James W. Bronson

Does National Culture Affect Willingness to Justify Ethically Suspect Behaviors? A Focus on the GLOBE National Culture Scheme

In this article, we examine the relationship of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness national culture dimensions with the willingness of 27,459 individuals located in 21 nations to justify ethically suspect behaviors. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), a technique well suited for cross-level studies, is employed to test the hypothesized relationships from data made available by the World Values Survey. Results support our hypotheses with regard to performance orientation, assertiveness, institutional collectivism and humane orientation. However, results surprisingly reject our hypotheses on power distance and uncertainty avoidance. We discuss these counterintuitive findings and elaborate on the study’s implications for both research and practice.

Drivers and outcomes of parent company intervention in IJV management: a cross-cultural comparison

Abstract This study focused on an important issue in international joint venture (IJV) management — the motivations for and outcomes of parent company intervention into the affairs of the IJV, specifically in the form of control processes. The paper reports on IJVs between Japanese companies and firms from other Asian and Western national cultures. The study considered two forms of parental control: direct, where the parent overtly dictates and meddles in IJV operations and decision-making, and indirect, which involves a more consultative relationship between the parent and IJV. Motivations for control included IJV experience, strategic importance, product similarity, and resource dependence. As an outcome of parent control of the IJV, the study looked at conflict between partners and conflict between the IJVs managers and their parent company. Results suggested significant variance in control by national culture for the effects on control of IJV experience, strategic importance, product similarity, and resource dependence. The effects of control on conflict also varied by national culture.

Suboptimal technology adoption: The case of computer reservation systems in the travel industry

Abstract Drawing on data from 1200 California travel agencies, this case study applies the theories of path dependence, network externalities, and impacted information to the adoption of computer reservation systems (CRS). Results suggest that the adoption pattern is not explained by path dependence. While network externalities may be present in the case of larger travel agencies, it is the lack of information on the relative merits of CRS that best explains the pattern of adoption across all travel agencies.

Varieties of Bricolage and the Process of Entrepreneurship

We offer a theoretical account of how two types of bricolage influence the entrepreneurial process. The first type involves social relationships or physical or functional assets, and thus pertains to an entrepreneurʼs external resources used in the instantiation of operations of a new venture. The second type pertains to an entrepreneurʼs internal resources‐experiences, credentials, knowledge, and certifications‐which the entrepreneur appropriates, assembles, modifies and deploys in the presentation of a narrative about the entrepreneurial process. We argue that both types of bricolage are essential to the success of a venturing attempt.

Consortium Affiliation and Travel Agency Performance: Evidence of Strength in Numbers

Abstract This paper examines the role of travel agency consortia, a form of collective organization, in the relative economic performance of travel agencies. Fifty percent of the nations agencies seek to leverage their bargaining position by aggregating their resources within a consortium. Consortia use this strength in numbers to obtain advantages for their members that are primarily associated with economies of scale. The virtually even split in consortium affiliation raises two questions as to the benefit of membership: first, whether membership in the consortium increases returns to the member travel agency, and second, does any increase in return outweigh the cost of membership. Using travel agencies within California as the subjects of this study, the paper reveals that consortium membership does indeed increase returns to the travel agency. These returns exceeded costs by a factor of almost 3 to 1.

The invisible hand in entrepreneurial process: bricolage in emerging economies

The entrepreneurial process in emerging economies is receiving more interests but the critical role of bricolage is still in dearth. Entrepreneurs in these highly uncertain and dynamic environments discover, develop, and exploit opportunities with limited and idiosyncratic resources. They also navigate the entrepreneurial process within restrictive and unsupportive institutional environments. In this dynamic and often restrictive setting, entrepreneurs wanting to capitalise on opportunities must be able to manage with novel combinations of existing resources. Bricolage is therefore a relevant process in this entrepreneurial environment. This article argues that bricolage is a key mechanism to explore and explain entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

Keystones of Entrepreneurship Knowledge

Book review by James W. Bronson. Rob van der Horst, Sandra King-Kauanui, and Susan Duffy, ed., Keystones of Entrepreneurship Knowledge, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005. ISBN 9781405139212