B. Sebastian Reiche

INNOVATION AS A KNOWLEDGE-BASED OUTCOME

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide clarity to the concept of innovation and its various definitions.Design/methodology/approach – The article reviews the innovation literature and proposes that innovation has been conceptualized either from a process or from an outcome perspective. Also, the authors show that there is a substantive difference between innovation seen in the traditional innovation literature and innovation as conceived in the knowledge management literature.Findings – The paper proposes a general framework to categorize the existing views of innovation and show that innovation as an outcome has not been clearly defined from a knowledge perspective. To address this gap, the authors develop a new definition of an innovation outcome based on knowledge elements.Research limitations/implications – The research lays the groundwork for more comprehensive methods of measuring innovation and innovativeness, which is particularly useful for the study of service innovation.Practical imp...

Challenges in international survey research: a review with illustrations and suggested solutions for best practice

When conducting international research projects, scholars face a myriad of challenges that reach beyond those encountered in domestic research. In this paper, we explore the specific issues related to international survey research, focusing on the different stages of the research process that include defining the study population and gaining data access, survey development, data collection, data analysis, and finally publication of the results. For each stage, we review the pertinent literature, provide illustrations based on examples from our own research projects, and offer possible solutions to address the inherent challenges by formulating suggestions for improving the quality of international survey research.

HOW DO NEWCOMERS FIT IN? THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN PERSON- ENVIRONMENT FIT AND SOCIAL CAPITAL ACROSS CULTURES

This paper integrates the concepts of person—environment (PE) fit and social capital and examines the social dynamics of organizational newcomers’ development of fit with their new environment in the light of national cultural variations. Specifically, we present a conceptual framework that illustrates how newcomers fit in with their work environment in terms of person—job (PJ) and person—organization (PO) fit through their building and exercising of social capital. We suggest that newcomers’ initial fit with their direct supervisor (i.e. PS fit) and their immediate work group fit (i.e. PG fit) will help them to develop structural and relational social capital in the organization, which in turn facilitate the development of greater PJ and PO fit. Acknowledging that social processes are culture-bound, we also examine the moderating effects of individualism/collectivism and power distance on the process of developing PE fit, and we provide insights for both scholars and managers in applying the model. Comment les nouveaux arrivants s’intègrent-ils ? La dynamique entre le fit personne/environnement et le capital social dans différentes cultures Yih-teen Lee, B. Sebastian Reiche et Dongmei Song Cet article intègre les concepts de P/E fit (comptabilité individu/environnement) et de capital social et examine la dynamique sociale du développement de l’adéquation des nouveaux arrivants organisationnels à leur nouvel environnement à la lumière des variations culturelles nationales. Plus spécifiquement, nous présentons un cadre conceptuel qui illustre comment les nouveaux arrivants s’adaptent à leur environnement de travail en fonction du fit individu-travail (PT fit) et du fit individu-organisation (PO fit) grâce à la construction et à l’exercice de leur capital social. Nous suggérons que l’adéquation initiale des nouveaux arrivants à leur superviseur (PS fit) et à leur groupe de travail immédiat (PG fit) les aide à développer un capital social structurel et relationnel au sein de l’organisation, ce qui à son tour va faciliter le développement d’une meilleure congruence PJ et PO. Reconnaissant que les processus structurels sont ancrés dans la culture, nous examinons aussi les effets modérateurs de l’individualisme/collectivisme et la distance hiérarchique sur le processus de développement du PE fit et donnons enfin aux chercheurs et aux managers des idées d’application de notre modèle.

TO QUIT OR NOT TO QUIT: ORGANIZATIONAL DETERMINANTS OF VOLUNTARY TURNOVER IN MNC SUBSIDIARIES IN SINGAPORE

Adopting an inductive case study approach, the paper develops an empirically grounded theoretical framework for organizational determinants of voluntary turnover of local staff in MNC subsidiaries. The research draws upon semi-structured interviews with HR managers at the Singaporean subsidiaries of six western multinationals. Using the conceptual lens of organizational identification, the study derives two turnover determinants related to organizational structure and three turnover determinants related to organizational practices and explores how these organization-level factors may translate into individual turnover decisions. Implications for organizational responses to turnover and subsidiary staff careers are discussed.

