bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The development of a high‐tech international new venture as a process of acting
Authors: Mainela Tuija , Pernu Elina , Puhakka Vesa 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to analyze the development of high‐tech international new ventures as an acting process by individuals in relationship networks.Design/methodology/approachThe study cross‐fertilizes research on internationalization of international new ventures, opportunity development of entrepreneurs and innovation development in technology‐based firms. A longitudinal case study on the development process of an international new venture operating in the software business is used as a base for analytical generalization and theory development.FindingsThe study illustrates events at three intertwined levels of acting on the development of an international new venture. It defines internal problem solving, external solution creation, opportunity selling and opportunity organizing as the behaviors driving the emergent, multi‐level process and embedding the venture in various networks.Research limitations/implicationsStatistical generalization based on common patterns experienced by several firms was not sought in this study. Using the process research approach with event‐based analysis, the study, however, provides an in‐depth analysis of international new venture development through the actions of individuals at the level of key events. The methods for examining a complex development process over time can be utilized by other process researchers.Practical implicationsThe complexity of building high‐tech international new ventures is, to a great extent, due to the necessity of handling the process at three levels simultaneously and in connection with one another. Since international new ventures are often based on business opportunities that have a short window of opportunity, the timeline creates further challenges. Embedding the business into various resourcing, legitimizing and otherwise assisting networks is crucial.Originality/valueThe study provides an insight into the ways of acting in networks that intertwines the internationalization, opportunity and technology development with development of a high‐tech international new venture. The study follows the development process in real time, something that is quite rare in previous international entrepreneurship research.
The impact of internationalisation on small firms' choice of location and propensity for relocation
Authors: Rasmussen Erik , Møller Jensen Jan , Servais Per 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe primary focus of this paper is to examine the international (import and export) activities of the firm and the impact on the firms' criteria for choice of location and the propensity for relocation.Design/methodology/approachA web survey was carried out among small and medium‐sized Danish firms. Data used in the present study are based on responses from 622 firms. The analysis is conducted in two sub‐sections. The first section focuses on how export/import intensity is related to the location motives of the firm and the propensity to relocate the firm to another national location or abroad. Pearson's correlation with corresponding test of significance is used to explore the possible relationships between the international engagement and the firm's criteria for choice of location. In the second section the responding firms are classified into one of four categories, as suggested in a local/global typology. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is conducted in order to assess whether there exist any significant differences between the four types of firms with regard to the location motives and relocation propensity for the firms.FindingsThe study shows that the international engagement of the firm influences the need for better location with regard to infrastructure (especially airport and highways) and to a lesser degree other types of infrastructure (railways and harbours). Interestingly, firms put less emphasis on the direct economic factors (infrastructure) compared with access to customers/suppliers, local network and, above all, access to research institutions. The study shows that international firms put significantly more emphasis on the relationship with research institutions than more local firms. The study also indicates that a higher international engagement increases the firm's intention to relocate abroad, which could be one of the unwanted sides of firms' internationalisation.Originality/valueGuided by insights from location and relocation theory and international entrepreneurship theory, the connection between firms' export and import engagement and the reasons for location and propensity for relocation are explored. The paper also suggests an internationalisation typology of firms that can be used in future research on the internationalisation of the firm.
Knowledge assimilation processes of rapidly internationalising firms
Authors: Fletcher Margaret , Prashantham Shameen 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe accumulation of knowledge and learning by firms has been identified as being critical to their internationalisation. This paper aims to explore the knowledge assimilation processes of rapidly internationalising small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative enquiry in two stages. First, four case studies were selected from firms that were participating in an internationalisation programme run by Scottish Enterprise, the regional development agency. Data collection involved semi‐structured interviews with chief executive officers (CEOs) and programme providers, and archival data. Second, two focus groups were held with six CEOs participating in the programme.FindingsThe findings indicate that knowledge sharing is important for rapidly internationalising SMEs and that firms adopted high levels of formality in assimilating knowledge. Two key aspects of formality were identified as important; formal planned events to share explicit and tacit knowledge and the codification of tacit to explicit knowledge. Knowledge may be assimilated less formally by the retention of tacit knowledge as tacit, while utilising elements of formality. The paper finds that learning for internationalisation can be transferred to support domestic growth.Practical implicationsIt is important for firms to develop appropriate knowledge assimilation processes within their management systems to support internationalisation. The CEO and management team need to take the lead in marshalling commitment to learning processes and in cultivating an organisational culture that is supportive of learning.Originality/valueThis research contributes to international entrepreneurship by providing insights into the knowledge assimilation processes employed by rapidly internationalising SMEs to manage the tensions between the need for greater formality to be efficient at learning, and informality to enable speedy decision making.
