Krzysztof Obłój

Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies: Where are We Today and Where Should the Research go in the Future

Emerging economies are characterized by an increasing market orientation and an expanding economic foundation. The success of many of these economies is such that they are rapidly becoming major economic forces in the world. Entrepreneurship plays a key role in this economic development. Yet to date, little is known about entrepreneurship in emerging economies. This introductory article to the special issue on entrepreneurship in emerging economies examines the literature that exists to date in this important domain. It then reviews the research that was generated as part of this special issue on this topic. The article concludes with a discussion of the critical future research needs in this area.

Dominant Logic and Entrepreneurial Firms‘ Performance in a Transition Economy:

Dominant logic is the manner in which firms conceptualize and make critical resource–allocation decisions, and over time develop mental maps, business models, and processes that become organizational recipes. This study compares and contrasts the dominant logic of Polish entrepreneurial firms. We find evidence that a dominant logic characterized by external orientation, proactiveness, and simplicity of routines significantly influences the performance of entrepreneurial firms in this emerging economy. These dominant logic characteristics of high performers serve as a key intangible resource in transition economies that are characterized by the absence of strong institutions and resource constraints. Future research in this critical domain should include how dominant logic needs in transition economies evolve over time as the institutional environment matures and market mechanisms become more solidified.

Strategic and environmental determinants of HRM innovations in post-socialist Poland

In the last two decades, research in human resource management has increasingly focused on the strategic linkage between the activities of the human resource function and the business goals of enterprises. Most of the theoretical and empirical work in this area has focused on the US context. This paper extends this research to a non-US business environment. Specifically, we examine data from 303 state-owned, domestic private and foreign-owned Polish firms to test how strategic and environmental variables are related to the adoption of human resource innovations. This analysis suggests that business strategies, local labour markets and the presence of foreign competition are related to the complexity and extensiveness of firm-level human resource practices.

Breaking Away from the Past: Strategies of Successful Polish Firms

This article by Krzysztof Obloj and Howard Thomas discusses in detail successful strategies of selected new ventures and turnarounds of former stateowned enterprises in Poland. An analysis indicates the variety of ways used by managers of those companies to develop clear-cut strategies and build complex competitive advantages, pinpoints common features and differences, and reveals a growing cultural gap between active and knowledgable managers and the rest of employees.

Transforming former state-owned companies into market competitors in Poland:: The ABB experience

Asea Brown Boveri is one of the largest, and probably the most experienced, investors in Poland. It has made several acquisitions in different, even if somewhat related industries. In the case of each acquisition ABB had to restructure the management and turn a former state-owned firm into a lean market competitor. While overall the process was very successful, ABB learned a few tough lessons about the implementation of Western-style management systems in one of the most successful of the newly democratized countries in Eastern Europe. The most important was that the hard (structure and procedures) and soft (human resource) aspects of the acquired firms should be developed and framed simultaneously. Otherwise the restructuring process could paradoxically reinforce some of the common and unacceptable features of the management of the former state-owned firms.

Institutions, resources and firm strategies: a comparative analysis of entrepreneurial firms in three transitional economies

This study contrasts the impacts of institutions on entrepreneurial high technology firms in three transitional economies that share many institutional similarities but have taken different paths to economic reform: China, Poland and Russia. The study explores the impact of institutions on core aspects of the firm including strategic orientation, top management dynamics and firm strategy. We argue that different institutional environments that result from different development paths produce different strategic mindsets and generate different strategic actions. The findings have significant implications for institutional effects on transitional economies, which are discussed in light of future research on entrepreneurial firms.

Transforming former state-owned companies into market competitors in Poland:

Asea Brown Boveri is one of the largest, and probably the most experienced, investors in Poland. It has made several acquisitions in different, even if somewhat related industries. In the case of each acquisition ABB had to restructure the management and turn a former state-owned firm into a lean market competitor. While overall the process was very successful, ABB learned a few tough lessons about the implementation of Western-style management systems in one of the most successful of the newly democratized countries in Eastern Europe. The most important was that the hard (structure and procedures) and soft (human resource) aspects of the acquired firms should be developed and framed simultaneously. Otherwise the restructuring process could paradoxically reinforce some of the common and unacceptable features of the management of the former state-owned firms.

Polish Privatization Program: Action, Symbolism And Cultural Barriers

This article examines the organizational culture in Polish privatized compa nies. Culture is not perceived by the authorities responsible for implement ing as a major factor calling for consideration. The reform is seen primarily as a political and economical issue. From their experience as consultants and students of management culture the authors recognize culture as a powerful factor, which can become a pow erful barrier to the implementation of the reform of Polish state-owned enter prises and a trigger of severe crises in the privatized firms. The paper describes and interprets some of the interesting contradictions that arise between the values declared by the managers of the privatized SOEs (and promoted by the authorities) and the values-in-use in the companies.

Self-Limiting Dominant Logic: An Exploratory Study of Chinese Entrepreneurial Firms

Previous research has found that cognitive frame, mental models, and schema embody a dominant logic of firms that structure the behavioral routines of managers and can become a central force shaping a firms decisions and actions. This exploratory study seeks to provide insight into an emerging dominant logic among recently established private-sector Chinese enterprises. Using multiple case studies of Chinese entrepreneurial firms, we identify convergence on a surprisingly similar dominant logic based on closely aligned concepts and accompanying behaviors: a defensive perspective of business environment; a conservative strategic decision-making process; and full involvement of owners and top managers in daily operations that substitute for development of elaborate routines and systems. Although a dominant logic may facilitate decision making and growth, it may also act as a perceptual blinder limiting opportunity search as firms seek to minimize risk in an uncertain environment.

Archetypes of rivalry: Narrative responses of Polish radio station managers to perceived environmental change

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how managers of Polish local radio stations construct their organizations in terms of archetypes of rivalry as a response to perceived changes in the ...