International Management Research Research Articles

Informal network context: deepening the knowledge and extending the boundaries of social network research in international human resource management

While informal networking has been universally regarded as an important feature of expatriate effectiveness, respective network constructs (yongo, wasta, blat/svyazi, etc.) remain weakly understood when taking expatriates’ ability to connect to local networks into account. Drawing on informal institution and social capital theory, we present informal networks as an important contextual factor in international human resource management (IHRM), relevant to the work of expatriates in particular. We define informal networks by pointing out their distinctive nature in contrast to social networks and developing central themes to guide future research in this area. This is achieved by integrating the informal network context into research themes relevant to the IHRM domain. In this article, seven research themes centering on focal research questions are developed, which, taken together, constitute a future research agenda and expand the typical domain of IHRM research in the informal network context.

Expatriate family adjustment: How organisational support on international assignments matters

This research examines how organisational support mechanisms extended to expatriate families influence the adjustment of the expatriate, the spouse, and accompanying children. We present data from 173 accompanying expatriate spouses in China and 135 expatriates employed in foreign and local multinationals in China. We report on expatriates' perceptions about the impact of organisational support on the adjustment of their spouse and children. We also report on their perception of how organisational support influences their own adjustment. Our study reveals that organisational support positively influences the adjustment of expatriates, their spouses and children, although the dynamics among family members differ. Noteworthy results include that children's adjustment impacts the expatriate spouse directly and the expatriate's adjustment indirectly, emphasizing the importance of direct organisational support for the family unit beyond the expatriate. The paper offers implications for international human resource management researchers and practitioners.

“We have performance appraisal every day and every hour”: Transferring performance management to Russia

Performance management (PM) of employees is an important established practice in multinational corporations (MNC) and therefore one of the key practices to be transferred to subsidiaries. In this study, we use the concept of institutional logics to show how Russian employees experience PM practices that are based on the institutional logic of a Finnish MNC which is contradictory to the one prevailing in Russia where the subsidiaries operate. Our findings contribute to the practice transfer and PM literature by showing how the Russian subsidiaries responded to competing institutional logics by consciously selecting certain elements from each logic, demonstrating “institutional bricolage”, to address both the headquarter's (HQ) requirements and the fast pace of change and uncertainties in an emerging post-Soviet market. Our study also enhances the international business (IB) literature by using the concept of institutional logics in IB and international management (IM) research, where it has been infrequently used.

Linguistic capital and status: The interaction between language skills, personal reputation, and perceived collaboration performance

AbstractAlthough language has become a central theme in international business and management research, this stream still holds many unexplored research avenues. One area that has attracted some attention, but lacks extensive systematic assessment, is the connection between language and personal reputation. Qualitative research has offered tentative insights suggesting that proficiency in key organizational languages increases the status of individuals over and above their functional abilities. In this study, we use data from 171 pairs of expatriate academics and their local academic collaboration partners. We asked the local academic peers to rate expatriate academics' reputation, their local and English language skills, and collaboration performance. As expected, we found a positive association between academic reputation and collaboration performance. In line with analyses from qualitative research, we show a moderation effect of language skills, where high common organizational language (English) proficiency compensates for a weaker perceived reputation in predicting collaboration performance. Surprisingly, however, there was no moderating effect of local language skills.

Mapping five decades of international business and management research on India: A bibliometric analysis and future directions

India-focused research has proliferated in the last few decades. That stated, no study to date has systematically examined the nuances of the intellectual evolution of this rich body of literature. To fill this lacuna, we attempt to quantify and evaluate five decades of India-focused international business (IB) and management research in leading journals. To accomplish this, we map publication trends, shed light on the sample characteristics, major theories, research methodologies, and key research themes of the India-related literature. Moreover, we conduct a bibliometric analysis to account for citation records, authorship patterns, and underlying knowledge structure. The results reveal continuous growth in the number of India-focused IB and management studies from 1974 to 2021. The bibliographic coupling analysis identifies four major clusters of research themes. Based on our findings, we offer distinct avenues of research for future scholars interested in studying the Indian context.

International human resource management in multinational companies: Global norm making within strategic action fields

AbstractThe formation of global norms that affect work is a crucial element to how multinational companies (MNCs) achieve a degree of HR integration internationally. We establish a ‘strategic action fields’ framework to guide research into global norm‐making in MNCs in general and for analysing the work of those that we term ‘globalising actors’—those who are active in globalising a firm's management of its human resources—in particular. We position our framework with relation to existing research in international human resource management, and show how the field can benefit from achieving an approach to global norm‐making that is contextualised, personalised and contested.