Value creation of an internationalizing entrepreneurial firm
Authors: Sainio Liisa‐Maija , Saarenketo Sami , Nummela Niina , Eriksson Taina 
Published: August 2011

PurposeIn order to respond to the call for a broader perspective on the internationalization of entrepreneurial firms, this study aims to bring the business model concept to the context of international entrepreneurship, with special emphasis on the notion of value formation and value exchange at company interfaces.Design/methodology/approachThis is a cross‐case study based on qualitative data from business model workshops with key company informants in each case firm.FindingsThe findings of the study indicate that, although the business models of firms with comparable positions may appear similar, there are fine‐grained differences both in their activities and in their value formation. In addition, the data collection workshops revealed that firms tend to neglect the inspection of their incentives to their partners, as they concentrate on value formation to end‐customers.Practical implicationsFrom the managerial point of view, the study shows how the managers of international entrepreneurial firms may describe and analyze their business model, including the whole value chain, systematically from the perspective of value exchange. Firms may gain insights from examining the business models of similar organizations.Originality/valueEven though the role of the business model has also been discussed in previous studies, it has not been so explicitly pronounced in the domain of international entrepreneurship. The paper contributes to previous business model conceptualizations by adding the notion of value exchange at the company interfaces.
Internationalisation and the internet in UK manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Kevin Tseng Ko‐Min , Johnsen Rhona E. 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the influence of the internet on the internationalisation process and international customer relationship interactions of UK manufacturing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The paper is positioned at the interface of the literature on international entrepreneurship and the internet.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the findings from multiple case studies of ten UK manufacturing SMEs from a variety of UK sectors, producing high‐, medium‐ and low‐tech offerings. In‐depth interviews with directors or managers of the SMEs were conducted. Individual and cross‐case analysis was carried out using coding frameworks to reduce and analyse the data and capture patterns in the findings.FindingsThe findings reveal how the influence of the internet in the internationalisation process and international customer relationship interactions differed in the high‐, medium‐or low‐tech SME categories. The influence of the internet differed across three main dimensions: the way in which the SMEs invested in and used different internet applications for internationalisation and customer relationship support, the SMEs' perceptions of the internet as a tool to support communication with international customers; the SMEs' reliance on more personal and interactive forms of contact with international customers.Practical implicationsThe results demonstrate that the level of technological advancement of an SME's offerings has an important bearing on how these firms adopt the internet in their internationalisation process and gain advantages in their international customer interactions. The managerial implications of the study are relevant for manufacturing SMEs, their customers and government agencies involved with SMEs.Originality/valueThis research is amongst the first empirical contributions to examine the themes of the internet, internationalisation and international customer interactions in UK manufacturing SMEs and to highlight the importance of the level of technological advancement of an SME's offerings in distinguishing the ways in which the internet is used by entrepreneurial small firms in their internationalisation process.
What emerges when a market emerges?
Authors: Lozano Josep M. 
Published: August 2011

PurposeWhat emerges when a market emerges? Does giving emphasis to the term emerging markets not represent a form of economic reductionism, neglecting the social context in which a market emerges? In this respect, CSR can be seen as a contribution from the business community, one that does not separate the economic and social dimensions in this process. However, more global approaches are needed to face today's challenges and to reflect on the criteria to be borne in mind. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachFor this reason, the paper feels it might be useful to respond to the question posed in the title, in dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI's latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (CV). The latter represents one of the few current attempts to provide a global and integrated view, incorporating specific guiding values and criteria for action. This paper is thus divided into three parts entitled: in times of globalization and crisis: integral human development as a criterion; the CSR challenge: the company, sustainability and the common good; and the continuing challenge of business in society.FindingsThe main finding is that CV's contribution may be to provide criteria to analyze what one has to bear in mind when talking about emerging markets without reducing this vision merely to economic terms. It is necessary to consider criteria such as: integral human development; the common good; inter‐generational justice; the cultural context; ethics integrated within the economy and moral responsibility. All of these are fundamental.Originality/valueThis paper questions the message, which is sometimes oversimplified in the case of emerging markets, to the extent that it forgets the social context. Dealing with this omission allows one to present new challenges both as part of these countries' CSR agendas and in the call for both local and global governance.
Corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance in China: an empirical research from Chinese firms
Authors: Chen Honghui , Wang Xiayang 
Published: August 2011

PurposeAlthough the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance has become a hot topic of the Western management community after several decades of arguments, there is still little empirical literature about the relationship between Chinese companies' CSR and financial performance. According to the investigation of Chinese companies, this paper aims to use stakeholder theory to answer this question.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework is proposed based on the stakeholder theory by defining nine kinds of stakeholders and viewing the companies taking CSR as giving responses to the interest requirement of these stakeholders. Some agent variables are also set to depict CFP. Subsequently, this paper uses the data collected in 2007 and 2008 from Chinese firms to explore the relationship between CSR and corporate financial performance (CFP) empirically.FindingsThe results show that companies' social responsibility activity can improve their financial performances of the current year, have significant effects on their financial performances of the next year, and vice versa. The variation of CSR and financial performance can also significantly influence each other.Originality/valueThis research integrates the factors of time delay and cause‐effect with the relationship of CSR and CFP, and then provides theory support for companies taking CSR.
Corporate social responsibility practices in India: approach, drivers, and barriers
Authors: Arevalo Jorge A. , Aravind Deepa 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine how corporations in India interpret corporate social responsibility (CSR). Focusing on four commonly known approaches: the ethical, the statist, the liberal, and the stakeholder approach, the paper seeks to investigate the reported drivers and barriers to implementing CSR practices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper surveyed top‐level managers of a sample of companies currently engaging in a CSR initiative, representing a variety of industry sectors.FindingsThe study finds that the CSR approach that is most favored by Indian firms is the stakeholder approach and that the caring or the moral motive, followed by the strategic or profit motive, are important drivers for Indian firms to pursue CSR. Further, the results indicate that the most significant obstacles to CSR implementation are those related to lack of resources, followed by those related to the complexity and difficulty of implementing CSR.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the activities of leading Indian firms participating in the UN Global Compact (GC), thereby restricting one's knowledge of CSR practices of non‐participants. Future research should expand on this effort either by conducting comparative studies of non‐participants to the GC, or by investigating CSR practices of firms engaging in other voluntary initiatives.Originality/valueThe majority of studies on CSR are still embedded in the economic and organizational contexts of Europe and the USA. This research aims to address this gap by focusing on the CSR framework of developing nations, particularly the emerging market of India.
Measuring the impacts of NGO partnerships: the corporate and societal benefits of community involvement
Authors: Hansen Erik G. , Spitzeck Heiko 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to address partnerships between corporations and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to corporate community involvement (CCI). It seeks to focus on how to measure both business and community benefits derived from CCI, especially stressing the need for developing indicators beyond the input level considering outputs and impacts.Design/methodology/approachThis paper follows a case study research strategy in a subsidiary of a multinational chemical and pharmaceutical company. Data collection is based on triangulation of data using interviews, action research, and documents.FindingsBased on the case study presented, it was found that, when CCI is an integral part of corporate strategy, it is also possible to develop advanced performance measurement systems for CCI. Such measurement systems include input, output, and impact level metrics for both community and business benefits. Community benefits are best developed and monitored in collaboration with the NGO partner. Further, it was found that the measuring frequency partly transcends conventional reporting periods.Practical implicationsThe research should motivate companies that engage in corporate community involvement to go beyond input‐level metrics in measuring the success of such initiatives. However, in order to successfully operate a performance monitoring on output and impact levels, partnering with an NGO that has greater capability in socio‐economic assessments is key.Originality/valueThis paper shows how NGOs can contribute to performance measurement as part of the strategic performance management system of a corporation and how this allows for metrics beyond common input‐level to address output or even impact‐level metrics.
