European Business Review最新文献

Purpose

This study aims to examine the international market selection process of entrepreneurs operating internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

Four small and medium-sized comparative and rich-information case studies were purposefully selected from among Australian and Arabian firms. Data were collected via in-depth personal interviews, follow-up interviews and questionnaire instrument.

Findings

The results revealed that entrepreneurs used a four-stage systematic decision-making process to attain profitable foreign market choices. The decision process was influenced by cognitive boundaries as entrepreneurs relied on the availability experiential, anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

Research limitations/implications

The research’s findings and the proposed decision model will, significantly, assist entrepreneurs, willing to expand internationally, in enhancing their decision-making to attain profitable foreign market choices. Further, it provides benefits to foreign investment policymakers in host countries by assisting them to attract more inward foreign direct investments, and, accordingly, enhance the economic and social development movement in their countries.

Originality/value

This study provides a significant theoretical contribution to the literature on the internationalization process of entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises through developing a decision model for selecting and entering foreign markets by entrepreneurs in a cross-country context. Further, the study provides significant methodological contributions with regard to the effectiveness of the qualitative case study method in capturing elements of the foreign market selection process.

Purpose

Manufacturing firms must embrace smart technologies and develop complex leadership approaches to achieve sustainability. Using the dynamic capability theory, this paper aims to examine the influence of the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies (AT) and paradoxical leadership (PL) on corporate sustainable performance (CSP) of manufacturing small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Moreover, organisational ambidexterity (OA) is a mediator and strategic flexibility (SF) is a moderator in the study.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a cross-sectional, quantitative study design that collected 395 usable responses through a simple random sampling technique and a close-ended structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling (SEM) procedures were followed to analyse the data.

Findings

The statistical outcome implies that the AT significantly influence CSP and OA and mediate with CSP in the presence of OA. Moreover, PL shows a significant impact on OA, is insignificant on CSP and mediates with OA and CSP. The authors found a significant association between OA and CSP; however, SF did not provide evidence of a moderate effect.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study clarify the role that organisational capabilities (OA, AT, PL and SF) play in fostering sustainability. The authors suggest incorporating SMEs from different geographies in other sectors by applying diverse methodologies and relevant constructs.

Practical implications

The result injects new perspectives into policy, managerial and individual levels. Installing OA, AT, PL and SF makes SMEs sustainable.

Originality/value

The empirical validation of the influence of OA and AT on CSP and the interaction of PL and SF enriches the organisational and entrepreneurial literature.

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the difference between the impacts of indicators of trade barriers (TBs) on bankrupt enterprises (BEs), new enterprises (NEs) and other enterprises (OEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper has used a multiple-step approach. At the first stage, the initial data has been collected from interviews with 164 top managers of SMEs in West Azerbaijan in Iran during two periods of 2013–2015 and 2017–2019. At the second step, multiple correspondence analysis has been used to summarize the relationships between variables and construct indices for different groups of TBs. Finally, the generalized structural equation model method was used to examine the impact of export barriers.

Findings

The results showed that the political legal index is the main TBs for BEs and NEs, but it had a more significant impact on BEs; the financial index was the second major TBs factor for BEs, while OEs did not have a problem in performance index, and the financial index was classified as a minor obstacle for them. All indicators of marketing barriers (except production index) had a negative and significant effect on all enterprises; the most important TBs for NEs was the information index.

Originality/value

The results indicated that if enterprises have a strong financial system and function, they can lessen the impact of sanctions and keep themselves in the market.

Purpose

Drawing on the resource-based view, ecological modernization theory and upper-echelon theory, this study aims to explore how green manufacturing practices (GMGP) affect the sustainable performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

It also examines the mediating role of green innovation (GIN) and the moderating role of managerial discretion (MD). To test the hypothesized model, the data was collected from 394 manufacturing SMEs though survey and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS (SEM).

Findings

The results provide evidence for the positive relationship between GMGP and corporate sustainable performance (CSPR), mediated by GIN. Furthermore, the presence of MD enhances the positive effect of GMGP on CSPR through GIN. Thus, this study enhances the understanding of the relationship between GMGP and CSPR, including its underlying mechanism and conditional effects.

Research limitations/implications

This study collected sample from SMEs located in Punjab province of Pakistan which represents majority of the SMEs; however, future research can take data from other province and with large sample size.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the significance of GMGP and GIN in the manufacturing sector for attaining CSPR goals. GMGP guides business leaders to be more inclined toward the energy and resource consumption as well as waste generation within their organizations which lead to improved CSPR outcomes.

Originality/value

The findings of this study make significant contributions to the existing literature, shedding light on the dynamics between GMGP and CSPR. Moreover, the study offers managerial implications for organizations aiming to enhance their sustainable performance by implementing effective GMGP.

