IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/abaman/v15y2016i2d10.1057_abm.2015.18.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Similarity to successful peers and the implications for subsidiary performance

Author

Listed:
  • Naoki Ando

    (Hosei University)

Abstract

This study explores whether the performance of a lower-performing subsidiary improves when it is staffed in a similar manner to high-performing subsidiaries. Using a panel data set comprising 11 266 observations of foreign subsidiaries of Japanese firms, it is found that in subsidiaries with strategic importance, staff deployment similar to that of high-performing peers has a positive impact on the subsidiary’s performance. This study also demonstrates that when institutional distance between the host and home countries is large, staff deployment similar to that of high-performing peers has a negative impact on performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Naoki Ando, 2016. "Similarity to successful peers and the implications for subsidiary performance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(2), pages 110-136, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:15:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1057_abm.2015.18
    DOI: 10.1057/abm.2015.18
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/abm.2015.18
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/abm.2015.18?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. Marschan-Piekkari, Rebecca & Welch, Denice & Welch, Lawrence, 1999. "In the shadow: the impact of language on structure, power and communication in the multinational," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 421-440, August.
    2. Christine M Chan & Shige Makino, 2007. "Legitimacy and multi-level institutional environments: implications for foreign subsidiary ownership structure," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 621-638, July.
    3. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    4. D Minbaeva & T Pedersen & I Björkman & C F Fey & H J Park, 2003. "MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity, and HRM," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(6), pages 586-599, November.
    5. Fang, Yulin & Wade, Michael & Delios, Andrew & Beamish, Paul W., 2013. "An exploration of multinational enterprise knowledge resources and foreign subsidiary performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 30-38.
    6. Schmidt, Tobias & Sofka, Wolfgang, 2009. "Liability of foreignness as a barrier to knowledge spillovers: Lost in translation?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 460-474, December.
    7. Au, Kevin Y. & Fukuda, John, 2002. "Boundary spanning behaviors of expatriates," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 285-296, January.
    8. Johnson, Karen L. & Duxbury, Linda, 2010. "The view from the field: A case study of the expatriate boundary-spanning role," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 29-40, January.
    9. H. Itagaki, 2009. "Competitiveness, localization and Japanese companies in China: realities and alternate approaches," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 451-462, July.
    10. Robert Jensen & Gabriel Szulanski, 2004. "Stickiness and the adaptation of organizational practices in cross-border knowledge transfers," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(6), pages 508-523, November.
    11. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    12. Sako, Mari & Helper, Susan, 1998. "Determinants of trust in supplier relations: Evidence from the automotive industry in Japan and the United States," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 387-417, March.
    13. David L. Deephouse & Suzanne M. Carter, 2005. "An Examination of Differences Between Organizational Legitimacy and Organizational Reputation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 329-360, March.
    14. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, April.
    15. T. S. Breusch & A. R. Pagan, 1980. "The Lagrange Multiplier Test and its Applications to Model Specification in Econometrics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 47(1), pages 239-253.
    16. Helene Tenzer & Markus Pudelko & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2014. "The impact of language barriers on trust formation in multinational teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 508-535, June.
    17. Robert Salomon & Zheying Wu, 2012. "Institutional distance and local isomorphism strategy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(4), pages 343-367, May.
    18. Elitsa R Banalieva & Charles Dhanaraj, 2013. "Home-region orientation in international expansion strategies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(2), pages 89-116, February.
    19. Steven C Currall & Andrew C Inkpen, 2002. "A Multilevel Approach to Trust in Joint Ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(3), pages 479-495, September.
    20. Nell, Phillip C. & Ambos, Bjérn & Schlegelmilch, Bodo B., 2011. "The MNC as an externally embedded organization: An investigation of embeddedness overlap in local subsidiary networks," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 497-505, October.
