IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v33y2024i5s0969593123000707.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A novel model linking UN SDGs with international experience and firm performance

Author

Listed:
  • Shen, Suqin
  • Venaik, Sunil
  • Liesch, Peter

Abstract

Using an Uppsala internationalization framework, informed by upper echelons theory and institutional theory, we investigate the factors associated with a firm’s adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) activities and their performance implications. For the period 2010–2020, from a dataset of 2744 Chinese firms, we find that international experience at the top management team (TMT) and firm levels has a positive effect on firm’s commitment to SDGs. TMT international experience is significantly related to all three types of SDG-related activities considered, but the results vary for the depth and breadth of firm internationalization activities. The organizational level SDG regarding innovation has a significant and positive effect on financial performance, but the performance effect is not significant for societal SDGs and other organizational SDGs, and significantly negative for environmental SDGs. Non-market behaviors, alongside market behaviors can be accommodated within an Uppsala internationalization approach, broadening its application, and confirming its contemporaneity in our modern world.

Suggested Citation

  • Shen, Suqin & Venaik, Sunil & Liesch, Peter, 2024. "A novel model linking UN SDGs with international experience and firm performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(5).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:33:y:2024:i:5:s0969593123000707
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2023.102170
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593123000707
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2023.102170?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Jing & Xia, Jun & Shapiro, Daniel & Lin, Zhouyu, 2018. "Institutional compatibility and the internationalization of Chinese SOEs: The moderating role of home subnational institutions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 641-652.
    2. Antonio D'Amato & Camilla Falivena, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility and firm value: Do firm size and age matter? Empirical evidence from European listed companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(2), pages 909-924, March.
    3. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Roger Schweizer, 2022. "Human behavior and judgment: A critical nano-foundation for the Uppsala model and international business studies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1549-1555, September.
    4. Jonathan P. Doh & Thomas Lawton & Tazeeb Rajwani, 2012. "Advancing Nonmarket Strategy Research : Institutional Perspectives in a Changing World," Post-Print hal-02276718, HAL.
    5. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 2009. "The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1411-1431, December.
    6. Valentina Marano & Peter Tashman & Tatiana Kostova, 2017. "Escaping the iron cage: Liabilities of origin and CSR reporting of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(3), pages 386-408, April.
    7. Shearmur, Richard & Doloreux, David & Laperrière, Anika, 2015. "Is the degree of internationalization associated with the use of knowledge intensive services or with innovation?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 457-465.
    8. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    9. Jennifer Martínez‐Ferrero & Emma García‐Meca, 2020. "Internal corporate governance strength as a mechanism for achieving sustainable development goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1189-1198, September.
    10. Jan-Erik Vahlne & Jan Johanson, 2017. "From internationalization to evolution: The Uppsala model at 40 years," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(9), pages 1087-1102, December.
    11. Jian Zhang & Dongmin Kong & Ji Wu, 2018. "Doing Good Business by Hiring Directors with Foreign Experience," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 859-876, December.
    12. Sophocles P. Ioulianou & Michael J. Leiblein & Lenos Trigeorgis, 2021. "Multinationality, portfolio diversification, and asymmetric MNE performance: The moderating role of real options awareness," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(3), pages 388-408, April.
    13. Banerjee, Shantanu & Venaik, Sunil & Brewer, Paul, 2019. "Analysing corporate political activity in MNC subsidiaries through the integration-responsiveness framework," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 1-1.
    14. Aguilera, Ruth V. & Crespi-Cladera, Rafel, 2016. "Global corporate governance: On the relevance of firms’ ownership structure," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 50-57.
    15. Zhenzhen Xie & Jiatao Li, 2018. "Exporting and innovating among emerging market firms: The moderating role of institutional development," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(2), pages 222-245, February.
    16. Jiménez-Jiménez, Daniel & Sanz-Valle, Raquel, 2011. "Innovation, organizational learning, and performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 408-417, April.
    17. Acedo, Francisco J. & Jones, Marian V., 2007. "Speed of internationalization and entrepreneurial cognition: Insights and a comparison between international new ventures, exporters and domestic firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 236-252, September.
    18. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    19. Ans Kolk & Jonatan Pinkse, 2008. "A perspective on multinational enterprises and climate change: Learning from “an inconvenient truth”?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(8), pages 1359-1378, December.