How relevant is corporate governance and corporate social responsibility in emerging markets?
Authors: Peters Sanjay , Miller Mariah , Kusyk Sophia 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThe principal aim of this research is to provide an in‐depth analysis of existing practices of corporate governance in mature markets and to compare and contrast these approaches with CG and CSR practices in emerging markets, given the growing influence of EMs on the global economy.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology employed in the study is to survey the main theoretical approaches for understanding and CG in relation to mature markets and EMs.FindingsThe paper makes a small but important contribution to theory building by modifying and expanding the conceptual framework put forward by Weimer, Pape, Gedjlovic, and Shapiro to make a distinction between systems of corporate governance and particularly the “taxonomy of systems of corporate governance”. This is achieved by identifying an additional set of key variables specifically relevant to EMs as a group of countries. The main finding of the paper is that there is no comprehensive, “one size fits all” global corporate governance or CSR system, based on western codes and regulations that can be implemented in emerging markets.Originality/valueIt is proposed that alternative corporate governance systems that reflect the institutional realities of emerging economy settings must be taken into account. The recognition of such alternative standards and codes in the way businesses are organized is original and valuable in practical as well as in social terms for both western investors and EMs. The paper is heretic in that it questions conventional wisdom, which views the OECD‐prescribed best governance practices as applicable to EMs.
The strategic relevance of corporate community investments
Authors: Condosta Luca 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to understand which strategies a multinational can adopt in emerging countries where it operates towards local communities, in terms of sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is the result of a two‐year research, conducted through multiple case studies, with a special focus on emerging markets (Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, India, Argentina), and the professional experience of the author as international stakeholder engagement manager in ENI.FindingsThe research identified a 2×2 matrix with four possible strategies coming from the multiple case study analysis and depending on the internal focus of CSR and the external perception of business through local communities. The research also shows how a company can adopt a portfolio of those strategies.Practical implicationsThis paper presents a model to be adopted by multinationals both to have the picture of their situation at a certain date and to plan their interventions in emerging countries.Originality/valueIn the literature of CSR there is still an area to be developed, which is the application of CSR concept in emerging countries.
Making the most of corporate social responsibility reporting: disclosure structure and its impact on performance
Authors: Vurro Clodia , Perrini Francesco 
Published: August 2011

PurposeExamining a three‐year disclosure experience of a sample of Fortune 100 global companies, the paper aims to propose and test a model that relates the structure of CSR disclosure to corporate social performance. Based on the results obtained, it proposes to draw implications for emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachCombining content analysis of CSR reports and corporate social performance data, the paper built a longitudinal dataset starting from the population of worldwide companies included in the AccountAbility Rating between 2004 and 2007. Longitudinal regression analysis is performed on a final sample size of 114 firm‐year observations involving 38 firms over a three‐year period.FindingsThe paper finds evidence that the level of disclosure does not improve firm ability to manage stakeholders. However, a finer‐grained analysis of the structure of disclosure shows that better social performers are those who increased the breadth of their disclosure to stakeholders and uniformly distributed disclosure across stakeholders.Research limitations/implicationsResults provide an empirical test for the theories describing true responsible economic actors as those who are able to combine high engagement with the social context of reference and balanced coverage of diversified interests. However, the study suffers the usual limitations of content analysis‐based research, as well as exclusively relying on CSR disclosure by large corporations.Practical implicationsFindings suggest not only the importance of structuring the report in a comprehensive way, and extending coverage to multiple stakeholders and related issues, but also the need for balance between informative needs, thus avoiding concentrated structures. Accordingly, companies that report on more themes, presenting a balanced and comprehensive product, develop a better ability to manage their stakeholder network, thus gaining higher corporate social performance.Originality/valueThe study seeks to revisit the relation between CSR disclosure and corporate social performance, answering the request for more rigorous measures. It goes beyond the level of disclosure as a comprehensive proxy of firm‐stakeholder dialogue and demonstrates how a finer‐grained analysis of the structure of disclosure can be a better predictor of superior performance.