Readings and cases in international human resource management and organizational behavior

Preface: The White-Water Rapids of International Human Resource Management: Robin Earls Dilemma Gunter K. Stahl, Mark E. Mendenhall, and Gary R. Oddou Part 1: The Context of IHRM: Challenges, Strategies, and External Forces Readings: 1.1 Putting The Challenges of International Human Resource Management Into Perspective Paul Evans, Vladimir Pucik and Ingmar Bjorkman 1.2 Managing Global Talent Challenges With Global Talent Management Initiatives Randal S. Schuler, Susan E. Jackson, and Ibraiz Tarique 1.3 Localisation: Societies, Organizations And Employees W. Harry and David G. Collings Cases: 1.1 Peter Hanson: Building A World-Class Product Development Centre For Hi Tech Systems In China Ingmar Bjorkman 1.2 Socometal: Rewarding African Workers Evalde Mutabazi and C. Brooklyn Derr 1.3 Four Seasons Goes To Paris Roger Hallowell, David Bowen and Carin-Isabel Knoop Part 2: Cross-National and Global Leadership Readings: 2.1 Developing Global Leadership Capabilities And Global Mindset: A Review Joyce S. Osland, Allan Bird, Mark E. Mendenhall and Asbjorn Osland 2.2 In The Eye Of The Beholder: Cross-Cultural Lessons In Leadership From Project Globe Mansour Javidan, Peter W. Dorfman, Mary Sully de Luque, and Robert J. House 2.3 Multicultural Individuals: What Can They Bring To Global Organizations? Stacey Fitzsimmons, Christof Miska, and Gunter K. Stahl Cases: 2.1 Computex Corporation Martin Hilb 2.2 Johannes Van Den Bosch Sends An Email Joseph DiStefano 2.3 Carlos Ghosn: Leader Without Borders Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy Part 3: Training, Performance Management, Appraisal, and Compensation Issues for Global Managers Readings: 3.1 Changing Patterns Of Global Staffing In The MultInational Enterprise: Challenges To The Conventional Expatriate Assignment Aan Emerging Alternatives David G. Collings, Hugh Scullion, and Michael J. Morley 3.2 Expatriate Performance Appraisal: Problems And Solutions Mark E. Mendenhall and Gary R. Oddou 3.3 A Local Perspective To Expatriate Success Soo Min Toh and Angelo S. DeNisi Cases: 3.1 Fred Bailey: An Innocent Abroad J. Stewart Black 3.2 Recruiting A Manager For Brb Israel William H. Roof and Barbara Bakhtari 3.3 Andreas Webers Reward For Success In An International Assignment - A Return To An UnCertain Future Gunter K. Stahl and Mark E. Mendenhall Part 4: People Issues in International Teams, Alliances, Mergers, and Acquisitions Readings: 4.1 Managing Multicultural Teams Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern 4.2 Cultural Diversity in Cross-Border Alliances Susan E. Jackson and Randall S. Schuler 4.3 Human Resource Management Issues In International Mergers And Acquisitions Vladimir Pucik, Paul Evans, and Ingmar Bjorkman Cases: 4.1 A Marriage Of Reason: Renault And Nissan Global Strategic Alliance Philippe Lassere 4.2 Lenovo-Ibm: Bridging Cultures, Languages, And Time Zones Kathrin Koster and Gunter K. Stahl 4.3 Guangdong Electronics Ingmar Bjorkman and Ming Zeng Part 5: Global Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Management of Diversity Readings: 5.1 Values In Tension: Ethics Away From Home Thomas Donaldson 5.2 Frameworks For Teaching And Learning Business Ethics Within The Global Context: Background Of Ethical Theories Judith White and Susan Taft 5.3 Stereotype Threat At Work Loriann Roberson and Carol T. Kulik Cases: 5.1 Changmai Corporation Charlotte Butler and Henri-Claude de Bettignies 5.2 Olivia Francis Mark E. Mendenhall 5.3 Levi Strsuss & CO. - Addressing Child Labor In Bangladesh Nicola Pless and Thomas Maak

