International Strategic Alliances Research Articles

Human Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies for Psychiatric Disorders: The Current Progress and Future Directions.

With the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the limitations of the diagnostic scheme and treatment options of these disorders, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies play a significant role in uncovering the pathological basis of psychiatric disorders and potentially using biological markers in clinical settings. The use of MRI in clinical research has grown over the past three decades, and current MRI research continues to provide an avenue to guide the development of diagnostic approaches and therapeutic solutions. However, the current shortcomings of MRI studies derive not only from technical limitations (i.e., the range of contrasts that MRI probes or sensors can create) but also from confounding factors in the current methodological approaches of case-control studies for psychiatric disorders. Thus, by reviewing the recent literature on MRI research on psychiatric disorders, we explain the current progress and limitations of brain MRI methodologies used to study psychiatric disorders. We consider the growing use of cross-disorder methods to identify shared and disease-specific pathological features across psychiatric disorders. In addition, we need to outline healthy developmental and aging changes of the brain and investigate the disorder difference as a deviation of the trajectory. Although these methods have provided us with new insights, the demarcation between psychiatric disorders based on a definitive set of pathologies remains limited. This challenge of disease stratification is further complicated by the presence of multiple different sets of disorder pathologies within a single disorder and the different progressive timelines of different disorders. As such, we introduce the ongoing research projects in Japan, namely, the Brain Mapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies (Brain/MINDS) and the Strategic International Brain Science Research Promotion Program (Brain/MINDS Beyond). These collaborative research initiatives across Japan use neuroimaging and travel-subject harmonization to conduct nationwide MRI studies capable of providing large-scale coherent results, which may address the current limitations of MRI psychiatric disorder research.

Qazi M. Khalilullah. H.E. former Ambassador of Pakistan to the Russian Federation. Executive Director Center for International Strategic Studies Sindh, Karachi, Pakistan

Qazi M. Khalilullah. H.E. former Ambassador of Pakistan to the Russian Federation. Executive Director Center for International Strategic Studies Sindh, Karachi, Pakistan

МІЖНАРОДНІ СТРАТЕГІЧНІ АЛЬЯНСИ ЯК ФАКТОР РОЗВИТКУ КОНКУРЕНЦІЇ ІТ-ГАЛУЗІ

The article analyzes the economic consequences of the foreign economic activity of Ukrainian IT companies and highlights the key patterns of their development. It is shown that the national IT sector is becoming an increasingly global business, which is important for studying the benefits of doing IT business in Ukraine and regulating institutional aspects in this area. A significant positive impact of the increase in the volume of services provided by the Ukrainian IT sector, such as software development, data processing, and database management, on the volume of services exports and the overall trade balance of services in Ukraine was identified. This is due to the export orientation of the development of the IT sector in Ukraine, the use of certain business models in this area, as well as the peculiarities of foreign economic activity of such enterprises. The analysis reveals the features and advantages of doing IT business in Ukraine, which determine its international competitiveness. The article also considers a strategic alliance as an effective form of association of companies that best meets the criteria of the strategic goals of the industry development. The study identifies the main types, types and motives for creating strategic alliances, and describes their advantages and disadvantages. Particular emphasis is placed on the problems of participation of Ukrainian companies in international strategic alliances at the present stage, and the author also provides directions for resolving these issues in order to ensure the competitiveness of the industry

Banks’ Strategic International Expansion: Evidence from Africa

This study identified the strategies adopted by banks in Africa to gain access to international markets and why banks establish foreign operations. Twenty-two African banks were selected to examine the entry mode and number of foreign outlets. The study affirmed that most African banks expanded their operations internationally via acquisitions and strategic alliances. At the same time, the motive for expansion is linked to market development to serve customers operating in overseas markets, government policies, and strategic knowledge sourcing. Furthermore, some reasons identified include expanding operations, defensive expansion, and protecting existing bank client relations. The study recommends that African banks should strive to adapt different internationalisation strategies primarily driven by their desire to gain knowledge.