    20. Haiyang Li & Xiwei Yi & Geng Cui, 2017. "Emerging Market Firms' Internationalization: How Do Firms' Inward Activities Affect Their Outward Activities?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(13), pages 2704-2725, December.
    21. Taylan Mavruk & Conny Overland & Stefan Sjögren, 2020. "Keeping it real or keeping it simple? Ownership concentration measures compared," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 26(4), pages 958-1005, September.
    22. Willem Schramade, 2017. "Investing in the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Opportunities for Companies and Investors," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 29(2), pages 87-99, June.
    23. Wu, Jie & Ang, Siah Hwee, 2020. "Network complementaries in the international expansion of emerging market firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    24. ChungMing Lau & Yuan Lu & Qiang Liang, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility in China: A Corporate Governance Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 73-87, June.
    25. Mario I. Kafouros & Peter J. Buckley & Jeremy Clegg, 2014. "The Effects of Global Knowledge Reservoirs on the Productivity of Multinational Enterprise: The Role of International Depth and Breadth," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Multinational Enterprise and the Emergence of the Global Factory, chapter 10, pages 220-254, Palgrave Macmillan.
    26. Demsetz, Harold & Villalonga, Belen, 2001. "Ownership structure and corporate performance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 209-233, September.
    27. Alexander S. Alexiev & Justin J. P. Jansen & Frans A. J. Van den Bosch & Henk W. Volberda, 2010. "Top Management Team Advice Seeking and Exploratory Innovation: The Moderating Role of TMT Heterogeneity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(7), pages 1343-1364, November.
    28. Casillas, José C. & Moreno, Ana M. & Acedo, Francisco J. & Gallego, María A. & Ramos, Encarnación, 2009. "An integrative model of the role of knowledge in the internationalization process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 311-322, July.
    29. Marko Reimer & Sebastiaan Doorn & Mariano L. M. Heyden, 2018. "Unpacking Functional Experience Complementarities in Senior Leaders’ Influences on CSR Strategy: A CEO–Top Management Team Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(4), pages 977-995, September.
    30. Xiaofeng Quan & Yun Ke & Yuting Qian & Yao Zhang, 2023. "CEO Foreign Experience and Green Innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 535-557, January.
    31. ., 2008. "The Role of the Internet in Explaining Innovation Performance," Chapters, in: Industrial Innovation and Firm Performance, chapter 11, pages 190-205, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    32. Cristian L. Dezsö & David Gaddis Ross, 2012. "Does female representation in top management improve firm performance? A panel data investigation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(9), pages 1072-1089, September.
    33. Samiee, Saeed & Walters, Peter G. P., 1990. "Influence of firm size on export planning and performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 235-248, May.
    34. Noemi Sinkovics & Rudolf R. Sinkovics & Jason Archie-Acheampong, 2021. "Small- and medium-sized enterprises and sustainable development: In the shadows of large lead firms in global value chains," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 80-101, March.
    35. Mariassunta Giannetti & Guanmin Liao & Xiaoyun Yu, 2015. "The Brain Gain of Corporate Boards: Evidence from China," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(4), pages 1629-1682, August.
    36. Nielsen, Bo Bernhard & Nielsen, Sabina, 2011. "The role of top management team international orientation in international strategic decision-making: The choice of foreign entry mode," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 185-193, April.
    37. Freixanet, Joan, 2022. "Export promotion programs: A system-based systematic review and agenda for future research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(4).
    38. He, Qiuqin & Guijarro-Garcia, Maria & Costa-Climent, Juan, 2022. "Impact of knowledge-based capital on firm productivity: The contingent effect of ownership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 85-94.
    39. Sabina Nielsen, 2010. "Top Management Team Internationalization and Firm Performance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 185-206, April.
    40. Hartmann, Julia & Inkpen, Andrew & Ramaswamy, Kannan, 2022. "An FsQCA exploration of multiple paths to ecological innovation adoption in European transportation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(5).
    41. Joan Freixanet & Gemma Renart & Alex Rialp-Criado, 2018. "The Impact of Managers’ Global Orientation on SME Export and Economic Performance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 571-604, August.
    42. Christopher Wickert & Andreas Georg Scherer & Laura J. Spence, 2016. "Walking and Talking Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications of Firm Size and Organizational Cost," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(7), pages 1169-1196, November.
    43. Orly Levy & Schon Beechler & Sully Taylor & Nakiye A Boyacigiller, 2007. "What we talk about when we talk about ‘global mindset’: Managerial cognition in multinational corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(2), pages 231-258, March.
    44. Paul C. Godfrey & Craig B. Merrill & Jared M. Hansen, 2009. "The relationship between corporate social responsibility and shareholder value: an empirical test of the risk management hypothesis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 425-445, April.
