worldwide or territorial tax system.

Structural Equation Modeling and Relationships Between Mental Wellbeing, Resilience and Self-stigma

This study investigated mental wellbeing of postgraduate and undergraduate students of International Islamic University Malaysia. Precisely, the objective of this study was to verify the validity of a proposed mental wellbeing model that include resilience and self-stigma exogenous variables, another aim of the survey was to determine if gender, education level, material status, international and non-international student and location where they live moderated the associations between mental wellbeing and its predictors. The survey adapted existing instruments: Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being (WEMWB) Scale of 14-item questionnaire, Brief Resilience Scale of 6-item questionnaire and Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH) 10-item questionnaire and a demographic survey was developed for this study. The data were collected randomly from 315 student of International Islamic University Malaysia. To address the research objectives, the data were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results obtained by this study shows that, the model had an excellent fit, because RMSEA .007 < .06, CFI .999 > .95, Based on these results it can be concluded that the proposed model is valid, approving the very first hypothesis for this study. Additionally, gender, educational, location when they live and International and Malaysian student, did not moderate the predictor-mental wellbeing relationships.

The impact of formal and informal institutional distances on MNE corporate social performance

Can host country selection affect the corporate social performance (CSP) of multinational enterprises (MNEs)? Using institutional distance as our theoretical lens, we propose and empirically examine the notion that greater institutional diversity can have disparate influences on the social performance of different types of MNEs. We conceptualize each MNE as a unique portfolio of locations and use that “footprint” to examine the impact of formal and informal institutional distances on CSP. We hypothesize and find (1) a moderating influence of greater formal institutional distance in the MNE portfolio that slows the rate of increased benefits associated with greater international scope; and (2) a direct influence of greater informal institutional distance that lowers the overall levels of CSP independent of the international scope of the MNE. Managerial implications for international location selection are discussed.

How does de‐globalization affect location decisions? A study of managerial perceptions of risk and return

Research SummaryOur understanding of how managers take international location decisions is still scarce. Building on the microfoundations view, we explore managers' perceptions of risk and return in a discrete choice experiment with 2,618 decisions in 2013 (a globalizing world) and 2017 (a de‐globalizing world). While managerial perceptions vary over time due to economic and political changes, such as the current de‐globalization trend, decision heuristics remain remarkably stable: locations perceived as least risky offer the highest expected returns. We also find that distance is a good proxy for managerial perceptions. Investigating the microfoundations of decision‐making we show that international experience, risk‐taking propensity, and shareholder status affect heuristics. In sum, our study provides novel insights into the microfoundations of location decisions and extends the behavioral perspective on internationalization.Managerial SummaryWhile many researchers in the field of international business and global strategy have studied internationalization, surprisingly few of them put the actual decision maker in the spotlight. This study investigates the decision heuristics of managers who are confronted with international location decisions. We show that their perceptions of risk and return in the context of a globalizing world (in 2013) and in the context of a de‐globalizing world (in 2017) vary. However, the underlying heuristic—locations that are perceived as least risky offer the highest expected returns—remains stable. Our study also indicates that distance is a good proxy for managerial decisions and that managers' international experience, risk‐taking propensity, and shareholder status affect their decision‐making patterns.

How does home government influence the internationalization of emerging market firms? The mediating role of strategic intents to internationalize

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the differential impact of government promotional measures and government ownership on two internationalization variables: location and speed of internationalization of emerging market multinationals (EMNEs). Central to the authors’ study is the mediating role of strategic intents to internationalize. In particular, we study how government impacts the resource-seeking, market-seeking and technology-seeking motives to internationalize.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical setting for the paper is Chinese companies that have internationalized via an equity based entry mode. The authors employ 672 firm responses collected by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.FindingsThe empirical results demonstrate that different home government measures have differential impact on internationalization outcomes. Government promotional measures (such as direct incentives and bilateral agreements to support internationalization) have only an indirect effect on international location and speed through the effect they have on the strategic motives to internationalize; while government ownership in the company has a direct impact on international location.Research limitations/implicationsThe study highlights that home governments are shaping EMNEs strategic intent. Home government can influence EMNEs internationalization choices by providing resource flows through financial resources and state ownership or through asset-accumulation mechanisms via promotional measures.Practical implicationsPolicy makers in emerging markets need to develop policies focused on the specific motivations that firms have when internationalizing. EMNEs are suggested to take advantage of government policies more intentionally.Originality/valueThe theoretical contribution centers on identifying important mediating mechanisms pointing to the interplay between government policies and international location and speed of firms. The authors contribute to the growing stream of research on internationalization of emerging market firms by building a sound theoretical model and examining empirically the role of home government in the internationalization of EMNEs.

Caquetá: De Territorio de Guerra a Territorio de Paz

El devenir histórico del Caquetá ha estado determinado por tres tipos básicos de poblamiento: ocupación indígena; proceso de colonización agraria, que inició con la reforma agraria (1936) de López Pumarejo, dinamizada desde 1950; y el proceso de urbanización de las últimas décadas, especialmente del piedemonte amazónico. En estas etapas de poblamiento espacial se han vinculado diversas manifestaciones violentas por el control territorial, debido a su ubicación geográfica nacional e internacional, favorable a intereses geopolíticos, económicos y espaciales para las Fuerzas Armadas estatales y los grupos armados insurgentes (FARC, M-19), por sus condiciones topográficas. Igualmente, como territorio de ocupación para la producción coquera.
 Colonización, narcotráfico y guerrilla son factores de su identidad política y económica, con diversas vicisitudes en el desarrollo histórico de apropiación y control de libertades de la población caqueteña, por las acciones beligerantes del Estado en sus políticas diversas de colonización, conflicto armado, narcotráfico, deterioro ambiental y la explotación minera a expensas de las políticas económicas del gobierno de turno. Por su ubicación geográfica en la Amazonia, Caquetá es un territorio propicio y estratégico para lograr un territorio de paz.

Exploring the timing of medical student research internships: before or after clerkships?

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine the optimal positioning of the research internship, either before clinical clerkships, at the beginning of the medical Master’s programme, or at the end.MethodsA mixed methods study was carried out. We compared characteristics such as duration, location and grades for internships performed and students’ motives for choosing to perform their research internship before or after clinical clerkships. We analysed students’ answers to open-ended questions about the reasons for their choices, using the Self-Determination Theory of motivation.ResultsStudents performing their research internship before clinical clerkships (n = 338) opted more often for an extended internship (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 2.32–4.31) and an international location (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.46–3.36) compared to those performing their research internships after clinical clerkships (n = 459). Neither the internship grades nor the number of international publications differed significantly between the two groups. Most of the students’ motives (102 participants) were classified as extrinsic motivation for research. Students performing research before clinical clerkships more often showed intrinsic motivation for research, students performing research after clinical clerkships were mainly motivated by their career choice.ConclusionTo accommodate both groups of students, offering research internships before and after clinical clerkships, is recommended.