Rebecca Piekkari

The Case Study as Disciplinary Convention Evidence From International Business Journals

This article explores case study practices within a specific management discipline, that of international business. The authors contrast the case study debate in the general methodological literature to how this method is practiced within this particular scientific community. They review 135 case study—based articles published in four international business journals from 1995 to 2005 and 22 from 1975 to 1994, finding the disciplinary convention in these journals to be exploratory, interview-based multiple case studies, drawing on positivistic assumptions and cross-sectional designs. Alternative perspectives on the case study that the authors identify in the methodological literature have had little impact on this field. Even the most commonly cited methodological literature is not consistently followed. Given these limitations of the disciplinary convention, the authors argue for greater methodological pluralism in conducting case studies and provide suggestions for researchers seeking to adopt alternative case study traditions.

The Multinational Corporation as a Multilingual Organization: The Notion of a Common Corporate Language

– This paper seeks to explore the use of common corporate language(s) in multinational corporations (MNCs). These organizations are usually multilingual and characterized by high language diversity. Parallel streams of literature in international management and international business communications are built upon to problematize the notion of a common corporate language., – Information gathered from 36 personal interviews of the German‐based multinational Siemens is the primary source of data for this case study. The interviews were conducted in three different languages in three different organizational units of Siemens AG in Finland and Germany., – It was possible to identify powerful interplay between two languages – German and English – and to uncover discrepancies between company policy and employee practices with regard to language use. On the basis of these findings, the challenges of managing language in multinationals are discussed., – Argues that a common corporate language may not be as widely shared within the firm as the term suggests, given the multilingual nature of most multinationals, variation in the language proficiency of their employees, and the level of analysis used in previous research.

Speaking in tongues: the importance of language in international management processes

This paper considers recent research on language effects in some international management situations, specifically, intraorganizational interactions, such as interunit communication and subsidiary autonomy, and in postmerger integration. Within the multinational corporation (MNC), the need for control and coordination has driven the move toward language standardization, in the form of a common corporate language, with widespread effects on management processes. Our analysis indicates that, while important, language issues have been relatively ignored but may offer a rewarding research avenue regarding the functioning of the MNC, with potentially important implications for management.

Integration or disintegration? Human resource implications of a common corporate language decision in a cross-border merger

The primary purpose of introducing a common corporate language in cross-border mergers is to integrate two previously separate organizations and facilitate communication. However, the present case study of a cross-border merger between two Nordic banks shows that the common corporate language decision may have disintegrating effects, particularly at organizational levels below top management. We identify such effects on performance appraisal, language training and management development, career paths, promotion and key personnel. Our findings show that top management needs to work through the consequences of the language decision upon those who are expected to make such a decision work.

Mobility of headquarters in multinational corporations

In the present paper, we aim to explain the dynamic phenomenon of Headquarters (HQ) relocation. The relocation of sales, marketing and production activities has been widely studied, but the strategic decision to relocate a HQ unit across borders has attracted far less attention. Drawing on a multiple case study of Finnish multinationals we conceptualise HQ relocation as an outcome of six key drivers each involving pragmatic and symbolic dimensions. Moreover, we identify a diversity of relocation patterns such as direct, hidden, full, partial and virtual. Based on evidence of extreme mobility in terms of repeated relocations and virtual HQ, we argue that under particular circumstances HQ may be highly mobile.

Preface : Language and Communication in International Management

In international management, a substantial body of research is concerned with various aspects of communication across cultural and linguistic boundaries. For example, control and coordination of headquarters–subsidiary and intersubsidiary relationships, management of diverse teams, and knowledge transfer within internationally operating firms, all touch upon the notion of communication. While there has been a “linguistic turn” in some of the recent organization behavior and management literature (see, e.g., Tietze, Cohen, and Musson 2003; Academy of Management Review 2004), the role of language in international business has been deemed “the most neglected field in management” (Reeves and Wright 1996), and “the forgotten factor” (Marschan-Piekkari, Welch, and Welch 1997: 591). In retrospect, language was identified as a factor in some of the early international business research (e.g., Johansson and Wiedersheim-Paul 1975), but it has only recently been rediscovered. International business communication is a rich field of study, and the current knowledge of cross-cultural or multilingual communication in international management has been influenced by linguists’ and organizational researchers’ work (see, e.g., Bargiela-Chappini and Nickerson 2001 for a review). Research on language in international management has predominantly focused on the types of solutions that companies opt for when moving from monolingual to multilingual business contexts. For example, scholars studied how small and medium-sized companies respond to increasing language requirements when serving overseas customers (e.g., Crick 1999). Some internationalizing companies reacted to these requirements by

Gendered Leaderships and Leaderships on Gender Policy: National Context, Corporate Structures, and Chief Human Resources Managers in Transnational Corporations