    21. Collings, David G. & Scullion, Hugh & Morley, Michael J., 2007. "Changing patterns of global staffing in the multinational enterprise: Challenges to the conventional expatriate assignment and emerging alternatives," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 198-213, June.
    22. René Belderbos & Jianglei Zou, 2007. "On the growth of foreign affiliates: multinational plant networks, joint ventures, and flexibility," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(7), pages 1095-1112, December.
    23. Andrew Delios & Ajai S. Gaur & Shige Makino, 2008. "The Timing of International Expansion: Information, Rivalry and Imitation Among Japanese Firms, 1980–2002," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 169-195, January.
    24. Sui Sui & Matthias Baum, 2014. "Internationalization strategy, firm resources and the survival of SMEs in the export market," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(7), pages 821-841, September.
    25. Kenneth S Law & Lynda Jiwen Song & Chi-Sum Wong & Donghua Chen, 2009. "The antecedents and consequences of successful localization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(8), pages 1359-1373, October.
    26. Ilídio Barreto & Charles Baden‐Fuller, 2006. "To Conform or To Perform? Mimetic Behaviour, Legitimacy‐Based Groups and Performance Consequences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(7), pages 1559-1581, November.
    27. Dutta, Dev K. & Beamish, Paul W., 2013. "Expatriate Managers, Product Relatedness, and IJV Performance: A Resource and Knowledge-based Perspective," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 152-162.
    28. Konopaske, Robert & Werner, Steve & Neupert, Kent E., 2002. "Entry mode strategy and performance: the role of FDI staffing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(9), pages 759-770, September.
    29. Harzing, Anne-Wil & Köster, Kathrin & Magner, Ulrike, 2011. "Babel in business: The language barrier and its solutions in the HQ-subsidiary relationship," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 279-287, July.
    30. Stewart Johnston & Bulent Menguc, 2007. "Subsidiary size and the level of subsidiary autonomy in multinational corporations: a quadratic model investigation of Australian subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(5), pages 787-801, September.
    31. Norihito Furuya & Michael J Stevens & Allan Bird & Gary Oddou & Mark Mendenhall, 2009. "Managing the learning and transfer of global management competence: Antecedents and outcomes of Japanese repatriation effectiveness," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(2), pages 200-215, February.
    32. René A Belderbos & Mariëlle G Heijltjes, 2005. "The determinants of expatriate staffing by Japanese multinationals in Asia: control, learning and vertical business groups," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 36(3), pages 341-354, May.
    33. Jeffrey H Dyer & Wujin Chu, 2000. "The Determinants of Trust in Supplier-Automaker Relationships in the U.S., Japan and Korea," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 31(2), pages 259-285, June.
    34. Harzing, Anne-Wil & Pudelko, Markus, 2013. "Language competencies, policies and practices in multinational corporations: A comprehensive review and comparison of Anglophone, Asian, Continental European and Nordic MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 87-97.
    35. Jean-Luc Arrègle & Toyah Miller & Michael Hitt & Paul Beamish, 2013. "Do regions matter? An integrated institutional and semiglobalisation perspective on the internationalization of MNEs," Post-Print hal-02313035, HAL.
    36. Yulin Fang & Guo‐Liang Frank Jiang & Shige Makino & Paul W. Beamish, 2010. "Multinational Firm Knowledge, Use of Expatriates, and Foreign Subsidiary Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 27-54, January.
    37. Xufei Ma & Tony W Tong & Markus Fitza, 2013. "How much does subnational region matter to foreign subsidiary performance? Evidence from Fortune Global 500 Corporations’ investment in China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(1), pages 66-87, January.
    38. Schon L. Beechler, 2005. "The Long Road to Globalization: In Search of a New Balance between Continuity and Change in Japanese MNCs," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: René Haak & Markus Pudelko (ed.), Japanese Management, chapter 4, pages 78-96, Palgrave Macmillan.
    39. Y Luo, 2003. "Market-seeking MNEs in an emerging market: How parent–subsidiary links shape overseas success," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(3), pages 290-309, May.
    40. Hutzschenreuter, Thomas & Kleindienst, Ingo & Lange, Sandra, 2014. "Added Psychic Distance Stimuli and MNE Performance," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 38-54.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Olejniczak Tomasz & Itohisa Masato & Abo Tetsuo & Kumon Hiroshi, 2018. "Measuring Change in ‘Hybrid Factories’: Longitudinal Study of Japanese Manufacturing Subsidiaries in Poland," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 10(4), pages 109-145, December.
    2. Moreira, Márcia Zabdiele & Ogasavara, Mário Henrique, 2018. "Formal and informal institutions and the expatriation assignment: The case of Japanese subsidiaries in Latin America," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 18-26.