    45. Purkayastha, Anish & Kumar, Vikas & Gupta, Vishal K., 2021. "Emerging market internationalizing firms: Learning through internationalization to achieve entrepreneurial orientation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    46. Kuo, Anthony & Kao, Ming-Sung & Chang, Yi-Chieh & Chiu, Chih-Fang, 2012. "The influence of international experience on entry mode choice: Difference between family and non-family firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 248-263.
    47. Valentina Marano & Tatiana Kostova, 2016. "Unpacking the Institutional Complexity in Adoption of CSR Practices in Multinational Enterprises," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 28-54, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Georgios Batsakis & Vasilis Theoharakis, 2021. "Achieving the Paradox of Concurrent Internationalization Speed: Internationalizing Rapidly in Both Breadth and Depth," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 429-467, August.
    2. Danchi Tan & Weichieh Su & Joseph T. Mahoney & Yasemin Kor, 2020. "A review of research on the growth of multinational enterprises: A Penrosean lens," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 498-537, June.
    3. Joan Freixanet & Gemma Renart & Alex Rialp-Criado, 2018. "The Impact of Managers’ Global Orientation on SME Export and Economic Performance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 571-604, August.
    4. Matteo Corciolani & Federica Nieri & Annamaria Tuan, 2020. "Does involvement in corporate social irresponsibility affect the linguistic features of corporate social responsibility reports?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(2), pages 670-680, March.
    5. Ilya R. P. Cuypers & Charmi Patel & Gokhan Ertug & Jiatao Li & Youtha Cuypers, 2022. "Top management teams in international business research: A review and suggestions for future research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(3), pages 481-515, April.
    6. Popli, Manish & Ahsan, Faisal M. & Mukherjee, Debmalya, 2022. "Upper echelons and firm internationalization: A critical review and future directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 505-521.
    7. Vissak, Tiia & Francioni, Barbara & Freeman, Susan, 2020. "Foreign market entries, exits and re-entries: The role of knowledge, network relationships and decision-making logic," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    8. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 0. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-39.
    9. Daniel R Clark & Dan Li & Dean A Shepherd, 2018. "Country familiarity in the initial stage of foreign market selection," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(4), pages 442-472, May.
    10. Pei Sun & Jonathan P. Doh & Tazeeb Rajwani & Donald Siegel, 2021. "Navigating cross-border institutional complexity: A review and assessment of multinational nonmarket strategy research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1818-1853, December.
    11. D’Angelo, Alfredo & Buck, Trevor, 2019. "The earliness of exporting and creeping sclerosis? The moderating effects of firm age, size and centralization," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 428-437.
    12. Li, Wen Helena & Guo, Bin & De Sisto, Marco, 2021. "Untangling the commonalities and differences between domestic cross-regional experience and international experience in shaping speed of internationalization," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(2).
    13. Xie, En & Reddy, K.S. & Liang, Jie, 2017. "Country-specific determinants of cross-border mergers and acquisitions: A comprehensive review and future research directions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 127-183.
    14. Haoyuan Ding & Kees G. Koedijk & Chang Li & Tong Qi, 2021. "The internationalisation of Chinese firms: Impact of FDI experience on export performance," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(12), pages 3609-3640, December.
    15. Luiz, John M. & Barnard, Helena, 2022. "Home country (in)stability and the locational portfolio construction of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 17-32.
    16. Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah & Muhammad Anwar & Ch. Mazhar Hussain, 2021. "Top managers' attributes, innovation, and the participation in China–Pakistan Economic Corridor: A study of energy sector small and medium‐sized enterprises," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 385-406, March.
    17. Krzysztof Wach & Agnieszka Głodowska & Marek Maciejewski, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Orientation, Knowledge Utilization and Internationalization of Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-23, December.
    18. Kafouros, Mario & Cavusgil, S. Tamer & Devinney, Timothy M. & Ganotakis, Panagiotis & Fainshmidt, Stav, 2022. "Cycles of de-internationalization and re-internationalization: Towards an integrative framework," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(1).
    19. Sibele Recco Rosso Comim, 2020. "Relationship between Chinese firms’ Internationalization and Environmental performance: An empirical evidence," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 4(11), pages 111-118.
    20. Nur Izzati binti Mohamad Anuar* & Nik Malini binti Nik Mahdi & Abdullah Al Mamun & Dzulkifli bin Mukhtar & Nursafeda binti Abd Rashid & Symeon Mandrinos, 2018. "Connecting Inward and Outward Internationalisation of Malaysian SMEs: A Learning Approach," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, pages 264-275:4.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:33:y:2024:i:5:s0969593123000707. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.