Impact of Servant Leadership and Narcissism on Firm Performance: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. and Chinese International Strategic Distribution Channel Alliances

ABSTRACT An integrative conceptual model developed tested the relative influence of servant leadership and narcissism in relation to strategic variables including adaptation and cooperation on competitive advantage and firm performance. Data were collected using structured on-site interviews conducted with 140 and 95 key respondents of randomly selected manufactuarer-export houses located in U.S. and China, respectively. Empirical results revealed that both strategic variables and leadership variables were positively related to competitive advantage, which, in turn, influenced firm performance. The influence of societal culture was evident in our results in that relationships among antecedents of firm performance were denser for U.S. than they were for Chinese firms. Based on these findings, insights for administrative guidance and implications for influencing and managing a firms ISA between manufacturers and their principal international distribution channel alliance partners were discussed. Research drawbacks are identified and directions for future studies are proffered.

The Role of Technological Innovation on the Effect of International Strategic Alliances on Corporate Competitiveness in Jordanian International Business Administration: Moderating and Mediating Analysis

Within the context of Jordanian international business management, the current study explores the subtle relationships between global strategic alliances (ISA), corporate competitiveness (CC), and technological innovation (TI). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to assess the interaction between these variables as well as the mediation and moderation effects. Utilizing a sample size of 350 individuals who occupy professional, management, and decision-making roles in Jordanian businesses engaged in international commerce, the research article shows notable and significant positive associations. The results of the path analysis show a strong relationship between global strategic alliances (ISA) and both corporate competitiveness (CC) and technological innovation (TI). This shows that ISA is essential in fostering innovation inside organizations and developing competitive strategies. Additionally, this study looks at the connection between corporate competitiveness (CC) and technical innovation (TI), finding a very strong one. This emphasizes how important technological advancement is in enhancing a company's ability to compete. The model's mediating and moderating effects are the focus of the study's most important findings. The results provide solid support for the mediating role, indicating that the correlations between ISA, TI, and CC are interrelated and have an impact on one another. Furthermore, the findings of this study demonstrate a noteworthy moderation effect, suggesting the existence of external factors that exert an influence on the associations between these variables. This research provides valuable perspectives on the intricacies of global strategic partnerships, technical advancements, and corporate competitiveness within the realm of international business administration in Jordan. Through the elucidation of the complex interconnections and fundamental mechanisms, this research endeavour enhances our understanding of the influence of these factors on the competitive strategies and innovation endeavours of organisations.

Small Governing Coalition in Hong Kong and its Impact on Political Freedom

Small Governing Coalition in Hong Kong and its Impact on Political Freedom

К проблеме актуализации языковой личности в политическом дискурсе современной Франции (на материале последних выступлений Э. Макрона за 2022 год)

The paper deals with French political discourse. The scope of research includes the latest speeches of the acting French president Emmanuel Macron illustrating his anti-russian declamations which could represent the peculiarities of the linguistic indentity of the acting French leader. The object of research consists of E. Macron’s word usages extracted from such speeches delivered throughout the year 2002 as «Discours du Président Emmanuel Macron à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies 2022», «Sonférence de à l’issue du Sommet informel des chefs d’État et de gouvernement de l’Union européenne», «Guerre en Ukraine: l’intégralité de l’allocution d’Emmanuel Macron», «Bénin: «La Russie a commencé au fond un nouveau type d’une guerre hybride”. Macron accuse la Russie d’être “l’une des dernières puissances impériales coloniales”». It is attempted to illustrate that his linguistic identity is diverse and could be designated by excessive metaphorical modeling, literature-centricity straightforwardness and picturesque descriptive words. While studying the metaphorical meanings of the lexical units under consideration the method of contextual analysis, component analysis method and the descriptive method are being used. The aim of the research is to represent the specifics of E. Macron’s verbal behavior by the example of anti-russian declamations in mass media. The relevance of the study is determined be citing and analyzing the latest interventions and declarations of the acting French president that illustrate contemporary political framework. The paper contains a large number of examples. The article may be of interest to experts in the field of French political discourse. The practical significance of the study consists in the possibility of inclusion of the examples of analysis of E. Macron’s speeches in didactic materials while designing special courses in the language of the French political communication for training students of such Master’s Degree programs as “International Relations”, “International Strategic Communication”, “Global Politics”, and “Information Support of State Interests”.

