IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manint/v57y2017i5d10.1007_s11575-017-0316-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conformity or Nonconformity in Multinationality? Performance Implications for the Italian Ceramic Tile Manufacturers

Author

Listed:
  • Claudio Giachetti

    (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

  • Ettore Spadafora

    (Rochester Institute of Technology)

Abstract

To date international management studies have found mixed results on the relationship between multinationality and performance. We address the multinationality–performance relationship by exploring the concept of conformity in multinationality, which expresses the extent to which a firm’s multinationality resembles the multinationality of its peers at a particular point in time. Our results show that, ceteris paribus, the best performing firms are those with high levels of conformity in multinationality to the strategic group peers as well as those with high levels of conformity to the market leader. Hypotheses are tested with data on the conformity in multinationality of 61 Italian ceramic tile manufacturers in the 2005–2009 time period.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudio Giachetti & Ettore Spadafora, 2017. "Conformity or Nonconformity in Multinationality? Performance Implications for the Italian Ceramic Tile Manufacturers," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 683-715, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:57:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s11575-017-0316-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-017-0316-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11575-017-0316-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11575-017-0316-0?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. Joel A. C. Baum & Helaine J. Korn, 1999. "Dynamics of dyadic competitive interaction," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 251-278, March.
    2. Marie Oehme & Suleika Bort, 2015. "SME internationalization modes in the German biotechnology industry: The influence of imitation, network position, and international experience," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(6), pages 629-655, August.
    3. Massini, Silvia & Lewin, Arie Y. & Greve, Henrich R., 2005. "Innovators and imitators: Organizational reference groups and adoption of organizational routines," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1550-1569, December.
    4. Kogut, Bruce & Chang, Sea Jin, 1991. "Technological Capabilities and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(3), pages 401-413, August.
    5. Keith Head & Thierry Mayer & John Ries, 2002. "Revisiting Oligopolistic Reaction: Are Decisions on Foreign Direct Investment Strategic Complements?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(3), pages 453-472, September.
    6. Head, K. & Mayer, T. & Ries, J., 2000. "Revisiting Oligopolistic Reaction : Are FDI Decisions Strategic Complements?," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 2000.49, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    7. Wi Saeng Kim & Esmeralda O Lyn, 1986. "Excess Market Value, the Multinational Corporation, and Tobin's q-Ratio," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(1), pages 119-125, March.
    8. Daniel Sullivan, 1994. "Measuring the Degree of Internationalization of a Firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(2), pages 325-342, June.
    9. Zheying Wu & Robert Salomon, 2016. "Does imitation reduce the liability of foreignness? Linking distance, isomorphism, and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(12), pages 2441-2462, December.
    10. Lance Eliot Brouthers & Edward O'Donnell & John Hadjimarcou, 2005. "Generic Product Strategies for Emerging Market Exports into Triad Nation Markets: A Mimetic Isomorphism Approach," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 225-245, January.
    11. Jun Xia & Justin Tan & David Tan, 2008. "Mimetic entry and bandwagon effect: the rise and decline of international equity joint venture in China," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 195-217, February.
    12. Anthony Goerzen & Paul W. Beamish, 2003. "Geographic scope and multinational enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(13), pages 1289-1306, December.
    13. Yang, Monica & Hyland, MaryAnne, 2012. "Similarity in Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions: Imitation, Uncertainty and Experience among Chinese Firms, 1985–2006," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 352-365.
    14. Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1996. "R&D Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation and Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 630-640, June.
    15. 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.
    16. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    17. 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.
    18. David L. Deephouse, 1999. "To be different, or to be the same? It’s a question (and theory) of strategic balance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 147-166, February.
