Dane P. Blevins

The social responsibility of international business scholars

Purpose – The paper aims to argue that the social responsibility of international business (IB) scholars is to seek truth, disseminate learning, and make a difference on issues crucial to the global economy.Design/methodology/approach – Instead of making philosophical and abstract arguments on the importance of the social responsibility of IB scholars, this article focuses on a leading debate of the times: how to view the rise of Chinas outward foreign direct investment (OFDI)? The article argues that the so‐called “China threat” brought by such OFDI, as it is often portrayed by the (Western) media, is a myth that cannot be substantiated by evidence‐based scholarly analysis.Findings – At present, Chinas OFDI stock represents a mere 1.21 percent of global OFDI stock. It would be absurd to believe that such a tiny sum can “buy up the world”. Based on findings, three hypotheses on what is behind the myth about Chinas OFDI are offered.Practical implications – Although some IB (and management) scholarships ...

Count-Based Research in Management Suggestions for Improvement

We review 11 years (2001-2011) of management research using count-based dependent variables in 10 leading management journals. We find that approximately one out of four papers use the most basic Poisson regression model in their studies. However, due to potential concerns of overdispersion, alternative regression models may have been more appropriate. Furthermore, in many of these papers the overdispersion may have been caused by excess zeros in the data, suggesting that an alternative zero-inflated model may have been a better fit for the data. To illustrate the potential differences among the model specifications, we provide a comparison of the different models using previously published data. Additionally, we simulate data using different parameters. Finally, we offer a simplified decision tree guideline to improve future count-based research.

Venture-Backed Firms: How Does Venture Capital Involvement Affect Their Likelihood of Going Public or Being Acquired?

This paper investigates how venture capitalists’ involvement in new ventures affects the likelihood of entrepreneurial exit, either via an acquisition or via an initial public offering. We examine the prominence of venture capitals (VCs), the number of VCs invested in a company, as well as the timing, duration, and magnitude of their investments in new ventures. We find that each of these dimensions directly explains entrepreneurial exit, although their effects tend to differ depending on whether the exit occurs via an acquisition or an initial public offering (IPO). These results withstand several robustness checks and offer a more precise account of how the relationship between new ventures and VC firms unfolds in the early years of the entrepreneurial cycle.

Why Do Chinese Firms Cross-List in The United States?

An interesting aspect to study the convergence of corporate governance is cross-listing. Cross-listing is when a company lists its shares on more than one stock exchange. In recent decades, there has been a drastic increase in cross-listing. Firms from around the world have sought to list their shares in the US. China, with its burgeoning economy, provides a natural starting point in developing a theoretical framework for understanding why firms cross-list in the US. We contribute to the strategy and management literature by using an institution-based view in developing a theoretical framework for understanding the phenomenon of why some Chinese firms cross-list in the US.

How do foreign initial public offerings attract investor attention? A study of the impact of language

Language is increasingly recognized as having the ability to shape strategic outcomes. To understand language’s impact in entrepreneurial settings, we study language in the context of foreign initial public offerings, a setting where organizations may suffer from both the liabilities of newness and foreignness. Our sample consists of the population of foreign initial public offerings debuting in the United States between 2001 and 2014, which collectively raised over US

How do Foreign IPOs Attract Investor Attention? A Study of the Impact of Language (WITHDRAWN)

60 billion in capital. We find that both new ventures’ and the media’s language impact investors by influencing the level of interest in the foreign initial public offerings. We also reveal that the media’s use of analogies plays a pivotal role in familiarizing and legitimizing unfamiliar organizations. Overall, our study offers insights into the power of words in managing the challenges associated with the liabilities of newness and foreignness.

A critique of the information asymmetry argument in the management and entrepreneurship underpricing literature

Language is increasingly recognized as having the ability to shape strategic outcomes. To understand language’s impact in entrepreneurial settings, we study language in the context of foreign initi...

A Five-Year Review, Update, and Assessment of Ethics and Governance in Strategic Management Journal

Since the last decade management researchers have actively studied the phenomenon of underpricing in initial public offerings. The information asymmetry argument derived from signaling theory is the most commonly used theoretical framework. This essay reviews how the argument is formulated in 14 prior studies published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals. Two major problems are identified: a signal is erroneously argued to have an effect on information asymmetry and the uninformed investors involved in an information asymmetry situation are either ambiguously specified or misspecified. We suggest broadening the scope of underpricing research to include alternative theoretical perspectives and to consider underpricing as an independent variable.