Relational Capital in the Technology Sector: An International Strategic Model

This paper analyses the impact of relational capital and relationship networks on business internationalisation, in particular in the technology sector in relation to internationalised Andalusian university spin-offs. First, a literature review based on these theories is carried out, from which a series of hypotheses are established in a pioneering way. These allow us to design a model of relationships that is empirically tested through a quantitative analysis. The study constructs were measured using five-point Likert scales. Once the data had been collected through the survey developed, they were coded for statistical analysis using the SPSS Statistics V28.0 programme. It is shown that the output of the international activity of these companies depends on their capacity to develop and sustain relationships with each of the different actors involved. Along this line, university spin-offs obtain diverse and strategically valuable external information and resources, significantly reducing business failure chances. The elements that influence the internationalisation process of the companies under study are relationships with customers, allies/collaborators, suppliers, and the company’s reputation and image. Similarly, those referring to relations with competitors, public bodies, and organisations have less impact. Nevertheless, it is evident that companies need to commit more time and resources to create, maintain, and develop relationships with different actors. Therefore, a strategic tool focused on international management is provided, based on the relationships of the spin-offs studied, which may constitute a starting point for its applicability to other industrial sectors and geographical areas.

International strategic alliances for collaborative product Innovation: An agent-based scenario analysis in biopharmaceutical industry

The lack of ability, knowledge, and resources at a national level leads companies to choose international strategic alliances (ISAs) as an appropriate solution to enter the global markets. In this regard, selecting appropriate partners is a fundamental step in reducing the risks and costs of these alliances. This article analyzes international partner selection scenarios using agent-based simulations in Iran's biopharmaceutical industry. In line with the goal of this research, a complete understanding of the failure and success of collaboration product innovation is presented. First, the critical/key success factors (KSFs) in international strategic alliances were identified through a literature review (LR) and screened via Fuzzy Delphi. Next, selected factors were weighted by fuzzy SWARA (Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and considered as simulation inputs for international partner selection. The simulation results indicated the critical role of the knowledge-matching degree and complementary resources and the insignificant impact of the company's reputation, government support, and experience in the international alliance. Furthermore, we found that pharmaceutical and biotech companies should emphasize their partner's complementary resources and develop an evaluation system to measure the knowledge-matching degree of their foreign partners in ISA. Eventually, this paper provides practical and applied solutions for biopharmaceutical industry managers to analyze business partners. The article also adds to the debate on ISAs in biopharmaceutical industries.

Enhancing international marketing capability and export performance of emerging market SMEs in crises: strategic flexibility and digital technologies

PurposeThis study investigates to what extent strategic flexibility of international strategic alliances (ISAs) affects export performance of emerging market small and medium-sized enterprises (ESMEs) via international marketing capability in crises. It also examines whether these ESMEs’ adoption of digital technology strengthens the impact of strategic flexibility of ISAs on international marketing capability.Design/methodology/approachBased on the international alliance and dynamic capability perspectives on strategic flexibility, the authors develop a conceptual model and empirically examine the mediation and moderation effects between strategic flexibility of ISAs, international marketing capability, export performance and adoption of digital technology. The authors collected survey data from 129 ESMEs located in Pakistan between May 2021 and August 2021 and tested the conceptual model with hierarchical-moderated regression analysis.FindingsThe findings suggest that strategic flexibility of ISAs positively impacts on export performance of ESMEs in crises. Moreover, the authors found that international marketing significantly mediates the relationship between strategic flexibility of ISAs and export performance of ESMEs. Also, the adoption of digital technologies significantly moderates the relationship between strategic flexibility of ISAs positively and international marketing capability.Originality/valueThe authors take strategic flexibility of ISAs in the context of the emerging market and how ESMEs enhance export performance in a time of crisis, which extends the prior ESMEs’ international marketing strategy and crisis management literature. In particular, the authors show that strategic flexibility of ISAs is a vital dynamic capability to enhance export performance of ESMEs via international marketing capability and adoption of digital technologies.

