IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wdi/papers/2004-728.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Institutional Distance And International Business Strategies In Emerging Economies

Author

Listed:
  • DELIA IONASCU
  • KLAUS E. MEYER
  • SAUL ESTRIN

Abstract

The concept of ???distance??? has been used by international business scholars to explain variations in international business strategies and operations across countries. The more distant a host country is from the organizational centre of a multinational enterprise (MNE), the more it has to manage cultural, regulatory and cognitive differences, and to develop appropriate entry strategies, organizational forms, and internal procedures to accommodate these differences. Scholarly research has focused on the concept of psychic distance, which has been narrowed down in empirical work to indices based on Hofstede???s work on culture. However, these measures capture only very partially the dimensions of distance of concern to international business. In this paper, we show how the broader theoretical concept of institutional distance, which incorporates normative, regulatory and cognitive aspects, affects entry strategies. Specifically, our theoretical arguments suggest that the impact of distance varies with different aspects of the concept of institutional distance, and that this impact interacts with both the investor???s experience and with the relative importance of the pertinent operation for the investing MNE. Using a unique dataset of foreign direct investment in emerging economies that incorporates multi-host as well as multi-home countries, we find empirical support for our propositions, and provide an explanation for apparently inconsistent results in the previous literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Delia Ionascu & Klaus E. Meyer & Saul Estrin, 2004. "Institutional Distance And International Business Strategies In Emerging Economies," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp728, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
  • Handle: RePEc:wdi:papers:2004-728
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40114/3/wp728.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erin Anderson & Hubert Gatignon, 1986. "Modes of Foreign Entry: A Transaction Cost Analysis and Propositions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(3), pages 1-26, September.
    2. Klaus Uhlenbruck, 2004. "Developing acquired foreign subsidiaries: the experience of MNES in transition economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 109-123, March.
    3. Klaus E. Meyer & Enese Lieb‐Dóczy, 2003. "Post‐Acquisition Restructuring as Evolutionary Process," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 459-482, March.
    4. James P. Walsh, 1995. "Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Notes from a Trip Down Memory Lane," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 280-321, June.
    5. World Bank, 2000. "World Development Indicators 2000," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13828.
    6. Keith D. Brouthers & Lance Eliot Brouthers, 2003. "Why Service and Manufacturing Entry Mode Choices Differ: The Influence of Transaction Cost Factors, Risk and Trust," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(5), pages 1179-1204, July.
    7. Klaus E. Meyer & Hung Vo Nguyen, 2005. "Foreign Investment Strategies and Sub‐national Institutions in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 63-93, January.
    8. Klaus E Meyer & Saul Estrin, 2001. "Brownfield Entry in Emerging Markets," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(3), pages 575-584, September.
    9. Mike Wright & Igor Filatotchev & Robert E. Hoskisson & Mike W. Peng, 2005. "Strategy Research in Emerging Economies: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 1-33, January.
    10. Yigang Pan, 1996. "Influences on Foreign Equity Ownership Level in Joint Ventures in China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(1), pages 1-26, March.
    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. Nataša Kobal & Roberto Biloslavo & Matevz Raskovic, 2018. "SME Internationalisation in the United Arab Emirates: Home-Host Country Characteristics and the Role of Cultural Distance," MIC 2018: Managing Global Diversities; Proceedings of the Joint International Conference, Bled, Slovenia, 30 May–2 June 2018,, University of Primorska Press.
    2. Ilhan-Nas, Tulay & Okan, Tarhan & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Demirbag, Mehmet & Wood, Geoffrey & Glaister, Keith W., 2018. "Board composition, family ownership, institutional distance and the foreign equity ownership strategies of Turkish MNEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 862-879.
    3. Fascia, Michael, 2019. "Working Paper Series," OSF Preprints s7fg9, Center for Open Science.
    4. Qunyong Xie, 2013. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: State ownership, firm size, and Chinese firms’ entry mode choices," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 319-319, March.
    5. Zhang, Jianhong & Zhou, Chaohong & Ebbers, Haico, 2011. "Completion of Chinese overseas acquisitions: Institutional perspectives and evidence," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 226-238, April.
    6. Fu, Tong, 2021. "Do economic institutions matter for trade liberalization? Evidence from China’s Open Door Policy," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    7. Hendrik Klier & Christian Schwens & Florian B. Zapkau & Desislava Dikova, 2017. "Which Resources Matter How and Where? A Meta-Analysis on Firms’ Foreign Establishment Mode Choice," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 304-339, May.
    8. Henrique Correa da Cunha & Nursel Selver Ruzgar & Vikkram Singh, 2022. "The Moderating Effects of Host Country Governance and Trade Openness on the Relationship between Cultural Distance and Financial Performance of Foreign Subsidiaries in Latin America," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, April.
    9. Vikrant Shirodkar & Palitha Konara, 2017. "Institutional Distance and Foreign Subsidiary Performance in Emerging Markets: Moderating Effects of Ownership Strategy and Host-Country Experience," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 179-207, April.
    10. Kalantaridis, Christos & Küttim, Merle & Govind, Madhav & Sousa, Cristina, 2017. "How to commercialise university-generated knowledge internationally? A comparative analysis of contingent institutional conditions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 35-44.
    11. Li, Wanli & Wang, Chaohui & Ren, Qizhe & Zhao, Ding, 2020. "Institutional distance and cross-border M&A performance: A dynamic perspective," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Saleh, Ali Salman & Anh Nguyen, Thi Lan & Vinen, Denis & Safari, Arsalan, 2017. "A new theoretical framework to assess Multinational Corporations’ motivation for Foreign Direct Investment: A case study on Vietnamese service industries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 630-644.
    13. Tykvová, Tereza & Schertler, Andrea, 2014. "Does Syndication With Local Venture Capitalists Moderate the Effects of Geographical and Institutional Distance?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 406-420.
    14. Fainshmidt, Stav & White, George O. & Cangioni, Carole, 2014. "Legal Distance, Cognitive Distance, and Conflict Resolution in International Business Intellectual Property Disputes," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 188-200.