    19. Ram Mudambi, 2008. "Location, control and innovation in knowledge-intensive industries," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(5), pages 699-725, September.
    20. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8o1o6tag is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Christine M Chan & Shige Makino & Takehiko Isobe, 2006. "Interdependent behavior in foreign direct investment: the multi-level effects of prior entry and prior exit on foreign market entry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(5), pages 642-665, September.
    22. Jun Xia, 2010. "Resource Dependence and Cross-border Constraint-absorption," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 155-183, April.
    23. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8o1o6tag is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Avi Fiegenbaum & Howard Thomas, 1995. "Strategic groups as reference groups: Theory, modeling and empirical examination of industry and competitive strategy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(6), pages 461-476.
    25. Daphne Yiu & Shige Makino, 2002. "The Choice Between Joint Venture and Wholly Owned Subsidiary: An Institutional Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 667-683, December.
    26. Frances Fabian & Henry Molina & Giuseppe Labianca, 2009. "Understanding Decisions to Internationalize by Small and Medium-sized Firms Located in an Emerging Market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 537-563, October.
    27. Vern Terpstra & Chwo-Ming Yu, 1988. "Determinants of Foreign Investment of U.S. Advertising Agencies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 33-46, March.
    28. Heij, Christiaan & de Boer, Paul & Franses, Philip Hans & Kloek, Teun & van Dijk, Herman K., 2004. "Econometric Methods with Applications in Business and Economics," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199268016.
    29. Jaideep Anand & Bruce Kogut, 1997. "Technological Capabilities of Countries, Firm Rivalry and Foreign Direct Investments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(3), pages 445-465, September.
    30. John Francis & CongCong Zheng & Ananda Mukherji, 2009. "An Institutional Perspective on Foreign Direct Investment," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 565-583, October.
    31. Lee, Charles & Ng, David & Swaminathan, Bhaskaran, 2009. "Testing International Asset Pricing Models Using Implied Costs of Capital," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(2), pages 307-335, April.
    32. Greg Young & Ken G. Smith & Curtis M. Grimm, 1996. "“Austrian” and Industrial Organization Perspectives on Firm-level Competitive Activity and Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(3), pages 243-254, June.
    33. Jean‐Francois Hennart & Young‐Ryeol Park, 1994. "Location, governance, and strategic determinants of japanese manufacturing investment in the united states," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 419-436, July.
    34. Hun Lee & Ken G. Smith & Curtis M. Grimm & August Schomburg, 2000. "Timing, order and durability of new product advantages with imitation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 23-30, January.
    35. Jane W Lu, 2002. "Intra- and Inter-organizational Imitative Behavior: Institutional Influences on Japanese Firms' Entry Mode Choice," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(1), pages 19-37, March.
    36. Guedhami, Omrane & Pittman, Jeffrey A. & Saffar, Walid, 2009. "Auditor choice in privatized firms: Empirical evidence on the role of state and foreign owners," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2-3), pages 151-171, December.
    37. Li, Jiatao & Yao, Fiona Kun, 2010. "The role of reference groups in international investment decisions by firms from emerging economies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 143-153, June.
    38. 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.
    39. Edward Brown Flowers, 1976. "Oligopolistic Reactions in European and Canadian Direct Investment in the United States," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 7(2), pages 43-56, June.
    40. Chwo-Ming J Yu & Kiyohiko Ito, 1988. "Oligopolistic Reaction and Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of the U.S. Tire and Textiles Industries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 449-460, September.
    41. Valentina Marano & Jean-Luc Arregle & Michael Hitt & Ettore Spadafora & Marc van Essen, 2016. "Home Country Institutions and the Internationalization-Performance Relationship : A Meta-Analytic Review," Post-Print hal-02313365, HAL.
    42. Javier Gimeno & Carolyn Y. Woo, 1996. "Hypercompetition in a Multimarket Environment: The Role of Strategic Similarity and Multimarket Contact in Competitive De-Escalation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(3), pages 322-341, June.
    43. Jane W. Lu & Paul W. Beamish, 2001. "The internationalization and performance of SMEs," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 565-586, June.
    44. Stephanie A. Fernhaber & Dan Li, 2010. "The Impact of Interorganizational Imitation on New Venture International Entry and Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 1-30, January.