    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. Hitt, Michael A. & Li, Dan & Xu, Kai, 2016. "International strategy: From local to global and beyond," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 58-73.
    2. Tao Bai & Jialin Du & Angelo M. Solarino, 2018. "Performance of foreign subsidiaries “in” and “from” Asia: A review, synthesis and research agenda," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 607-638, September.
    3. Lee, Jong Min, 2019. "Intra- and inter-regional diversification, subsidiary value chain activities and expatriate utilization," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 1-1.
    4. Kostova, Tatiana & Marano, Valentina & Tallman, Stephen, 2016. "Headquarters–subsidiary relationships in MNCs: Fifty years of evolving research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 176-184.
    5. Peltokorpi, Vesa, 2015. "Corporate Language Proficiency and Reverse Knowledge Transfer in Multinational Corporations: Interactive Effects of Communication Media Richness and Commitment to Headquarters," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 49-62.
    6. 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.
    7. Farah, Bassam & Chakravarty, Dwarka & Dau, Luis & Beamish, Paul W., 2022. "Multinational enterprise parent-subsidiary governance and survival," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    8. Julia Backmann & Rouven Kanitz & Amy Wei Tian & Patrick Hoffmann & Martin Hoegl, 2020. "Cultural gap bridging in multinational teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(8), pages 1283-1311, October.
    9. Ilya R. P. Cuypers & Gokhan Ertug & John Cantwell & Akbar Zaheer & Martin Kilduff, 2020. "Making connections: Social networks in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(5), pages 714-736, July.
    10. Ando, Naoki, 2024. "Multinationals’ intraregional geographic expansion and foreign subsidiary performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(1).
    11. Kawai, Norifumi & Strange, Roger, 2014. "Subsidiary autonomy and performance in Japanese multinationals in Europe," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 504-515.
    12. Eunbi Kim, 2023. "Top management staffing and subsidiary performance under home-country uncertainty," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(4), pages 1513-1543, September.
    13. Fabio Cassio-de-Souza & Mario Henrique Ogasavara, 2018. "The Impact of Cross-National Distance on Survival of Foreign Subsidiaries," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 15(3), pages 284-301, May.
    14. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 2020. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 538-576, June.
    15. Riaz, Suhaib & Glenn Rowe, W. & Beamish, Paul W., 2014. "Expatriate-deployment levels and subsidiary growth: A temporal analysis," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 1-11.
    16. Ilya R. P. Cuypers & Gokhan Ertug & John Cantwell & Akbar Zaheer & Martin Kilduff, 0. "Making connections: Social networks in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    17. Caligiuri, Paula & Bonache, Jaime, 2016. "Evolving and enduring challenges in global mobility," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 127-141.
    18. Lazarova, Mila & Peretz, Hilla & Fried, Yitzhak, 2017. "Locals know best? Subsidiary HR autonomy and subsidiary performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 83-96.
    19. Nurmi, Niina & Koroma, Johanna, 2020. "The emotional benefits and performance costs of building a psychologically safe language climate in MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    20. Li, Jizhong & Jiang, Fuming & Shen, Jie, 2016. "Institutional distance and the quality of the headquarters–subsidiary relationship: The moderating role of the institutionalization of headquarters’ practices in subsidiaries," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 589-603.

    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:pal:abaman:v:15:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1057_abm.2015.18. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave.com .

    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.