Time in International Strategic Alliances: Progress and Prospect

Time in International Strategic Alliances: Progress and Prospect

Визначення сутності корпоративної інтеграції у векторі розвитку корпоративного управління

The study is dedicated to determining the essence of corporate integration in the vector of corporate governance development, in particular, foreign and domestic research on the essence and processes of corporate integration in the vector of corporate governance development was thoroughly summarized and the basic principles of corporate integration process management were substantiated. In our research, we came to the view that integration can be represented in dynamics as a process, and in statics as a state, the result of a process. For all the multitude of types of integration, we came to the conclusion that they come down to two options depending on the subject composition of the participants: territorial (interstate, interregional) integration; production integration. The conducted research made it possible to identify within the currents and schools of economic theory different directions for the study of integration activity, which is explained by the complexity, multi-component and interdependence of the components of the phenomenon under study. Also, our analysis of literary sources revealed the absence of a universal approach both to the phenomenon of corporate integration and to its typology. Therefore, its essence and process were considered within the framework of the neoclassical direction, institutional economic theory, from the standpoint of the structural-functional approach and the global economic approach. Today, there is an approach that examines integration processes in two areas: international economic relations and organizational and economic relations at the level of individual organizations. Depending on the direction of corporate integration, the main types of merger and acquisition agreements were highlighted. In the study, according to the level of centralization of functions, two main organizational and economic forms of a corporate association were highlighted and schematically presented: an international corporation and an international strategic alliance. We also considered the management characteristics of the classification of integration associations from several different aspects: level of integration; goals of integration; form of ownership; field of activity; geographic coverage. We have described in detail the forms of international corporations, such as national associations, syndicates, trusts, concerns, and conglomerates, since these forms are a rigid and long-term type of association of companies. It was determined that each of the considered organizational and economic forms can be formed by various methods, which we presented in the author's classification of methods of formation of organizational and economic forms of international corporate integration. It was determined that management of corporate integration processes requires justification, adoption and implementation of management decisions. These decisions are determined by various factors: strategic orientation; new competitive advantages and competencies; interaction with other subjects of economic relations. These parameters affect the development and implementation of management solutions in the field of corporate integration. The article identifies several widely used methods of managing corporate integration processes that help ensure a successful merger or acquisition of companies: strategic planning; project management; involvement of key stakeholders; cultural integration; effective communication. Therefore, the choice of necessary and effective management methods depends on specific circumstances, strategic goals and features of corporate integration. It is recommended to choose those methods that are best suited to achieve successful integration of companies, in particular, they can be combined.

A state-of-the-art review on international strategic alliances: do we really know what we are researching

A state-of-the-art review on international strategic alliances: do we really know what we are researching

A one-two punch to the economy: Climate vulnerability and corporate innovation strategies

Using firm-level R&D and patent data for 88 countries, we find that country climate vulnerability is negatively related to firms’ R&D investment and innovation. The potential mechanisms include decreased responsiveness of R&D to investment opportunities, reduced incentives to innovate, lower private value of innovations, and stronger managerial career concerns. We further show that climate vulnerability is positively associated with the ratio of climate change mitigation technologies (CCMTs) and global collaborative patents in innovations and promotes international strategic alliances (e.g., research collaboration and licensing). Moreover, climate risk exposure through global supply chains and customer locations also relates to corporate innovation, and firm-level climate risk is negatively associated with innovation. Finally, using a difference-in-differences regression, we find that treated firms’ sensitivity of innovation to climate vulnerability increases after climate disasters. Our findings suggest a potential indirect effect of climate risk on the global economy through the reduction of corporate innovation activities.