Better, Faster, Stronger: The Evolution of Co-authorship in International Management Research Between 1990 and 2016

As a border-transcending discipline, the advancement of international management research depends on collaboration between scholars, universities, and nations to account for the diversity and complexity of management phenomena. Yet, relatively little is known about how international management has evolved as a field of research. We address this gap by examining the evolution of collaboration patterns on three levels of analysis, applying the concepts of cumulative advantage, preferential attachment, and isomorphic behavior in a diachronic network analysis. Based on 6,874 articles published between 1990 and 2016 in eight international management journals, our analysis shows that collaboration is driven by a few key players on each level. Although the US and UK still represent hubs, semi-peripheral actors from Europe and Asia enter the landscape. Nevertheless, non-western actors are still underrepresented. We tie this effect to the expertise-based hegemonic status of American and British business schools and dynamics of cumulative advantage on country-level.

The emergence of China in international academic management research: A nuanced analysis following the new f²-methodology

In a few decades, China has made a huge rise in science, exemplified with an impressive expansion of academic publications. The management field has traditionally been dominated by the US universities and Anglo-Saxon researchers. The objective of the present study is to analyze through the application of a new bibliometric methodology whether the progress of Chinese universities in academic management research is in line with China’s overall progress in science. The classic analysis of volume productivity and citation count is complemented with the recent f²-methodology. It is based on a more fine-grained classification of publications into categories of citations, focusing on the 10%-percentile and the h-core. The methodology is applied here at a country level and at the level of the university, for all publications and for those of the last 5 years. The results confirm the rise of academic publications by Chinese management scholars, but the analysis of publication outlets and the international collaborations nuance this progress. The US dominance in academic management research is maintained; despite a decline in relative terms, the US publication volume and the higher citations remain in absolute terms. This application of the f²-methodology with weighted factors in function of impact brings nuances to first level bibliometric analyses based on volume productivity or on total citations. This nuanced analysis results in fairer assessments and more equitable rankings. The application of the compound F²-index illustrates the dynamics in bibliometrics.

A 40-year-retrospective of foreign divestment and its implications

Over the past forty years, foreign divestment has received a tremendous attention in international business and management research. While there are excellent previous review studies on the antecedents of the foreign divestment decisions, the implications of the decisions such as divestment mode choices, process and outcome are still not received deserved attention. It leads our knowledge on foreign divestments to be insufficient. This paper traces the history of this research stream over these past four decades using bibliometric and qualitative content analyses covering leading journals and books, with a particular emphasis on the antecedents and implications of the foreign divestments. We highlight the evolution of interest in different contexts, phenomena, theories, and methodologies, along with the factors that have driven interest in these topics. We also offer a research agenda to stimulate new insights and novel work on the variables that relating to divestment decisions of foreign subsidiaries.

MNE Irresponsibility and its Disincentives: An Institutional Complexity Approach

Purpose – This paper puts forward a definition of corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) which is relevant to the study of the multinational enterprise (MNE). We then offer an institutional complexity framework through which to understand the mechanisms that disincentivize MNE irresponsibility. Design/methodology/approach – In presenting the approaches taken by social regulation researchers as well as international business policy scholars to understand CSI, we propose a definition of CSI and explicate the various disincentives associated with MNE irresponsibility. Originality/value – We recognize that a primary hurdle to the advancement of international management research concerning MNE irresponsibility has been a lack of a precise definition of CSI. MNEs manage complex global operations and supply chains, situated within diverse institutional environments, with often competing stakeholder perceptions, pressures, and demands. Should MNEs be identified as having behaved irresponsibly, they may experience pressure by formal institutional mechanisms led by regulatory bodies and policymakers, as well as by informal social regulatory mechanisms, where deterioration in stakeholder perceptions may, among other performance deficits, lead to damages in MNE reputation. We offer a definition of CSI that is sufficiently nuanced to capture the complexity of the contemporary MNE context, as well as a framework that presents a clearer understanding of the institutional mechanisms that may disincentivize MNE irresponsibility. By examining the institutional complexity of MNE irresponsibility, our framework offers a bridge connecting the international business policy and social regulation research streams.

