Internationalization Strategies Of Companies Research Articles

The role of quality management systems in fostering the international competitiveness of companies

PurposeThere is a strong consensus among scholars that the international competitiveness of companies strongly depends on the support of institutions, which reduces uncertainty in transactions by giving form to economic interactions, while less attention was paid to the role of international standards within this context. This study intends to propose its contribution by deepening the role of process certifications in the competitiveness and internationalization strategies of companies, with specific reference to the wood-furniture sector.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a questionnaire survey distributed via computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) methodology and sent to a sample of 2,845 Italian companies which operate in the wood-furniture industry, using simple random sampling. Thanks to the survey administration, 228 companies participated to the survey.FindingsThe study shows that it is companies operating in international markets that define this tool as relevant; this underlines how certification is seen as a kind of business card for entering international markets. In this context, the role of business leadership emerges as fundamental in the practical definition of the objectives to be set by adopting a quality management systems and in the subsequent commitment to obtain them.Originality/valueUp to now, the literature has taken these elements into analysis mainly considering the consumers' perspective. In sectors with a higher content of innovation, technology and design, such as the wood-furniture sector, the literature appears to be poor in terms of contributions.

The Dynamic Capabilities of International Retailers

Dynamic capabilities are relevant in management and internationalisation strategies of companies and retailers. This paper aims to analyse retailers' dynamic capabilities to understand whether divergences emerge in the cases of international companies versus retailers operating in their own domestic market. Through the application of an analysis model, which adapts the Teece framework to the specific features of retail companies, the study investigates three clusters of dynamic capabilities and measures 22 indicators for two different types of retailers. Results highlight significant differences in the capability of sensing the external and internal environment of the enterprise and in the capability of transforming the value proposition of the company.

Transnacionais Brasileiras: Motivadores e Resultados do Processo de Internacionalização da Vale

Studies on internationalization strategies of companies have been receiving increased attention from both organizations and academia, due to their importance in the spectrum of globalization and competitiveness. This paper analyzes the internationalization process of the three major global mining companies, their drivers, strategies and results, and checks whether the model used is correlated with a specific school (European, American, Japanese or the

Impact of formal control mechanisms on the performance of international joint ventures

Joint ventures (JV) are often a key component of the internationalisation strategies of companies. However, such operations are successful less often than expected. Problems rooted in the management accounting systems (MAS) are mentioned as typical failure causes (Watson Wyatt, 2000). This paper contributes to the understanding of JVs control mechanisms, MAS in particular, by considering them as coordination and monitoring mechanisms (Davila and Foster, 2005). The evidence, from 65 surveyed JVs and three JVs studied in detail in the motor/auto parts industry, supports the theory that highly intensive use of control mechanisms reduces uncertainty (Davila, 2000). This study demonstrates that control mechanisms assume either a coordinating role (budgeting, transfer pricing and cost allocation) or a monitoring role (performance measurement and governance mechanism). Successful international JVs predominantly adopt a balanced use of MAS, but giving pre-eminence to the coordination role as a manner to reduce uncertainty in decision making without eroding trust. However, monitoring roles are also needed to avoid opportunistic behaviours.

European companies between globalization and localization: a comparison of internationalization strategies of British and German MNCs

This paper assesses the extent of which British and German multinational companies have moved on a continuum between nationally embedded MNCs and globally oriented TNCs. Degree of national embeddedness and implantation into national economic and policy networks is held to influence the internationalization strategy of companies - the degree of FDI undertaken, the kind of competitive advantage they seek to derive from it and the way in which they combine nationally based and globally focused activities. It is shown that the different national business systems of Britain and Germany influence the responses of MNCs in their management of the tensions between pressures for globalization and established, nationally shaped business strategies and patterns of activities. In both cases, however, exaggerated claims about globalization of company activities and assets are shown to be misguided. But the paper also recognizes that some more globalized structures and strategies have begun to emerge in the second half of the 1990s. The study is based on a small number of case studies of British and German companies, complemented by official statistics and secondary data.