AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

TUESDAY
International Business Strategy in Emerging Economies: Insights from the Evolution of a Trading Company
Karim Marini Thomé, University of Brasilia
Janann Joslin Medeiros, University of Brasilia
Cristina Lelis Leal Calegario, Federal University of Lavras
This case study investigates from a longitudinal perspective the drivers of trading company strategy and the
determinants of trading company success in international business. The firm selected for study is a trading
company that conducts the majority of its total transactions among emerging economies. The theoretical
framework draws upon three approaches to international business strategy: industrial competitiveness, firm
resources and capabilities, and institutional contexts and transitions. Data were collected using in-depth
interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation. Rather than a single driver, we found that
strategic choices were driven at times by the demands of industrial competitiveness, at times by firm resources
and capabilities, and at times by institutional conditions. There was evidence neither of a linear chronological
order for these drivers, nor of driver obsolescence. On the contrary, findings suggest that drivers are
cumulative and interactive. Changes in organizational resources and capabilities or in competitive or institutional
environments can force review and re-thinking of strategic objectives. The capabilities of managing the
interfaces among internal resources and capabilities and the demands of the competitive and institutional
environments and carrying out strategic redefinitions when necessary are identified as the determinants of
success for the trading company studied. (For more information, please contact: Karim Marini Thomé, University
of Brasilia, Brazil: thome@unb.br)
Factors Affecting Local Responsiveness: The Case of Chinese Multinationals Operating in Australia
Di Fan, Victoria University
Cherrie Jiuhua Zhu, Monash University
Chris Nyland , Monash University
Utilising cross-level and in-depth interviews this paper extends empirical and conceptual studies that have
clarified the underlying factors that determine how multinational enterprises (MNEs) respond to local
contingencies. The study examines the applicability of these factors in the context of Chinese MNEs with
operations in Australia. In so doing, it pioneers the use of qualitative methods to determine which factors affect
emerging market MNEs' local responsiveness and how these elements function. The capturing of senior
management perceptions at two levels of the firm enables intra-management comparison and notable
perception gaps are discovered. Furthermore the study explores and discusses two new factors affecting
Chinese MNEs' local responsiveness concerns, these being, national interest and social licence. (For more
information, please contact: Di Fan, Victoria University, Australia: di.fan@vu.edu.au)
Session: 3.1.4 - Competitive
Track: 6 - Innovation and Knowledge Mgmt.
The Geography of R&D
Presented On: July 3, 2012 - 09:00-10:15
Chair: Jennifer Spencer, George Washington University
Do Technology Leaders Deter Inward R&D Investments Evidence from Regional R&D Location Decisions in
Europe
Dieter Somers, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Rene Belderbos, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
Page 189