A real options perspective on international strategic alliance formation: the role of distance and strategic motives

A real options perspective on international strategic alliance formation: the role of distance and strategic motives

ІНСТИТУЦІЙНО-ПРАВОВЕ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ МІЖНАРОДНИХ СТРАТЕГІЧНИХ АЛЬЯНСІВ В ІТ-СФЕРІ

The growth of economic entities and their desire for unification affects the increase in world trade and the increasing appearance of International Strategic Alliances aimed at overcoming the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Analysis of latest research and publications has shown that modern research is not of a systematic nature; taking into account the rapid spread of international strategic alliances in the 21st century, the issues of their institutional and legal functioning require a more detailed analysis. The purpose of the study is to identify the institutional and legal regulation of the activities of International Strategic Alliances (ISA) in world practice, which would allow to substantiate the directions for improving the domestic environment for their creation and functioning in the IT-sector. It has been proven that national legislation regulates International Strategic Alliances with the help of regulatory and legal acts. Depending on the functioning of the laws, the creation and registration of economic entities, which in the future would be able to form an association in the form of an alliance to further define their purpose, goals and tasks, is either accelerated or slowed down. The presence of proper regulation of the functioning of strategic alliances affects the foreign involvement factor the formation of ISAs. In the context of implementing European experience in Ukraine, it is determined that international cooperation in Germany is based on a number of indirect political and institutional features that help German companies adapt to rapid technological transformations quite effectively. Having analyzed the main normative legal acts regulating the range of public relations in the field of functioning of International Strategic Alliances in global practice, it was established that, for example, the current legislation of Ukraine does not contain a special separate law on the regulation of these relations, the practice in this field indicates the need to increase legal culture in this area by means of regulatory regulation of such relations, which will be the basis for the further development of the functioning of alliances. In the context of using the EU experience, the experience of Germany, which has a certain institutional variety of tools and mechanisms, is useful. Since the early 1970s, German governments have been able to promote the development of technological capabilities at home, supporting open markets abroad, including by intensifying the development of international cooperation, demonstrating a clear orientation of the economy to the producer, not to the consumer.

The “costs of doing business abroad” in a cross-border context characterised by extreme political volatility

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to describe and explain the organisation design antecedents of coordination, learning and trust in an international strategic alliance in a cross-border context characterised by extreme political volatility.Design/methodology/approachThe research was carried out as a single-case study in situ in a humanitarian international strategic alliance in Pyongyang, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).FindingsIn addition to explaining the effects of interface, specialisation, formalisation and centralisation on coordination, learning and trust, the study demonstrates the influence of classic international business (IB) “costs of doing business abroad” (Hymer, 1960/1976) on the same organisational outcomes. Moreover, the study identifies intergovernmental engagement/containment/disengagement as a contextual antecedent of both organisation design and outcomes.Originality/valueThe study extends IB theory by indicating that mainstream IB perspectives may not fully explain intraorganisational outcomes in cross-border contexts characterised by extreme political volatility. Notably, the study suggests that complementary constructs such as intergovernmental engagement are needed to account for the additional costs incurred by such settings.

Strategic Internationalization of Small High-Tech Enterprise from a Small Country: Advantage, Disadvantage and Strategy Development and Implementation

Strategic Internationalization of Small High-Tech Enterprise from a Small Country: Advantage, Disadvantage and Strategy Development and Implementation

Strategic Internationalization of Small High-Tech Enterprise from a Small Country: Advantage, Disadvantage and Strategy Development and Implementation

Strategic Internationalization of Small High-Tech Enterprise from a Small Country: Advantage, Disadvantage and Strategy Development and Implementation