Liesl Riddle

Export promotion organization emergence and development: a call to research

Most existing research examines export promotion organization (EPO) performance by assessing how firms benefit from their awareness, perceptions and use of EPO services. Remarkably, few studies examine how EPOs decide which services they will offer. This paper is presented as a call for further research to better understand how and why EPOs determine, deliver and amend their service offerings. This paper first reviews the EPO literature linking EPO service offering to firm awareness, perceptions and use of EPO services, all of which ultimately impact firm performance. Next, it is proposed that both macro‐ and micro‐level approaches derived from the organizational studies literature can be used to explore more fruitfully the effect of EPO genesis and change on EPO services. Each approach is followed by a brief illustrative example. In conclusion suggestions for further research, proposed methodologies, and a discussion of the policy implications of this line of inquiry are presented.

Globalization, biculturalism and cosmopolitanism: The acculturation status of Mexicans in upper management

Globalization forces many managers to increasingly interact with new cultures, even if these managers remain in their home countries. This may be particularly true of managers in emerging markets, many of whom experience an encroaching US culture due to media, migration, and trade, as well as the importation of US-style business education. This study explores the possibility of applying acculturation insights developed in the immigrant and sojourner contexts to the context of local managers in emerging markets. By exploring the acculturation of Mexican managers in Mexico, we help to redress what has been identified as a key omission in prior acculturation research — the acculturation of a majority population. Our results suggest that Mexican managers who are bicultural or culturally independent (cosmopolitan) are more likely to be in upper management positions in Mexico. Our study supplements earlier work supporting the efficacy of biculturalism in minority populations. It also supports a growing body of research that conceptualizes individuals who rate themselves low on similarity to two cultures as being cosmopolitans and not marginalized individuals who experience difficulty in life. Mondialisation, biculturalisme et cosmopolitisme : l’acculturation des cadres supérieurs mexicains (Kate Gillespie, J. Brad McBride and Liesl Riddle) La mondialisation oblige de plus en plus les managers à interagir avec de nouvelles cultures, même si ceux-ci demeurent dans leurs pays d’origine. Ceci est sans doute le cas des managers issus des marchés émergents, la majorité d’entre eux étant confrontée à une culture américaine envahissante, que ce soit du fait des médias, de la migration, du commerce ou de l’importation d’une éducation en management à l’américaine. L’étude explore la possibilité d’appliquer certains résultats de la recherche sur l’acculturation dans des contextes d’immigrants et de séjourneurs aux contextes des managers locaux dans les marchés émergents. En explorant l’acculturation des managers mexicains au Mexique, nous redressons ce qui a été identifié comme une grave omission de la recherche sur l’acculturation jusqu’à aujourd’hui, à savoir l’acculturation de la population majoritaire. Nos résultats suggèrent que les managers mexicains biculturels ou culturellement indépendants (cosmopolites) ont plus de chances d’occuper des postes de cadres supérieurs au Mexique. Notre étude complète des précédents travaux appuyant l’efficacité du biculturalisme chez les populations minoritaires. Elle vient en appui à une recherche de plus en plus importante qui conceptualise les individus qui se classent en bas de l’échelle en termes de similitude à deux cultures de cosmopolites et non d’individus marginalisés faisant l’expérience d’une vie difficile.

Why Diasporas Invest in the Homeland: A Conceptual Model of Motivation

Little is known about why diaspora members invest in their homelands or why investment intensity varies among diaspora communities. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, we generate a multi-level, conceptual model of diaspora homeland investment. Our model examines the effects of inter-diaspora cultural differences, support from diaspora organizations, and three types of investment expectations - financial, social, and emotional - to better understand this phenomenon.

Forced migration and destination choice: Armenian forced settlers and refugees in the Russian Federation

The Soviet Republic has experienced major population shifts between its 15 states since 1991. Large numbers of refugees and forced migrants are seeking asylum from successor states in Russia. The Federal Migration Service (FMS) of Russia keeps official registers of refugees and forced settlers, facilitates resettlement, and integrates migrants into society. This study examined the role of the FMS in resettling dislocated persons from Armenia to Russia. Data were obtained from official sources. 49.8% of immigrants to Russia come from the Central Republics. However, Armenias refugee and forced migrant population is a larger share of its total population (about 5%, compared to 4.4% of Central Asian republics). A 1993 survey revealed that about 70% of the urban populations in Erevan, Gyumri, and Ashtarak would leave Armenia if the opportunity arose. 50% wanted their children to emigrate. In 1989 and 1993, the top receiving areas in Russia were Krasnodarskii Krai, Rostovskaia, and Stavropolskii Krai. In 1989, about 60% of the Armenian population in Russia lived in these territories. Ordinary least squares models indicate that 30% of the variance in Armenian resettlement in Russia, was predicted by high concentrations of Armenian residents and cost of living. Other structural factors, such as unemployment, urbanization, or new construction, were unrelated. Findings suggest that individual choice may be more important in determining residential location than migration policy.

Case-Based Teaching in Business Education in the Arab Middle East and North Africa

Instructors seeking to utilize cases in M.E.N.A. educational institutions should be aware of how differences in M.E.N.A. culture and classroom norms might impact case-based learning in this region. In particular, high collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance associated with the M.E.N.A. cultural milieu give rise to a learning environment that is divergent from the Western classroom context, where the case method was born and developed. Case method socialization and classroom-composition or process adaptations may be necessary to better fit the case method to local cultural values and norms.

Bridging the divide between diaspora investment interest and action

Subject area – Entrepreneurship, management and emerging markets.Study level/applicability – Undergraduate and Graduate courses in Entrepreneurship, Managing in Developing Countries/Emerging Markets, Small Business Management, Social Entrepreneurship, International BusinessCase overview – IntEnt is a business incubator that provides training and other support services to nascent entrepreneurs, helping turn their investment ideas into successful business ventures. But IntEnt focuses on a unique clientele: diasporas, or migrants and their descendants, who dream of establishing a new venture back in their country of origin.The incubator is well known and respected by policymakers and migrants alike. Despite these successes, Mr Molenaar has struggled to grow and diversify IntEnts funding base. He also is under increasing pressure from the foundations stakeholders to define and measure the foundations performance. But Molenaar is committed to expanding IntEnts operations and continue to bridge the divide b...

Contemporary Cleopatras: the business ethics of female Egyptian managers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in ethical attitudes along two dimensions: perceived ethical strategies for career advancement, or upward‐influence ethics; and perceived ethical roles of business in society and the natural environment, or business social and environmental responsibility.Design/methodology/approach – Employing a variance decomposition procedure, the paper identifies substantive differences in the ethical perceptions of Egyptian male and female managers.Findings – Female managers find more covert upward‐influence strategies – strategies that are less aboveboard and transparent – acceptable and eschew overt upward‐influence tactics – strategies that are aboveboard and transparent. Female managers also envision a larger role for business in society, particularly in terms of social responsibilities than do male managers.Research limitations/implications – The study is exploratory, employing a small sample in a single country.Originality/value – The findings...