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Managers as knowledge carriers – Explaining firms’ internationalization success with manager mobility

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  • Meinen, Philipp
  • Parrotta, Pierpaolo
  • Sala, Davide
  • Yalcin, Erdal

Abstract

While managerial mobility is ubiquitously seen as an integral part of the success in firms’ internationalization, discerning its empirical merits has been impaired by the paucity of quasi-experimental evidence, or adequate instrumental variables. To overcome these objective limitations, this paper proposes a novel identification strategy, which uses a control function based on on-the-job search theory to correct estimates for the presence of self-selected mobility flows. Our analysis confirms the finding that managers’ specific market experience matters for firms’ internationalization, especially when it derives from longer tenures at the former jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Meinen, Philipp & Parrotta, Pierpaolo & Sala, Davide & Yalcin, Erdal, 2022. "Managers as knowledge carriers – Explaining firms’ internationalization success with manager mobility," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:138:y:2022:i:c:s0022199622000654
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2022.103633
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    Cited by:

    1. Exadaktylos, Dimitrios & Riccaboni, Massimo & Rungi, Armando, 2024. "Talents from abroad. Foreign managers and productivity in the United Kingdom," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Meinen, Philipp & Raff, Horst, 2018. "International trade and retail market performance and structure: Theory and empirical evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 99-114.
    3. Miklós Koren & Álmos Telegdy, 2024. "Expatriate Managers: Effects on Firm Performance," CESifo Working Paper Series 11164, CESifo.
    4. Dimitrios Exadactylos & Massimo Riccaboni & Armando Rungi, 2019. "Talents from Abroad. Foreign Managers and Productivity in the United Kingdom," Working Papers 01/2019, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, revised Dec 2019.
    5. Piotr Tarka & Elżbieta Jędrych, 2023. "Toward an exploratory framework of determinants of marketing research effectiveness in business organizations," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(3), pages 503-522, September.
    6. Lark, Olga & Videnord, Josefin, 2023. "Do Exporters Import Gender Inequality?," Working Papers 2023:6, Lund University, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Management; Mobility; Experience; Export;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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