Geo-Political Instability and Global Strategy

The symposium features four presentations that examine the role of geo-political instability in international strategy research, as well as discussion from senior scholars. The presentations include a diverse set of business scholars with overlapping themes of political uncertainty at the country-level, and its role in shaping organization choices. The symposium is of interest to researchers in strategic management, international business, and organization and management theory. Bringing Nationalism into International Management Research Presenter: Ilya Cuypers; Singapore Management U. A Competition-Based Model of International Expansion and Geo-political Shocks Presenter: Roxanne Jaffe; U. of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business Presenter: Siddharth Sharma; Indian School of Business Presenter: Wilbur Chung; U. of Maryland Danger from a Distance: Executives’ Social Distance & MNE Divestment Responses to Terrorist Attacks Presenter: Chang Liu; Rutgers Business School Presenter: Dan Li; Indiana U. Presenter: Lorraine Eden; Texas A&M U. Presenter: Marjorie A. Lyles; Florida International U. Many Are Better Than Few: Concentrated Foreign Relations and State-level Misconduct Presenter: Christopher B. Yenkey; Darla Moore School of Business, U. of South Carolina

Sleepless Nights While Our Doctoral Students Are in the Field: Supervisor Reflections on Ethical Challenges

Prior studies have highlighted ethical challenges in researching in developing countries but have not explored the ethical issues for supervisors when their doctoral students undertake qualitative fieldwork in such contexts. Doctoral research in developing countries has the potential to provide valuable knowledge; yet, where data cannot be collected, important potential knowledge is lost. Moreover, where doctoral research does not follow ethical practice there is potential for damaged relations between organizations and universities, which can impact student, supervisor, and university reputation. Thus, doctoral students’ supervisors have an essential role in providing training to ensure ethical and culturally appropriate research. We reflect on our experiences as supervisors of business doctoral students who collected original data in developing countries and underpin these reflections with our own extensive (international) management research in developing countries to discuss ethical challenges for supervisors. We offer insights and action guidelines for current and prospective students, supervisors, and universities.

Taking social responsibilities overseas? The learning paths and performance consequences of Chinese multinationals

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been seen as an effective strategy that emerging market multinational enterprises increasingly adopt in order to cope with the liability of origin, yet much less attention has been paid to the micro-foundations of such a strategy. It remains less explored as to how CSR is leveraged by individuals—that is, expatriates. Addressing this research gap, a total of 150 valid survey responses from 38 Chinese multinationals were tested using the structural equation modeling technique. The results show that expatriates’ cross-cultural competence and engagement in CSR facilitate the learning efficiency of subsidiaries. The findings also suggest that expatriates’ effort positively mediates the relationship between CSR and performance outcomes (at both individual level and organizational level). Embracing the micro-foundations perspective in CSR research, this study offers both theoretical and practical implications for future international management research.

Whither national subsidiaries? The need to refocus international management research on structures and processes that matter

The notion that multinational companies (MNCs) are comprised of multiple subsidiaries in different countries is one that underpins voluminous research in international management. This body of research was recently the subject of an authoritative and comprehensive review in this journal (Meyer et al. in J Int Bus Stud 51(4):538–576, 2020). However, we share the concerns about the prevalence of the term ‘subsidiary’ within academic writing expressed by some others (Mees-Buss et al. in J Int Bus Stud 50(9):1513–1543, 2019) and take this further by questioning the assumptions of authority and control on which it is based. We argue that the role of national subsidiaries in how MNCs are organized has been eroded by developments ‘from above’ and ‘from below’ the national level such that it cannot be assumed that national subsidiaries are important influences on how MNCs govern and coordinate their production and service provision and how work is organized. We set out the implications for theory and methods in international management (IM).

Distinguished Scholar Series: Prof Tom Kochan (Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) on The Changing World of Work and Employment [and teaching note]: Interview by Prof Bill Roche, University College Dublin, Ireland

Abstract The Irish Academy of Management (IAM) launched the Distinguished International Scholar Series in 2020, under the leadership of IAM Chair, Dr Felicity Kelliher. This award honours the achievements of outstanding individuals from the international management education and research community, whose work has significantly impacted the field. Our inaugural Scholar is Professor Tom Kochan of MIT Sloan School of Management, who in conversation with Professor Bill Roche in October 2020 encapsulates the Academy's core principles of respectful debate in stimulating the exchange of ideas.

International Management as Management of Diversity: Reconceptualizing Distance as Diversity

AbstractDespite the importance of distance in international business and management research, the theoretical foundation for the concept and the underlying causal mechanisms are subject to shortcomings. We propose reinvigorating the study of distance through a diversity lens. We draw on research on diversity and develop a theoretical framework that distinguishes types of diversity (separation, variety, and disparity) at three levels (institutional, organizational, and individual). We show how this framework allows scholars to extend their analysis of distance, revisit important questions, and explore new issues. We discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of our diversity lens for the international business and management community.

