Thunderbird International Business Review最新文献

The purpose of this study is to examine how Portuguese women jewelry artisan entrepreneurs are empowered using digital technology. Recently, there has been an emphasis on the artisan and craft industry due to renewed interest in handicrafts but limited research exists about how digital and international entrepreneurship has influenced its growth. This study focuses on this gap by stressing the need to take a gender lens on international digital business activity in terms of how it is conducted. In-depth semistructured interviews with women jewelry makers located in Portugal were conducted to understand how their digital experiences led to increased levels of internationalization. The findings suggest that the use of digital technology was supported by co-creation, internationalization, and sustainability initiatives. The results of the study highlight the way crisis conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased emphasis by artisan entrepreneurs on digital entrepreneurship and this had flow-on effects leading to higher internationalization rates.

Multifocal practices allow transnational migrant entrepreneurs (TMEs) to access extended opportunity structures in diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs). National and regional regulations, customer relations, market demands, networks, and country-specific entrepreneurial statuses facilitate the strategic coupling of informal and formal business structures toward hybrid business models. However, “how” TMEs innovate and develop approaches to build from informal, formal business models in parallel across national borders remains largely underexplored. Our multiple case study presents three Polish–German TMEs who operate on a multifocal basis in different ecosystems. The longitude study of these entrepreneurs illustrates how transnational migrant businesses can change the owners' power dynamics, habitus, and feelings of belonging while counteracting social exclusion and self-discrimination. Our study contributes to the theoretical debate by illuminating the pathway between informality and formality facilitated by migrant entrepreneurs' transnational business models and their multifocal practices, possibly turning into transnational embeddedness in two or more ecosystems.

This study explores the intersection of international business and artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on how new ventures navigate environmental challenges for international expansion within Africa's transportation sector. Despite a wealth of literature on AI in developed countries, a notable gap exists in the understanding of the challenges emerging economies face in implementing AI practices, particularly in the context of Africa-to-Africa internationalization. The current study delved into the transformative potential of AI, identifying institutional voids as opportunities for innovation on the continent. Employing the Technology Organization and Environment framework, the study investigated the adoption of AI technology in the African business environment. Qualitative data gathered through interviews with transport tech startup founders across Africa provided insights into technological innovation, institutional dynamics, and market peculiarities. The founders recognized hurdles such as data scarcity, human resource constraints, and regulatory obstacles amid institutional voids. The study underscores the importance of understanding expectations, balancing possibilities and realities, and fostering collaboration. It offers valuable insights into the complexities faced by and opportunities for new ventures leveraging AI in internationalization, with practical implications for strategic AI implementation, policy development, market expansion, technology solutions, and cross-border transportation within Africa's unique business landscape.

The development of the digital economy in China has not only led to a revolution in science and technology and its industry transformation but also affected China's export upgrading. This article uses the provincial-level panel data of China's export products from 2012 to 2019 to explore the impact and mechanism of digital economy development on export upgrading. The result shows that the development of the digital economy generally promotes the technical complexity of exports, which is more significant in regions with higher resource allocation efficiency. The mediation effect test finds that the development of the technology market and human capital improvement are the two basic paths of the digital economy to promote export upgrading. The conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests, such as replacing the explanatory variables and using instrumental variables.

We investigated the mediating role of financial inclusion in the relationship between financial literacy and financial well-being in Ghana. Using PLS-SEM, we found that financial inclusion indeed mediates financial literacy and financial well-being in Ghana. We also documented a positive and significant relationship between Ghanaians' financial literacy and financial well-being. Again, financial literacy has a direct positive effect on financial inclusion. Hence, to enhance the impact of financial literacy on financial well-being in Ghana, policymakers should grant financial institutions enough freedom to offer a variety of financial services; financial institutions that have lost credibility in Ghana (such as insurance companies) should be put in check to build the trust of Ghanaians in them; and the cost of using a mobile phone and internet services to access financial services in Ghana should be reduced. The management of financial institutions can utilize the freedom offered to them by policymakers to offer various financial services to the public, build trust in customers, and offer lower-cost services to help improve the financial well-being of Ghanaians.

This study examines multinational companies in emerging markets, exploring their transfer pricing strategies for establishing tax havens. These companies employ various mechanisms (e.g., transfer pricing, profit transfers, and the reallocation of intangible assets) to minimize their tax liabilities. Today an increasing level of intangible assets facilitates smoother profit transfers to jurisdictions with lower tax burdens. Furthermore, these companies relocate their productive activities to tax havens, creating opportunities for corporate tax evasion and avoidance. Despite the efforts of governments and international organizations to propose the adoption of a minimum tax rate for different countries, these companies have been able to reduce or completely avoid paying taxes. Our study sample includes companies headquartered in emerging countries between 2010 and 2020. The study introduces some innovative elements, such as the variable “transfer pricing intensity,” which is derived from manual data collection. This variable enables analysis of the transfer pricing levels employed by multinational companies. In addition, a noteworthy contribution of this research is the use of an unconventional tax proxy known as AREA, which monitors the tax benefits associated with short- and long-term debts. The results demonstrate that these companies employ a diverse range of instruments, often in combination, to reduce taxes in their conglomerates. These findings contribute significantly to a deeper understanding of the intricacies surrounding corporate tax optimization practices and provide valuable insights for governments in formulating robust policies that promote transparency and accountability in the international tax landscape.

This study aims to assess the impact of changes in international business modes on consumer ethnocentrism. The study utilizes a quantitative research approach and is theoretically grounded in the resource-based view. Data was collected from Bangladesh, China, India, and Malaysia using the consumer ethnocentrism tendencies scale (CETSCALE), and analyzed using quantitative methods. The results indicate that changes in international entry modes have an impact on the degree of consumer ethnocentrism. Across all countries studied, the highest level of consumer ethnocentrism was found for imported products, and this degree and intensity decreased when the entry modes changed from importing to joint venturing and FDI. This study contributes to the literature on both international business and consumer behavior by integrating the two fields, resulting in a robust theoretical contribution. The findings also suggest that the appropriate IB mode can act as a resource.

This research had the objective to analyze the influence of network transitions within the life cycle stages of Born Globals (BGs). By developing a framework that consisted of a pre-inception phase, start-up phase, and growth phase, the study proposed to identify which networks were used and which knowledge was acquired within the development of the BGs, in order to analyze the network transitions that influenced its international expansion. By conducting in-depth interviews, the data was collected for the analysis of a comparative case study. Our empirical findings indicate that in the pre-inception phase, technological knowledge from institutional and business networks was pivotal to acquiring internal development making it possible for the companies to progress to the inception phase. Furthermore, international marketing knowledge acquired through business networks contributed to the transition from the inception phase to the growth phase as well as its internationalization. The results imply that high-tech entrepreneurs should consider developing business and institutional networks as an efficient mean for firm development and rapid internationalization.