AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

TUESDAY
In this paper, we examine the drivers of foreign-born Chief Executive Officers'(CEOs) appointment. We argue
that rational or economic factors will drive these appointments albeit constrained by the homophilic tendencies
of the firm's board of directors. More specifically, we argue that the greater the internationalization of a
multinational enterprise (MNE) the greater the challenges it faces and the greater the need for a leader who
understands numerous foreign markets. Such a requirement narrows the potential candidates' pool, increasing
the likelihood of a foreign-born CEO appointment. Moreover, poor performance of international operations will
bring to light the importance of a leader who can manage the foreign operations of an MNE, enhancing the
likelihood of a foreign-born CEO appointment. Recruiting committees however are boundedly rational. As in all
selection processes, homophilic tendencies, or the selection of individuals that are demographically similar to
the recruiter(s), will be strong limiting the likelihood that foreign-born CEOs are appointed. This latter problem
will ease as board members and top management teams become more international. As such, we propose that
the link between firms' the economic drivers of selection and foreign-born CEO appointment will be moderated
by the national diversity of board of directors and top management team members. (For more information,
please contact: Yannick Thams, Florida International University, USA: thamsy@fiu.edu)
The Job Demands-Resources Model and International Business Travelers: A Qualitative Study
Lucy Rattrie-Wilcox, University of Stirling
Markus Kittler, University of Stirling
This study explores the experiences of international business travelers. It highlights the job demands, job
resources and personal resources that are most influential in determining well-being and performance related
outcomes. It further points at the value of using the Job Demands-Resources Model (Bakker and colleagues) as
a theoretical framework to classify such characteristics with individuals who operate in an international work
context and discusses the potential for organizations to enhance the amount of resources available to
employees in a cost-effective manner. Through twenty-five semi-structured interviews, the main job demands
and resources identified were related to workload, infrastructure and administration, frequency and duration of
travel, recovery time, building relationships and knowledge transfer. The important personal resources were
health, organizational skills and openness to experience. (For more information, please contact: Lucy Rattrie-
Wilcox, University of Stirling, United Kingdom: lucy.wilcox@stir.ac.uk)
Session: 3.4.14 - Interactive
Track: 3 - IB Theory, FDI, and Entry Mode
Internationalization Processes
Presented On: July 3, 2012 - 14:30-15:45
Chair: Elizabeth Maitland, University of New South Wales
The Speed of Export Expansion and Firm Performance
Dirk Michael Boehe, Insper Institute of Education and Research
This study addresses the speed of export expansion, which refers to the number of new export destination
countries a firm enters per period. This widely under-researched topic in international business is important to
export management because there is a likely trade-off between the economic incentives to rapidly expand to (or
withdraw from) export markets on the one hand and the hazard of overstretching existing production and
managerial capabilities on the other hand. Using a panel data base of Brazilian exporters, we test a model that
simultaneously predicts firm performance as a function of export expansion speed and the latter as a function of
both export strategy variables and a firm-specific exchange rate competitiveness. We find that "better" firms,
i.e. firms that have higher export intensity, geographic diversification, serve more distant target countries and
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
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