Suchergebnisse

This paper examines the factors associated with the Export performance of an 86‐firm sample of small and medium‐sized Canadian manufacturers. Two measures of export performance, intensity and relative profitability, are employed in this study. The findings suggest that on‐going commitment is important for both export intensity and profitability. This commitment can be reflected in a number of ways: human resources, market choice, and strategy' components. Export profitability also tends to be linked to the domestic distribution strategy to carefully selected foreign markets.RésuméCette etude éxamine les facteurs associés au renedment à l'exportaton d'un échantillonnage de 86 petits et moyens fabricants canadiens. L'intensité et la rentabilité relatives y sont utilisées comrae critères de rendement. Les résultats de l'étude indiquent qu'un engagement souienu est un facteur imponant pour l'intensité et la rentabilité. Cet engagement peut se manifester, par exemple, dans les ressources humaines, le choix des marchés et dans l'élaboration des stratégies. Le rendement à l'exportation est généralement relié à l'application d'une stratégic de distribution domestique à des marchés étrangers choisis avec soins.

This article examines how multiple ownership changes unfold in international equity joint venture (IEJV) evolution and how such repeated changes impact short-term performance and long-term survival. By theorizing a new concept—the trap of continual change—in the IEJV context, we challenge the adaptive viewpoint assumed in alliance dynamics research. We propose that partners sometimes respond to an initial dissatisfaction with the venture result with a dysfunctional repetition of rearranging the ownership control structure. This continual change locks the organization into bad choices and sends it into a downward spiral. Acknowledging the mixed motive nature of inter-partner relationships, we incorporate cooperative versus competitive dynamics manifested in shared control arrangements. We propose that shared ownership control lends stability to the IEJV until the initial IEJV agreement is renegotiated; this stability is a result of the cooperative forces of mutual interdependence and mutual forbearance between the partners. However, when the power balance breaks down, the potential for inter-partner conflict increases. When the ownership control structure of the IEJV is restructured, especially multiple times, shared control arrangements become increasingly unstable as behavioral, cultural, and managerial differences are amplified.

Joint ventures aid firms in accessing new markets, knowledge, capabilities, and other resources. Yet they can be challenging to manage, largely because they are owned by two or more parent companies. These companies may have competing or incongruent goals, differences in management style, and in the case of international business, additional complexities associated with differing government policies and business practices. We examine research on joint venture (JV) performance in order to identify prominent academic discussions established over the last 25 years. From this research, we draw implications from past research and areas for future research on successfully managing JVs, taking into account the decisions JV partners must make throughout the partnering process, from initial motivations through partner selection and negotiation of terms to implementation and ongoing management. Key implications include the necessity of honesty, trust, and commitment for the success of the JV, settling disputes by focusing on what is best for the JV rather than individual partner objectives, and division of managerial responsibilities according to the functional expertise of each partner.