    45. Elizabeth L Rose & Kiyohiko Ito, 2008. "Competitive interactions: the international investment patterns of Japanese automobile manufacturers," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 864-879, July.
    46. MB Sarkar & S Tamer Cavusgil & Preet S Aulakh, 1999. "International Expansion of Telecommunication Carriers: The Influence of Market Structure, Network Characteristics, and Entry Imperfections," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(2), pages 361-381, June.
    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. Wang, Yong & Li, Kaige & Zhu, Yunxia & Chen, Jiawen, 2023. "Imitation, performance feedback, and outward foreign direct investments by emerging market firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    2. Li, Chengguang & Parboteeah, K. Praveen, 2015. "The effect of culture on the responsiveness of firms to mimetic forces: Imitative foreign joint venture entries into China, 1985–2003," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 465-476.
    3. Fiona Kun Yao & Ming-Jer Chen & Jiatao Li & Danielle Combs & Qiang Li, 2024. "A review of 50 years of research since Knickerbocker (1973): competitive dynamics in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(5), pages 522-550, July.
    4. Hui, Kent N. & Hult, G. Tomas M. & Ketchen, David J., 2020. "Causal attribution for peer performance and international joint venture divestment," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(2).
    5. Heather Berry, 2020. "Internationalizing firm innovations: The influence of multimarket overlap in knowledge activities," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(6), pages 963-985, August.
    6. Young-Ryeol Park & Yong Suhk Pak & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2006. "What they learned from the crash: A comparison of Korean firms’ FDI before and after the 1997 financial crisis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 109-130, February.
    7. Naveen Kumar Jain & Tanvi Kothari & Vikas Kumar, 2016. "Location Choice Research: Proposing New Agenda," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 303-324, June.
    8. 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.
    9. Christian Schwens & Florian B Zapkau & Keith D Brouthers & Lina Hollender, 2018. "Limits to international entry mode learning in SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(7), pages 809-831, September.
    10. Maja Barac & Rafael Moner‐Colonques, 2022. "Leadership in internationalization strategies," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 90(3), pages 293-318, June.
    11. Buigues, Pierre-André & Lacoste, Denis & Lavigne, Stéphanie, 2015. "When over internationalized companies reduce their international footprint," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 1039-1047.
    12. de Jong, Gjalt & van Houten, Jerry, 2014. "The impact of MNE cultural diversity on the internationalization-performance relationship," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 313-326.
    13. Roberto Ragozzino, 2009. "The Effects of Geographic Distance on the Foreign Acquisition Activity of U.S. Firms," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 509-535, September.
    14. Canabal, Anne & White III, George O., 2008. "Entry mode research: Past and future," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 267-284, June.
    15. Stephanie A. Fernhaber & Dan Li, 2010. "The Impact of Interorganizational Imitation on New Venture International Entry and Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 1-30, January.
    16. Maximilian Holtgrave & Mert Onay, 2017. "Success through Trust, Control, and Learning? Contrasting the Drivers of SME Performance between Different Modes of Foreign Market Entry," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-24, May.
    17. Ang, Siah Hwee & Benischke, Mirko H. & Hooi, Andrea Wai-Leng, 2018. "Frequency of international expansion through high control market expansion modes and interlocked directorships," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 493-503.
    18. Norifumi Kawai, 2011. "The Role of Institutional Conditions in Japanese FDI in European Transition Economies," Chapters, in: Werner Pascha & Cornelia Storz & Markus Taube (ed.), Institutional Variety in East Asia, chapter 11, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Rugman, Alan M. & Oh, Chang Hoon, 2010. "Does the regional nature of multinationals affect the multinationality and performance relationship?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 479-488, October.
    20. Garbe, Jan-Nicolas & Richter, Nicole Franziska, 2009. "Causal analysis of the internationalization and performance relationship based on neural networks -- advocating the transnational structure," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 413-431, December.

    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:spr:manint:v:57:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s11575-017-0316-0. 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.springer.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.