    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. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2008. "Factors affecting perceptions of the choice between acquisition and greenfield entry: The case of Western FDI in an emerging market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 5-38, February.
    2. Liedong, Tahiru Azaaviele & Peprah, Augustine Awuah & Amartey, Abednego Okoe & Rajwani, Tazeeb, 2020. "Institutional voids and firms' resource commitment in emerging markets: A review and future research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(3).
    3. Wrona, Thomas & Trąpczyński, Piotr, 2012. "Re-explaining international entry modes – Interaction and moderating effects on entry modes of pharmaceutical companies into transition economies," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 295-315.
    4. Estrin, Saul & Meyer, Klaus E. & Wright, Mike & Foliano, Francesca, 2008. "Export propensity and intensity of subsidiaries in emerging economies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 574-586, October.
    5. Surdu, Irina & Mellahi, Kamel, 2016. "Theoretical foundations of equity based foreign market entry decisions: A review of the literature and recommendations for future research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 1169-1184.
    6. Nguyen Minh Ha & Quan Minh Quoc Binh & Pham Phi Dang, 2020. "Cultural Distance and Entry Modes in Emerging Markets: Empirical Evidence in Vietnam," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Demirbag, Mehmet & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W., 2009. "Equity-based entry modes of emerging country multinationals: Lessons from Turkey," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 445-462, October.
    8. Anil, Ibrahim & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Ozkasap, Gaye, 2014. "Ownership and market entry mode choices of emerging country multinationals in a transition country: evidence from Turkish multinationals in Romania," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 19(4), pages 413-452.
    9. Clegg, Jeremy & Lin, Hsin Mei & Voss, Hinrich & Yen, I-Fan & Shih, Yi Tien, 2016. "The OFDI patterns and firm performance of Chinese firms: The moderating effects of multinationality strategy and external factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 971-985.
    10. Maggie Chuoyan Dong & Yulin Fang & Detmar W. Straub, 2017. "The Impact of Institutional Distance on the Joint Performance of Collaborating Firms: The Role of Adaptive Interorganizational Systems," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 309-331, June.
    11. Gelbuda, Modestas & Meyer, Klaus E. & Delios, Andrew, 2008. "International business and institutional development in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, March.
    12. Meschi, Pierre-Xavier & Phan, Thanh Tú & Wassmer, Ulrich, 2016. "Transactional and institutional alignment of entry modes in transition economies. A survival analysis of joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries in Vietnam," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 946-959.
    13. Karhunen, Päivi & Löfgren, Joan & Kosonen, Riitta, 2008. "Revisiting the relationship between ownership and control in international business operations: Lessons from transition economies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 78-88, March.
    14. Ramya T. Venkateswaran, 2023. "Is there an illusion of symmetry in cultural distance from Asia–pacific Emnes? the role of business groups in navigating cultural distance through ambidextrous learning," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 1169-1215, September.
    15. James, Barclay E. & Sawant, Rajeev J. & Bendickson, Joshua S., 2020. "Emerging market multinationals’ firm-specific advantages, institutional distance, and foreign acquisition location choice," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    16. Mike Wright & Igor Filatotchev & Robert E. Hoskisson & Mike W. Peng, 2005. "Strategy Research in Emerging Economies: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 1-33, January.
    17. Christian Falaster & Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Dan Li, 2021. "The influence of generalized and arbitrary institutional inefficiencies on the ownership decision in cross-border acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1724-1749, December.
    18. Lien, Yung-Chih & Filatotchev, Igor, 2015. "Ownership characteristics as determinants of FDI location decisions in emerging economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 637-650.
    19. Kedia, Ben L. & Bilgili, Tsvetomira V., 2015. "When history matters: The effect of historical ties on the relationship between institutional distance and shares acquired," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 921-934.
    20. Morschett, Dirk & Schramm-Klein, Hanna & Swoboda, Bernhard, 2010. "Decades of research on market entry modes: What do we really know about external antecedents of entry mode choice?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 60-77, March.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wdi:papers:2004-728. 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: WDI (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/wdumius.html .

    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.