The role of culture at different levels of analysis

The past few decades have seen a tremendous growth in work patterns that involve social actors from different cultural backgrounds interacting with one another, as shown by the increase in number and forms of international staff (Collings et al., 2007) or the rise in the formation of international joint ventures (Pothukuchi et al., 2002). Even actors whose scope of activity is limited to a domestic context are likely to be exposed to foreign cultures as they collaborate with coworkers, partners, suppliers and clients from different ethnic and cultural origins. Although research at the interface between the domestic and international context is still relatively scarce, for example as illustrated by the limited attention that local nationals have received in international assignment research (Toh and DeNisi, 2007; Vance and Ring, 1994), scholars widely agree that culture transcends and thus forms an integral part of many aspects in business. One stream of research has explored the multiple layers that constitute culture and that differ in terms of their degree of tangibility and visibility, distinguishing between observable artifacts and behaviors, deeper-level values and basic assumptions (e.g. Schein, 1992). In this vein, existing cross-cultural research has mainly conceptualized culture as a system of shared, underlying values that explain (Hofstede, 1980; Schwartz, 1994) but may also potentially vary from (House et al., 2004) behavioral practices. Another debate has centered on the multiple levels at which culture has been conceptualized to operate (Chao, 2000; Leung et al., 2005). It has been common to consider a hierarchy of levels in which lower levels are nested within higher levels, for example an individual working in a team that forms part of an organization that, in turn, operates in a specific national market. However, these scholars increasingly also point to the cross-level effects that occur when changes at one cultural level influence and reshape other levels. Although the resulting implications are highly relevant to the understanding of cultural phenomena at large, levels issues in cross-cultural research have thus far focused mainly on the different levels at which national culture influences behavioral outcomes, broadly distinguishing between individual, group, and organization-level effects. In this respect, national culture has been shown to have both direct and moderated effects on a wide range of individual and interpersonal attitudes, cognitions and behaviors (Tsui et al., 2007), impact on team processes (Gelfand et al., 2007) and influence various organizational systems, structures and practices, including capital International Journal of Cross Cultural Management 10(2) 131–136 a The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1470595810376429 ccm.sagepub.com CCM International Journal of Cross Cultural Management

The politics of cultural capital: Social hierarchy and organizational architecture in the multinational corporation:

How is social hierarchy in multinational corporations (MNCs) culturally produced, contested and reproduced? Although the international business literature has acknowledged the importance of culture, it gives little consideration to its role in constructing social hierarchies and symbolic boundaries between individuals and groups within MNCs. We take a Bourdieusian approach to understanding the role of cultural capital in structuring the social hierarchy in the MNC under two contrasting organizational architectures: hierarchical and network architecture. We argue that cultural capital serves as an instrument of power and status within the MNC, influencing access to valuable resources such as jobs, rewards and opportunities. Our framework further suggests that the transition from hierarchical towards network architecture sets in motion a high-stakes political struggle between headquarters and subsidiary actors over the relative value of their cultural capital in a bid to preserve or gain dominance and to determine the ‘rules of the game’ that order the social hierarchy in the MNC. We elaborate on this political struggle by theorizing about the relative dominance of cultural versus social capital, the content and relative value of firm-specific and cosmopolitan cultural capital, and the convertibility of cultural capital into other forms of capital under hierarchical and network architectures.

Inpatriates: a review, synthesis and outlook of two decades of research

The practicality of only relying on using expatriate managers within multinational corporations (MNCs) is becoming debatable with regard to their ability to manage the escalating demands in the global marketplace. Taken from subsidiaries or other countries, inpatriates are assigned to operate in MNC headquarter locations over varying timeframes. Inpatriates can deliver a diversity in management perspectives that is often less visible within the manner in which expatriates operate and this diversity can help to develop and perpetuate the highly sought after global mindset in MNCs. Inpatriates have received limited exposure in extant literature, and it is our aim to present a synopsis and clarification of the research relating to these professionals. This chapter first defines inpatriates and distinguishes characteristics of an inpatriate from those possessed by an expatriate. Second, we highlight the rationale for understanding inpatriates in the context of MNCs. Third, we provide an overview of the limited set of theoretical underpinnings linked to inpatriates on international assignments. Fourth, we address the implications of utilizing inpatriates on theoretical and practical grounds, ending with a detailed future research agenda. The chapter serves to explore and leverage the utility of inpatriates in MNCs.

The Role of Repatriation in and for Global Careers

Repatriation encompasses the phase in which individuals return from an international work experience. Regardless of whether the transition takes place within one organization or across organizations, returning home after working abroad constitutes a critical step for an individual’s future career. In this chapter, we review individuals’ experiences from the expatriation-repatriation transition period with regard to their longer-term career decisions. We take into account the challenges and opportunities that repatriation entails as well as the implications of repatriation for individuals’ global careers, and we suggest areas for further research.

How and When Do Core Self-Evaluations Predict Career Satisfaction? The Roles of Positive Goal Emotions and Occupational Embeddedness: CSE, CAREER GOALS, AND CAREER SATISFACTION

We draw on theories of self-verification and situational strength to examine how and when core self-evaluations (CSE) predict career satisfaction. We tested our hypotheses using a time-lagged study with 139 alumni of two business schools across three measurement waves. Results showed that compared to individuals with lower CSE those with higher CSE were more satisfied with their careers because they associated more positive emotions with pursuing their career goals. However, a high degree of occupational embeddedness attenuated the indirect effect of the CSE–career satisfaction relationship through positive goal emotions and compensated for low levels of positive goal emotions. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.