Although mainstream research on leadership, organizations and management generally continues to ignore gender relations, over recent years there has been major expansion of international research on gender relations in organizations. This article examines a key aspect of gender leadership (and indeed non-leadership), namely that on gender policy development in large transnational businesses. Three levels of analysis of gendered leaderships and non-leaderships are addressed: the national (Finnish) context, corporate structures, and chief Human Resources managers. These three levels are reviewed using secondary material; a questionnaire survey of the largest 100 Finnish companies on their gender organization and gender policy development; and interviews with chief HR managers, respectively. The interviews were conducted in seven corporations that are ‘relatively active’, ‘moderately active’ and ‘largely inactive’ in relation to gender equality policy. Chief HR managers’ accounts are focused upon in terms of the extent of positive leadership or non-leadership on gender policy, how this interlinks with other levels, and how they make sense of relations and tensions between levels.

The Silent Board: How Language Diversity May Influence the Work Processes of Corporate Boards

Manuscript Type. Empirical. Research Question/Issue. Corporate boards often change their working language when they acquire foreign members. Consequently, boards “talk” in one language but “think” in another. The present study explores and explains how language diversity influences work processes of corporate boards. Research Findings/Insights. On the basis of a multiple case study of nine multinational corporations (MNCs) from four Nordic countries, we discovered evidence of impoverished and silenced discussions in board meetings in those case companies that were unprepared to switch to English as the new working language of the board. Some board members found it difficult to contribute to board meetings and articulate disagreement. In contrast, such effects were not revealed in the well‐prepared companies. Overall, the presence of employee representatives on the boards made it more difficult to conduct work processes in English because these members often lacked sufficient language proficiency. Thus, our findings suggest that the board co‐determination act of the Nordic corporate governance model may be associated with the hidden costs of using a non‐native language. Theoretical/Academic Implications. Our study makes four contributions to research on board diversity. Firstly, it highlights the “silencing effect” of language diversity on board processes. Secondly, it emphasizes the linkage between language diversity and board processes. Thirdly, it provides additional evidence that language is a distinct dimension of diversity. Fourthly, it discovers language in board work as a new research topic that is worthy of scholarly attention. Practitioner/Policy Implications. Firms need to anticipate the potential effects of language diversity on the work processes of their boards in order to ensure that “the voice of diversity” is heard. The board itself as well as the rest of the organization can take preparatory measures such as producing all board material in the new working language and selecting board members with the required language proficiency. Although these measures can be implemented gradually or at a faster pace, they need to be in place before foreign members join the board. Consistent use of one and the same language in the corporate board and the executive management team supports transparency and good corporate governance practices. In our opinion, reaping the benefits of board diversity is the particular responsibility of the chairperson. Even though English is generally well understood in the Nordic countries, chairpersons should also consider the possible negative effects associated with the use of a board language that is non‐native to most of its members.

Processes of International Collaboration in Management Research: A Reflexive, Autoethnographic Approach

Scientists and academics increasingly work on collaborative projects and write papers in international research teams. This trend is driven by greater publishing demands in terms of the quality and breadth of data and analysis methods, which tend to be difficult to achieve without collaborating across institutional and national boundaries. Yet, our understanding of the collaborative processes in an academic setting and the potential tensions associated with them remains limited. We use a reflexive, autoethnographic approach to explicitly investigate our own experiences of international collaborative research. We offer systematic insights into the social and intellectual processes of academic collaborative writing, identifying six lessons and two key tensions that influence the success of international research teams. Our findings may benefit the formation of future coauthor teams, the preparation of research proposals, and the development of PhD curricula.

Roles and identity work in “at-home” ethnography

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on carrying out “at-home” ethnography by building and extending the notion of roles as boundary objects, and to elucidate how evolving roles mediate professional identity work of the ethnographer. Design/methodology/approach In order to theorize about how professional identities and identity work play out in “at-home” ethnography, the study builds on the notion of roles as boundary objects constructed in interaction between knowledge domains. The study is based on two ethnographic research projects carried out by high-level career switchers – corporate executives who conducted research in their own organizations and eventually left to work in academia. Findings The paper contends that the interaction between the corporate world and academia gives rise to specific yet intertwined roles; and that the meanings attached to these roles and role transitions shape the way ethnographers work on their professional identities. Research limitations/implications These findings have implications for organizational ethnography where the researcher’s identity work should receive more attention in relation to fieldwork, headwork, and textwork. Originality/value The study builds on and extends the notion of roles as boundary objects and as triggers of identity work in the context of “at-home” ethnographic research work, and sheds light on the way researchers continuously contest and renegotiate meanings for both domains, and move from one role to another while doing so.