James P. Johnson

Culture, freedom and economic growth: Do cultural values explain economic growth?

Economic freedom, the ability of a society to conduct business in an unfettered manner without government intrusion, is a key determinant of economic s significant role in shaping a nations business environment. This article combines data from a benchmark report, the Index of Economic Freedom, with tw a significant relationship between measures of culture, economic freedom, and economic growth. We discuss the implications of this relationship for business and for further academic research.

International risk perceptions and mode of entry: a case study of Malaysian multinational firms

Abstract Risk perceptions are believed to influence a firms choice of entry mode into foreign markets. However, studies of the risks faced by international businesses have typically focused on a specific category of risk, such as political or financial risk, overlooking possible interrelationships among the many types of risk that are present in the international environment. This study applies an integrated international risk framework to investigate the relationship between risk perceptions and the choice of foreign market entry mode. Data from 69 Malaysian public companies yielded a high degree of correlation among 11 international risk variables that were broadly grouped into two categories: external risks and internal risks. A significant relationship was found between the level of perceived risk and choice of entry mode, such that low risk perceptions were associated with high control modes of entry and high risk perceptions were associated with low control modes of entry.

Legal issues associated with international Internet marketing

Marketing organizations are establishing Websites at an unprecedented rate. Despite this rapid growth, many firms are developing Websites with an inadequate understanding of the domestic and international legal issues associated with having a presence on the Internet. This lack of knowledge can result in firms facing expensive and time‐consuming litigation. We therefore present the major legal issues that may arise as a result of creating, maintaining, and protecting Websites. In particular, we discuss and provide managerial recommendations regarding consumer protection, defamation and disparagement, intellectual property violations, and jurisdictional issues for international Internet marketers.

A Two-Stage Model of Cronyism in Organizations: A Cultural View of Governance

The recent Asian upheaval revealed the macroeconomic risks and damages associated with political cronyism, a type of favoritism shown to associates without regard to their merit/qualifications. Cronyism is a very prevalent phenomenon in societies and organizations with certain cultural values such as paternalism, collectivism, and Confucianism. Despite it being cited as a major factor for Asian economic crisis and mismanagement of the Asian organizations, it is a concept that has not received due attention from management scholars. In order to better our understanding of cronyism in work organizations, we present a two-stage model, grounded in the Chinese/Asian cultural context, of the antecedents to cronyism, and present a number of propositions that follow from it.