Hans Jansson

Reducing Uncertainty in the Emerging Market Entry Process: On the Relationship Among International Experiential Knowledge, Institutional Distance, and Uncertainty

In three institutional environments, this study examines the uncertainty-reducing effects of experiential knowledge of varying specificity in the market entry process. The goal of the study is to answer the research question: What is the uncertainty-reducing effect of experiential knowledge of varying specificity in markets with different institutional distances from a firms home base? The authors develop a theoretical model using the most recent developments in internationalization process theory. They test the model with a data set collected on-site at 203 small and medium-sized enterprises with entry experience into the new Eastern European Union member-states, Russia and China. The analysis shows no support for the claim that internationalization knowledge reduces uncertainty in the market entry process. Rather, the analysis reveals that societal knowledge of the entering firm has an uncertainty-reducing effect in markets that are relatively less distant from its home market. The analysis also shows that international experiential knowledge of high specificity, an important type of marketing knowledge, provides the greatest uncertainty-reducing effect.

Collective internationalization – a new take off route for SMEs from China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the establishments of Chinese wholesale and retail market platforms in China and Europe, creating a new takeoff route for SMEs from China, and ...

International strategic management hybrids in China

PurposeA comparative conceptual framework is established to analyze hybrids of Western and Chinese strategic management types, where the foundation is an institutional strategic management theory.D ...

Increased Internationalization for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through Joint Export Networks

The increased globalization and restructuring of geopolitical markets, exemplified by a growing European Union (EU) that is incorporating new members from the formerly Communist states of eastern Europe, has caused a shift in the European business world, creating both business opportunities and threats for the firms there. Increased competition from low-cost countries has forced many European firms to increase their efficiency, specialization, and international trade to remain competitive. New opportunities and threats have emerged out of the transition processes in East European, Asian, and other emerging markets. Vast sums are flowing into investments and regional development efforts in these areas to lift them to a higher international level, for example, by improving infrastructure and reducing environmental pollution. These investments have created business opportunities for European companies, leading, for example, to increased international activity among Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Boye et al. 2004; Jansson and Sandberg 2008; Hilmersson and Sandberg 2007).

Why Has the Chinese Leadership Style Prevailed over Millenia? Towards an Evolutionary Theory of Leadership

Several scholars call for more context-specific research to draw on indigenous thought in developing new theories on management practices throughout the world. Given the importance of China in today’s globalising economy we examine the cultural influence on one particularly important management function—leadership. Previous research shows that the principles of leadership in Chinese organizations today are similar to those of more than 2000 years ago. Research also indicates that leadership is a main area, in which Western firms in China adapt to the Chinese leadership style as part of their hybrid organization. To study these issues, we analyse and discuss the foundations, nature, practice and development of leadership in the Chinese context. We further develop and integrate two major strands of theory: evolutionary theory that focuses on organizational change over time and institutional theory that focuses on organizational inertia and difficulties in change processes.

The Mixture of Network Marketing Types in Emerging Markets: The Case of Swedish MNCs in China

With the major role taken in the global economy by emerging markets, a key issue in contemporary marketing research is the relevance of Western marketing ideas, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. This paper researches this issue for China, being the fastest growing emerging market in the world and therefore becoming a role model for marketing in such markets. The purpose is to specify a network marketing theory relevant for Western MNCs in emerging markets. In order to do so, an integrative framework was developed based on network marketing theory and institutional network marketing theory. From the latter four basic rules are pinpointed and thereafter applied to European and Chinese business networks respectively. The thought styles are based on symbols such as words, signs and gestures. Norms and values influence how business marketers think and act. Enforcement mechanisms concern how to construct the sanction and incentive system in order to reward or punish individuals and groups within the firm together with establishing surveillance and assessment system to control the enforcement of marketing practice.

Experiential knowledge profiles in internationalizing SMEs : The ability to sustain market positions in the new turbulent era of global business

Purpose – This study sets out to establish experiential knowledge profiles of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) entering emerging markets and to examine how the different abilities contain ...

Gaining Societal Advantages in Emerging Markets: International Stakeholder Management in Malaysia

International stakeholder management of MNCs in emerging markets focuses on the social context of the MNC, with a major premise being that this strategic context differs from the Western market context. Institutional theory, models from international business, resource-based theory, stakeholder management, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and legitimacy are integrated into a coherent theoretical framework. This development is based on case study methodology, where stakeholder management in Malaysia is used to illustrate the theory developed. The matching strategy, that is, the correspondence between the strategies employed and successful outcomes, makes it possible for the MNC to legitimize its operations by adapting to the values, norms and thought styles of the stakeholders. One major way of achieving legitimacy is the demonstration of social responsibility. Through this kind of matching strategy, social values and environmental concern are created among the various stakeholders, which may lead to societal advantages and, in the end, sustainable competitive advantages. The main factor behind the matching strategy is the MNCs managerial and organizational processes, which are shaped by the values, norms and thought styles of the internal institutional environment, and are constrained by institutional elements external to the institutional environment.