Showing papers on "Internationalization published in 2022"

Network cooperation and economic performance of SMEs: Direct and mediating impacts of innovation and internationalisation

Abstract: Small firms’ performance has been recognised as an important topic for researchers dealing with the topics of internationalisation and innovation. Literature has examined the individual influence of network cooperation, innovation and internationalisation on firm performance. However, there is an absence of research to explore the coherent relationship between network linkages, innovation performance, internationalisation performance and its cumulative influence on economic performance. That is, this research examines the mediating roles of innovation and internationalisation between network cooperation and firm performance. Based on the sample of 117 exporting Indian SMEs and using structural equation modelling, the results note that indirect effects produced by customers and Research and Development (R&D) organisations via innovation performance explain a higher proportion of their total effect on the economic performance of SMEs. Conversely, the relationship between three network stakeholders, viz. customers, government agencies and R&D organisations, and economic performance are mediated by the internationalisation performance of SMEs.

The Importance of Digital Transformation in International Business

Abstract: This study was developed under the scope of a Portuguese project focused on the entrepreneur’s perspective and perception on the internationalization process of his company: more specifically, about the factors that enhanced the company entry into foreign markets as well as the constraints found in this process. This work focuses on the importance of using digital transformation to integrate technological tools in international business practice and strategy and the obstacles encountered with introducing these new technologies. This study aims to determine the relationships between technology categories and obstacles. The final goal is to assess the impact of these characteristics of the companies by the sector of economic activity, size, and percentage of profits resulting from international expansion. A questionnaire was designed and sent by email to 8183 companies from the AICEP database, distributed by three main activity sectors. A total of 310 valid answers were gathered from the Portuguese internationalized companies. The research limitations are related to the reduced number of interviews. These interviews showed that managers were not aware of the concept of digital transformation and misunderstood the use of digital technologies in the internationalization process of the business. This limitation can add some bias to the qualitative results. In addition to these limitations, the number of responses per sector was also not homogeneous. The practical implications of this study are that managers and top-level executives can use that to better understand how companies could use digital tools and what obstacles they should avoid when they want to internationalize their business. This paper is one of the first research contributions to analyze the impact of digital transformation in the internalization of Portuguese companies.

English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education

Abstract: This Element focuses on English-Medium instruction (EMI), an educational approach that is spreading widely and rapidly in higher education institutions throughout the world because it is regarded as a lynchpin of the internationalisation process. The main aim of the Element is to provide critical insights into EMI implementation and the results obtained so far in diverse university contexts. After defining EMI and analysing the rapid extension it has experienced, the volume tackles issues such as stakeholders' views on how EMI programmes are being implemented, the impact of teaching and learning both content and language in a foreign language, translanguaging practices in English-medium lectures, and how assessment has hitherto been addressed. Each section aims to bring to light new avenues for research. The Element wraps up with a description of the many challenges ahead.

Internationalisation of higher education beyond the West: challenges and opportunities – the research evidence

Abstract: ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education has typically been seen as a contemporary trend driven by Western developed nations, whereby particular elite models of provision, most frequently delivered in the English language, influence practice globally. This has involved either the recruitment of international students and staff, notably to the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other Western countries, or the opening by their universities of branch campuses overseas. The picture is, however, rather more complex than this, with many other national and institutional players involved, in different ways at different levels, and patterns varying from region to region. This article explores the research evidence on the internationalisation of higher education beyond the West through a systematic review of recent academic writing. In doing so, it draws attention to the challenges and opportunities identified in the research literature, and questions whether the internationalisation of higher education is a truly global phenomenon.

Charting new courses to enter foreign markets: Conceptualization, theoretical framework, and research directions on non-traditional entry modes

Abstract: Recent advances in digitalization and increasing integration of international markets are paving the way for a new generation of firms to use non-traditional entry modes that are largely marginalized in previous entry mode studies. While extant research revolves around the level of resource commitment and control in foreign activities, non-traditional modes are encapsulated by the extent of embeddedness required for exploring new and/or exploiting existing resources. In particular, we draw attention to four such categories of non-traditional entry modes the literature has touched on, i.e., capital access, innovation outposts, virtual presence, and the managed ecosystem. We explore the key attributes, antecedents, and strategic implications of these modes. Our paper highlights the need for enriching current entry mode research by considering a broader range of entry mode activities available to firms as well as employing new theoretical perspectives to understand the complex phenomena of internationalization.

Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends on Higher Education Internationalization Using Scopus Database: Towards Sustainability of Higher Education Institutions

Abstract: Sustainability in education has continued to evolve, which in turn creates a research niche that is able to provide greater opportunities for interaction between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their surroundings. Internationalization of higher education is one of the new forms of engagements in higher education for ensuring sustainability. This study seeks to understand the research in higher education internationalization on publication outcomes, co-authorships between authors and similar countries, and co-occurrences of author keywords. This can provide valuable opportunities in expanding collaborative networks to impart global perspectives into teaching, learning, and research development. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis was carried out to identify a total of 1412 journal articles from between 1974 to 2020 using information taken from the Scopus database. The research wraps up similarities on the growth of research, with the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, China and Canada emerging as among the countries that publish the most. There is a growing popularity of the term ‘higher education internationalization’ as part of the global new trends of cross-cultural study in transnational education. Finally, this study calls for future research programs with a concern in developing the intercultural communication of graduate students for global competence skills towards sustainability of HEIs.