Purpose

This study aims to challenge the generic interpretation of Multilatinas as Latin American firms that have been able to internationalize because of highly competitive strategic capabilities. The authors test whether capabilities that international business researchers commonly associate with internationalization are necessary at different stages of the internationalization process to better understand the extent to which emerging market (EM) firms need to develop them.

Design/methodology/approach

International business research suggests a positive association between strategic capabilities and firm internalization. However, it remains unclear what specific capabilities are necessary and when they are necessary. These questions are particularly important in the context of the internationalization of firms from emerging economies, such as Latin America. The authors apply necessary condition analysis (NCA) on a sample of Latin American firms at different internationalization stages to test what strategic capabilities represent necessary conditions for becoming a Multilatina.

Findings

The findings suggest that only a few strategic capabilities are necessary for Latin American firms to become “Multilatinas”. While entrepreneurial orientation and marketing and sales capabilities represent necessary conditions, EM firms may internationalize even though other capabilities are developed to a lesser extent. The authors reflect on how shifts in local markets and technology drive the emergence of different types of Multilatinas.

Research limitations/implications

Measuring strategic capabilities across multiple EM firms implies a risk that firm-specific aspects are not fully captured. While the authors focused on the comparative competitive strength of capabilities and took great care to minimize measurement error, the authors acknowledge possible bias. Also, while NCA does not require a minimum sample size, findings from our sample of firms from four countries may not generalize to the region or other EMs.

Originality/value

As a relatively new statistical technique, the use of NCA has spread rapidly. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the linkage between organizational capabilities and firm internationalization has not been tested from a necessary conditions perspective yet. The reflections on the “Multilatina” concept based on the notion of EM firms as configurations of strategic capabilities inform current debates on EM multinational enterprises.

Purpose

This paper aims to empirically examine the impact of dynamic capabilities on Industry 4.0 capabilities in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. It also aims to examine the potential impact of industry 4.0 capabilities on technological innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 210 respondents who work and own SMEs in Jordan. SmartPLS software based on the partial least squares-structural equation modeling approach was used to test hypotheses.

Findings

The findings reveal the positive effects of the three components of dynamic capabilities, including sensing, seizing and reconfiguring, on Industry 4.0 capabilities. They also confirm the positive effect of Industry 4.0 capabilities on technological innovation.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable practical implications and enriches the literature on the determinants of Industry 4.0 capabilities and its role in developing the dynamic capabilities of SMEs, such as technological innovation.

Purpose

Although emerging markets are distinctly known for the rapid growth and international expansion of their state-owned enterprises, little is known about the influence of parent resource advantages and mixed state ownership on a subsidiary’s performance. Using the resource-based view, this study aims to investigate how resource advantages from the parent company and state ownership influence the performance of subsidiaries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included a unique data set of 207 subsidiaries from 33 large Brazilian multinationals located in 32 countries from 2000 to 2015. The authors used a hierarchical linear modeling and a multilevel structure based on data at different levels to analyze the influence of home-country parent resource advantages and state ownership on host-country subsidiary’s performance.

Findings

This study illustrates that state ownership can alleviate the resource advantages of parent companies. Evidence is presented, indicating that low and medium degrees of state ownership have a negative impact on the resource advantages of the parent company, consequently reducing the subsidiary’s performance. Moreover, this study highlights that low and medium degrees of state ownership lead to conflicting interests between state ownership and parent resource advantages, resulting in an overall decline in subsidiary performance.

Originality/value

This research contributes new evidence regarding state ownership and resource advantages to the field of international business studies and the domain of Latin American multinational enterprises, Multilatinas. The results suggest that low and medium levels of state ownership diminish the influx of resources from parent companies, thereby restricting the subsidiary’s performance.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential variances in strategic entrepreneurial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across different countries while also exploring the cultural implications that may arise.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a qualitative research approach was used, involving semi-structured interviews conducted with seven technology start-ups from two countries – Portugal and France.

Findings

The results of this study demonstrate significant differences in opportunity-seeking, performance and long-term orientation behaviors between the technology start-ups in Portugal and France.

Practical implications

This knowledge can help entrepreneurs and investors make informed decisions when developing strategies, entering new markets or seeking partnerships with start-ups from different countries. Furthermore, policymakers can use these findings to support entrepreneurship initiatives and foster an environment that encourages strategic entrepreneurship practices.

Originality/value

This study offers a unique perspective by focusing on the firm level of entrepreneurial SMEs and the strategic practices adopted by technology start-ups in Portugal and France. In contrast, prior studies have predominantly centred on analysing individual motivations for entrepreneurship, such as personal traits or attitudes, rather than exploring the actual strategic behaviors and practices of start-ups in various countries. By shifting the emphasis to the firm level, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of how strategic entrepreneurship practices differ across different cultural contexts. As such, it represents a significant contribution to the existing literature on strategic entrepreneurship.