Yong Kyu Lew

Institutional legitimacy and norms-based CSR marketing practices: Insights from MNCs operating in a developing economy

Purpose – The purpose of this corporate social responsibility (CSR) paper is to investigate specific social roles of multinational corporations (MNCs) in a developing economy, and how these MNCs’ CSR marketing activities are legitimized, from the institutional perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Anchoring this study in institutional theory, the authors explore how formal and informal institutions affect the legitimacy of MNCs’ CSR marketing practices in the host country of Pakistan. The authors conducted interviews with top managers from 15 local MNCs undertaking CSR programs in various sectors, such as automotive, banking, consumer products, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications. Findings – The authors find that MNCs show commitment to CSR programs despite underdeveloped and very weak formal institutions, and that lots of these initiatives such as education, health, environmental protection, and civil society/religious organizations are oriented toward norms-based social CSR marketi...

Antecedents of marketing integration in cross-border mergers and acquisitions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine operational-level implementation issues regarding mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in general, and resource combination and integration at the functional marketing level in particular. Design/methodology/approach – The paper introduces four factors (i.e. collaboration, interaction, marketing synergy, and the realignment of marketing resources) that support successful M&A marketing integration and enhance overall M&A performance. Findings – The results indicate that marketing synergy and the realignment of marketing resources contribute significantly to the extent of integration. At the same time, the authors find a significant but negative relationship between the interaction dimension and the speed of integration. Originality/value – The cultural integration of firms that feature different management styles and organizational cultures has been recognized as a particularly challenging aspect of cross-border M&As. This study explains factors that contribute ...

Internationalisation process of Chinese SMEs: the role of business and ethnic-group-based social networks

This article examines how emerging market small and medium-sized enterprises (EM-SMEs) leverage business and social networks for their internationalisation. Drawing from the internationalisation process and network literature, it investigates four Chinese SMEs which have effectively entered foreign markets. The sample of Chinese manufacturing SMEs provides a valuable reference for foreign-network constrained EM-SMEs that face challenges and opportunities in their internationalisation process. The findings suggest that both business and ethnic group-based social networks as well as the strength of these networks play an important role in influencing the internationalisation of Chinese SMEs. Particularly, the findings illustrate the importance and complementary role of ethnic ties (i.e., social networks), and relationships with foreign multinationals (i.e., business networks) that enable the internationalisation process of the EM-SMEs.

The influence of industrial policy and national systems of innovation on emerging economy suppliers’ learning capability

Abstract This paper links the industrial policy and national systems of innovation literature to the investigation of learning capabilities of suppliers in the context of the automotive parts industry of Pakistan. Drawing data from 50 Pakistani autoparts suppliers, the findings suggest that industrial policy has been helpful in creating a local parts supply base and facilitating the entry of Japanese assemblers in the market. However, the implementation of the policy has been weak, and it is an arduous journey for the local suppliers to develop ambidextrous (exploratory and exploitative) learning capabilities. The findings also indicate that where local training and support from R&D institutions are weak, networking alone with foreign multinationals is not sufficient on its own to develop exploratory learning capabilities of local suppliers. This paper shows the importance of creating national–provincial institutions offering learning and skills development aimed towards innovation.

International Joint Ventures and Dynamic Co-learning between MNEs and Local Firms

Forming an international joint venture (IJV) is a strategically important step that shapes a firm’s internationalisation process (Park and Ungson, 1997) and is a strategy intended to quickly achieve geographical diversification or organisational growth. Many IJVs have been created for partners to comply with local restrictions on foreign ownership in host economies. Although there are many other reasons, one agreed upon point regarding IJV creation is that IJV learning is essential for a firm’s sustainable growth in highly heterogeneous and competitive international markets (Bresman, Birkinshaw and Nobel, 1999; Hamel, 1991; Lane, Salk and Lyles, 2001).

Enhancing Student Competency and Employability in International Business Through Master’s Dissertations

A core component of International Business (IB) postgraduate programs around the world is the master’s dissertation, which requires students to produce a written document, typically around 20,000 words in length, based on empirical research. While the dissertation is given considerable importance in such programs, often accounting for more than a quarter of a candidate’s final grade, the effectiveness of the dissertation in delivering outcomes remains largely unknown. This article addresses this shortcoming by providing an empirical understanding of the perceived usefulness and value of master’s-level dissertations and evaluating their impact on the personal and intellectual development of students. Findings demonstrate the unique ability of the dissertation to enhance student employability, both for scientifically interested and deep learners as well as for functional learners.