Hidden champions: a review of the literature & future research avenues

Abstract: Abstract Substantial efforts have contributed to overcome the scarcity of research on hidden champions. Nevertheless, literature has yet missed to compile a comprehensive review. Drawing on the insights of 112 publications, four strands of literature could be distinguished to unravel the essence of hidden champions. Research on hidden champions studies their (1) internationalization strategies, (2) R&D and innovation strategies, the (3) worldwide and regional geographic distribution of hidden champions and finally (4) other research that could not be assigned to one of the first three strands. A hand-collected sample of 1372 German hidden champions exemplifies the key insights from the reviewed research articles. Discussing the findings of the different literature strands aims at drawing a conclusion on their main results and analytical pitfalls to eventually unfold and motivate future research avenues.

Externalization in the platform economy: Social platforms and institutions

Abstract: Abstract The growing platform economy has revived the debate on the applicability of internalization theory in contemporary contexts. In moving this debate forward, we draw on insights from hybrids research and property rights theory to complement the internalization school. Our core contribution lies in a reconceptualization of platforms as a hybrid organizational form enabling the exchange of property rights between platform owners and complementors. Using social platforms as an example, we propose that improvement in a host country’s intellectual property protection will increase the multinational platform’s (MNP) level of internalization, and that the platform firm’s governance capabilities may weaken the effect of institutions on its operation mode. Our theoretical analysis yields new insights beyond the received view of internationalization that builds on the assumption of internalized proprietary resources. We conclude that internalization theory, as an overarching paradigm in IB, remains adaptable to new organizational forms in the digital economy.

A general theory of de‐internationalization

Abstract: De-internationalization is a novel phenomenon that is gaining significant attention because of its proliferation in international business. However, unlike internationalization, literature on de-internationalization remains opaque and scarce, whereby the acts that characterize de-internationalization and the characters of those acts have remain largely underexplored. To address this knowledge gap and contribute to the body of knowledge on international business, this article aims to shed light on the acts and characters of acts defining de-internationalization. To do so, this article adopts a taxonomic method to conceptual development. In doing so, this article explains that (1) the act of de-internationalization can manifest as a firm's decision to adapt and stay or withdraw and exit an international market (what is happening), which can occur through (2) decoupling or psychic distance (how it is happening) due to (3) a means-ends or a needs-ends reason (why it is happening), respectively. Taken collectively, this article makes a seminal contribution by establishing a general theory of de-internationalization.

Internationalisation as a stimulus for SME innovation in developing economies: Comparing SMEs in factor-driven and efficiency-driven economies

Abstract: • The effect of internationalisation on SME innovation depends on the level of the country’s economic development. • We find a positive association between foreign technology licensing and innovation. • Technology licensing is the most important mode of internationalisation that influences innovation in factor-driven economies. • Importing of intermediate inputs has the most significant direct effects on SME innovation in efficiency-driven countries. • Firm R&D and training have statistically significant positive effects on product and process innovations. Given the potential of internationalisation for overcoming constraints in the domestic knowledge and technology of developing economies and thus enabling SME innovation, this study investigates the importance of foreign technology licensing, exporting, and importing for SME innovation in developing economies at different levels of development. Using the lens of institutional theory and the levels of development model, we examine samples of SMEs in the factor-driven economies of Sub-Saharan Africa and the efficiency-driven economies of various European and Central Asian post-socialist countries. Our results suggest that the effects of ‘importing’ and ‘exporting’ on SME innovation strongly depend on the level of the country’s economic development. We also find a positive association between foreign technology licensing and innovation; the effect is stronger in the Sub-Saharan factor-driven economies than in efficiency-driven economies.

How do SMEs from different countries perceive export impediments depending on their firm-level characteristics? System approach

Abstract: Research background: The differences in the legal structures, tax rates, and cultural-linguistic issues of various countries have always been a significant concern for SMEs in their exporting activities and internationalization processes. However, since firm-level characteristics might provide some advantages or disadvantages in their operations, their perceptions of export impediments might vary across size, age, and sector groups. Purpose of the article: This paper investigates the perceptions of export impediments by 408 larger-smaller, older-younger, and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian SMEs in a country-based perspective. Methods: The researchers use the random sampling method to create research samples and employ an internet-mediated questionnaire to collect the research data. The researchers use both Independent Sample T-test and ANOVA analyses to find differences between size, age, and sector groups. Findings & value added: While the differences exist between the perceptions of Slovakian larger-smaller and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing SMEs regarding cultural differences, the perceptions of legal and tax-related export impediments by SMEs do not differ depending on their age, size, and sector. This paper contributes to the literature by confirming various perceptions of SMEs in different countries and different characteristics regarding export obstacles and providing an entity-specific and international scope that policymakers and SMEs can benefit from. Awareness of the policymakers regarding the results of this paper that includes differences and similarities in SMEs? perceptions of export barriers might make them have close interactions with SMEs to reduce SMEs? concerns regarding their export risks. On the other hand, SMEs that are aware of the results of this paper can be more interested in having a broader network that includes close relationships not only with intermediary firms, but also with governments to overcome the export impediments.