Flexpatriates: issues and challenges for short-term assignments in the United Arab Emirates

Flexpatriates are sent by their companies to different countries around the globe to execute short-term and important assignments and then immediately return home after completing their project. However, in international human resource management (IHRM) research, attention has mainly been focused on traditional expatriates. Even though alternative arrangements for global mobility, such as flexpatriation, have recently become increasingly popular among multinational corporations (MNCs), this trend seems to have been neglected in previous studies. The present study endeavours to examine the issues and challenges encountered by Western flexpatriates during short-term assignments in the UAE. The results suggest that, with minimal interventions by the human resource (HR) departments, these flexpatriate executives have been proactive while working in the UAE in self-managing their personal and family issues, work-life balance, career issues, and cultural challenges. Finally, the present study provides some suggestions for HR managers in effectively managing flexpatriates and also provides an agenda for future research in this emerging field.

Governing headquarters-subsidiaries relationship: An agency perspective

How multinational enterprises (MNEs) coordinate and control their geographically dispersed subunits is central to international management research (Kostova, Nell, & Hoenen, 2018). Our study adopts agency rationales to evaluate the effects of headquarters (HQs)–subsidiary convergence on the performance levels of the latter. Convergence within organizations relies to a large amount on controls that predicate a specific extent of alignment. In theory, the concept of alignment is seen as a valid proxy of agency intensity (Eisenhardt, 1989). Drawing on the supposition that MNEs are differentiated networks, where some subsidiaries continue to function the traditional competence-exploiting role while others are competence-creating and augment the advantages of their home-base (Björkman, Barner-Rasmussen, & Li, 2004), alignment challenges can be manifested in six dimensions that define their strategic posture, span the organizational context and underly competitive imperatives: 1) subsidiary strategy, 2) culture, 3) governance practices, 4) financial decisions, 5) human resources, and 6) environmental activity. Drawing on a sample of 72 MNE foreign operations and gathering 254 responses from top management team (TMT) members, our results indicate that strategic, cultural, governance, and HR alignment are important determinants of subsidiary performance. However, whereas strategic, cultural, and governance convergence between HQs and subsidiaries are positively related to increased performance levels, an ethnocentric approach towards HR practices seems to trigger welfare losses.

An outline for an integrated language-sensitive approach to global work and mobility: cross-fertilising expatriate and international business and management research

PurposeThe purpose of this conceptual literature review is to investigate how language factors have been studied in the expatriate literature, and how cross-fertilisation with the broader language-sensitive international business and management field may facilitate integrated research of language in global work.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a thematic review of expatriate research and international business and management literature. The findings are structured through Reiche et al.'s (2019) three-dimensional conceptualisation of global work, after which two frameworks are developed to conceptualise how language connects the three dimensions – actors, structures and processes.FindingsThe literature review demonstrates that language-related topics are yet to gain status in the expatriate tradition, and the majority of studies, which do consider linguistic factors appear largely dissociated from the growing community of language research in the broader international management and international business fields. However, once consolidated, the literature reveals that language is present in all dimensions of global work. A processual view of corporate language management highlights the central role of human resource management (HRM), while a dynamic multi-level perspective indicates that language may form bidirectional relationships between the three dimensions of global work.Originality/valueDue to the segmentation between language-sensitive research in the expatriate and international business/management traditions, few studies have considered the HRM implications of global mobility and the multifaceted nature of language at work. This conceptual literature review brings both perspectives together for a more contextualised and holistic view of language in international workforces.

Visualization Analysis of Knowledge Network Research Based on Mapping Knowledge

With the acceleration of economic information, networking, globalization and the new technological revolution, more and more scholars abroad have begun to pay attention to the research of knowledge networks. Some scholars even regard knowledge networks as a new field in the field of knowledge management research theoretical paradigm. This paper takes the research literature of knowledge network in Web of Science as the research object, and uses the information visualization software Cite Space, which is the world’s leading information, to visualize the geographical distribution of relevant knowledge networks in the international context by using traditional bibliometric methods and information visualization tools. High-impact authors, core literature, research hotspots for quantitative research and visual analysis, showing the classic literature and research hotspots and frontier fields of international knowledge management research in the form of maps, and analyzing knowledge maps and literature materials, content analysis, and induction The combination of methods and other methods to analyze and summarize the current research status of international knowledge management can provide useful reference for knowledge networks and related research.