AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

MONDAY
Session: 2.3.13 - Interactive
Track: 6 - Innovation and Knowledge Mgmt.
Trade, Investment and Innovation
Presented On: July 2, 2012 - 13:00-14:15
Chair: Christopher Williams, University of Western Ontario
Can Innovation Rescue Exporters A Contingency Perspective
Ziliang Deng, Renmin University of China
Honglin Guo, Renmin University of China
Chengqi Wang, Nottingham University Business School
The massive collapse of exporters during the recent global financial crisis motivates researchers to explore what
factors have helped exporters survive. Employing data for Chinese firms over the period 1998-2008, this paper
examines the effects of technological innovation on exporter survival in foreign market. Departing from the
conventional wisdom that innovation is always beneficial to exporting, this research shows that innovation at
times can be detrimental to exporter survival due to the "double liability" of foreignness and innovativeness.
However, we also find that innovation can enhance exporter survival when the firm is highly profitable and
when the institutional environment in which the firm is embedded is highly business-friendly. By demonstrating
the co-existence of the two opposing effects, we enhance understanding of how and under what conditions
innovation promotes/impedes exports. (For more information, please contact: Ziliang Deng, Renmin University
of China, China: ziliang.deng@ruc.edu.cn)
The Effect of Past Experience on the Frequency of Future International Acquisitions
Majid Eghbali-Zarch, University of Western Ontario
Experiences of a firm in international acquisitions and joint ventures can be beneficial in terms of the frequency
of its future international acquisitions. From their experience with foreign acquisitions, firms learn which part of
their existing knowledge is applicable to new and dissimilar settings. Learning effect of different types of
acquisitions (partial and full acquisitions) and their impact on later acquisitive initiatives are investigated. Highly
experienced firms in acquisitions develop routines for search and selection of target firms for acquisition.
Further, the level of experience matter in its effect on future acquisitions. The study finds that initial acquisitive
activities of a firm have higher learning impact than its later instances of acquisition. (For more information,
please contact: Majid Eghbali-Zarch, University of Western Ontario, Canada: meghbali-zarch.phd@ivey.ca)
Experiential Learning and Innovation in Offshore Outsourcing Transitions
Christopher Williams, University of Western Ontario
Maya Kumar, University of Western Ontario
We develop a conceptual model of the process by which firms engage in offshore outsourcing for the purpose of
sourcing innovation. We argue that this process requires offshore providers to become able to innovate on
behalf of clients who are geographically and culturally distant. The model we develop is based on experiential
learning theory applied at a functional team level. We develop an argument that there are different learning
transitions (relationship-oriented and task-oriented) that enable offshore providers to attain the capabilities
needed to innovate on behalf of their clients. These transitions in turn are influenced by the cultural context in
which client and provider teams are embedded. The model we develop has implications for theory of offshore
outsourcing as well as for practicing managers. (For more information, please contact: Maya Kumar, University
of Western Ontario, Canada: mkumar@ivey.ca)
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
Page 158