Challenges of adapting to organizational culture: Internationalization through inclusive leadership and mutuality

Abstract: Many universities in Japan have expanded their international faculty as part of their internationalization efforts. However, little is known about how the reform-driven expansion has influenced organizational culture and leadership practices. The present narrative case study aims to offer insights into international faculty members' personal accounts of their adaptation challenges and proposes ways to enhance their integration. Narrative interviews were held with eight international English teachers from a non-English department of a Japanese university. The interview questions were informed by Burke and Litwin’s (1992) Casual Model of Organizational Performance and Change (see Fig. 1). Creswell and Creswell's (2013) six-step method was used for the qualitative data analysis. The findings suggested the hierarchical organizational culture remained uninfluenced despite the faculty expansion. This was attributed to uncertainty avoidance to maintain harmony and ensure a smooth operation. Therefore, leadership practices were also focused on standardization of teaching and course design through micromanagement practices. The participant accounts indicated that exclusive leadership along with the existing hierarchy resulted in isolation. However, the feeling of isolation was perceived both positively and negatively. Finally, through the participants' self-reflection, lack of linguistic and intercultural competency appeared to be a hindrance to their integration. Thus, it may be necessary to focus on inclusive leadership and intercultural competence building to accomplish mutuality for the successful integration of international faculty members and create new avenues for the leadership to harness diversity.

The role of internationalisation in 40 years of higher education research: major themes from Higher Education Research & Development (1982–2020)

Abstract: ABSTRACT Internationalisation represents a significant disruptive force for higher education over the last four decades, impacting teaching, research, and service provisions in many countries. In response, much scholarly literature has focused on internationalisation’s causes and effects in the sector, leading recent systematic literature reviews to consider it a thematic field of higher education research. To mark the 40th anniversary of Higher Education Research & Development, we consider the extent to which the journal has made a contribution to this thematic field and how the framing of internationalisation has developed or changed over time. A systematic literature review of 151 articles about internationalisation published since the journal’s founding in 1982 demonstrated that this theme is of substantial interest and contribution. We have highlighted through a qualitative discourse analysis of article titles and abstracts that the journal has developed growing criticality towards internationalisation over time through recognition of underlying power differentials and inequalities. Several areas are suggested to move this thematic field forward in the journal and the wider higher education field, including the inclusion of more authors from the Global South and increased criticality towards deficit narrative framings of international students.

Exploring High-Quality Institutional Internationalization for Higher Education Sustainability in China: Evidence from Stakeholders

Abstract: The current study explored high-quality institutional internationalization for promoting sustainable development of higher education in China, from stakeholders’ perspectives. We assessed students’ and faculty members’ satisfaction regarding factors involved in the internationalization of higher education institutions. We recruited 498 students (undergraduate students and graduate students) and 209 faculty members (research track and administration track) and assessed their satisfaction with institutional internationalization initiatives in multiple dimensions, including international courses, research, cooperation and services. The results revealed that student satisfaction with institutional internationalization was influenced by four factors: international faculty resources, international curriculum, international services, and international campus. Of these factors, international faculty resources had the greatest influence, and international campus had the least influence. Teachers’ satisfaction was influenced by international services, international research, and international cooperation, of which international services had the greatest influence and international cooperation had the least influence. Based on the current results, we suggest that national and local government should promote institutional internationalization in the post-epidemic era, and that Chinese-foreign academic cooperation should be enhanced for both students and faculty members.

Product Innovation, Market Intelligence and Pricing Capability as a Competitive Advantage in the International Performance of Startups: Case of Peru

Abstract: Since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, various options have been created to export products, with the creation and development of startups becoming a viable and significant option. Previous research has described the influence of competitive business advantage on international performance. However, the novelty of the current research was to evaluate the influence of the company’s capabilities, through the competitive advantage of the company as a mediator in international performance. The study was based on the responses of 200 active startups in Peru. The PLS-SEM technique was utilized with the company’s capabilities linked to internationalization processes as independent variables, as well as market intelligence, product innovation, and pricing. The mediating variable was competitive advantage, and the dependent variable was international performance. It was found that all three capabilities influenced competitive advantage and, ultimately, international performance. It was concluded that competitive advantage does not act as a mediator between pricing capabilities and the international performance of startups. Moreover, it was determined that competitive advantage acts as a mediator between two of the three assessed capabilities: market intelligence capabilities and product innovation capabilities. The results were supported by the reflective and formative evaluation of the results obtained through the applied technique. These results could help create better programs to promote startups interested in internationalizing and exporting products.