... Country of Origin into Global Marketing Strategy: A Review of US Marking Statutes 44 Irvine C... more ... Country of Origin into Global Marketing Strategy: A Review of US Marking Statutes 44 Irvine Clarke 111 and Margaret Owens 4. Macrosegmentation Schemes for the Emerging Eastern European and Former Soviet Country Markets 61 Angela D'Auria Stanton and C. P Rao II. ...
Our increasingly complex global business environment inevitably brings counterparts to the negoti... more Our increasingly complex global business environment inevitably brings counterparts to the negotiation table. However, the lack of user-friendly coding systems, and other associated complexities over the last 6 decades, may have discouraged scholars to further their research in negotiation, communication, and its related fields. A viable coding scheme in place can help scholars and practitioners unfold the negotiation process by explaining the ‘cause and effect’ relationship within this social context. We propose a 24-categorytypology that stems from Bales’ IPA model, with Field Theory as our theoretical frame-work. Our empirical data comprises of two-party negotiation simulations. Some distinct features of our proposed scheme when compared to the IPA model are reduced coding time experienced, a straightforward framework that is less complicated to follow, a valid and reliable scheme and lastly, a scheme with a robust theoretical-methodological under-pinning in its development. The reliability of our scheme is determined through Krippendorff’s Alpha (α). Through our methodological contribution, we aim to investigate the dynamics in small group interactions; and encourage future scholars to study the multidimensional nature of international negotiations.
This paper makes a theoretical innovation by integrating two key principles – mutual forbearance ... more This paper makes a theoretical innovation by integrating two key principles – mutual forbearance and the principle of congruity – into one general process model. It examines the micro-mechanisms underlying the formation of a mutual-forbearance agreement and explicates the role of time and of individual actions. We further understanding of the process of cooperation building by drawing a parallel between early stages of the formation process of mutual forbearance and cooperation, and argue that mutual forbearance may, under certain conditions, lead to long-term cooperation or, if mismanaged, completely smother any chances of it. A prospective agreement may be put at risk when potential contributions are evaluated differently by each party and no action to mitigate the consequences is taken; even more so in a mutual-forbearance context when the parties can only observe their counterparts’ actions through the market. Our model takes into account the micro-mechanisms associated with the time between the actions of one entity/individual (e.g. the top manager) and the reaction of another entity/individual, the boundary conditions of the background to those actions and the alternative actions available during this time. Propositions for further exploration and implications are drawn.
Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, e... more Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, especially in the case of uncertain business environments, few studies have investigated human resource issues in the context of SMEs prior to alliance formation. Even more scarce are studies looking at the impact of a manager/entrepreneur’s characteristics on pre-alliance formation, despite recognition of the expected crucial role of the entrepreneur in this context and of the strong connection between an entrepreneur and their SME. Drawing on international entrepreneurship theory and empirical observations from an exploratory study, we propose a post hoc conceptual model. The exploratory empirical part of our study employs a sample of entrepreneurs from biotechnology SMEs in the United Kingdom and Germany intending to ally in a large emerging market (i.e. Brazil). Our empirical observations suggest an anomalous (at first glance) negative association between the entrepreneur’s level of higher education (a construct at the individual level) and the attractiveness of the SME as a partner firm vis-à-vis alliance formation (a construct at the firm level). Our post hoc model emphasises the role of practical experience and the corresponding levels of international entrepreneurial orientation as theorised variables mediating the observed empirical relationship. We develop theoretical propositions, and suggest practical implications and future research directions.
Hybrid strategy, which emerged as a contingency option to Porter’s (1980) generic strategies fram... more Hybrid strategy, which emerged as a contingency option to Porter’s (1980) generic strategies framework, defends that in a dynamic environment the simultaneous pursuit of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches is fundamental for the short-term performance and long-term survival of the firm. A vast amount of literature supports the benefits of adopting a mixed approach of strategy: several empirical studies have proved that a hybrid strategy establishes a firm’s performance superiority over the pure strategy choice.
However, the hybrid literature has concentrated all its focus on the performance linkage and to the debate of countering the pure strategy approach, but very little attention has been paid to the challenges that the mixed strategy implementation present. In fact, despite the rich empirical literature, it has still not been elucidated how firms that adopt a hybrid strategy may successfully integrate the inherent contradiction of the “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches, escaping from the “Stuck in The Middle” outcome. Furthermore, the literature reveals that several types of hybrid implementations, which should correspond to different strategy-structure-environment paradigms, exist. In order to study the characteristics of these different types of hybrid strategies, we suggest a typology composed of four types of hybrid implementation, defined by two antecedents of the firm and two antecedents of the environment.
Additionally, we align and contrast the hybrid and ambidextrous approaches, which share many similarities. Despite the fact that they have been confounded in empirical studies, we concluded that hybridity and ambidexterity are distinct and complementary concepts: while hybrid strategy defines the value proposition of the firm (a composition of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation”), ambidexterity focus on how to deliver this value with efficiency (Exploitation) and how to renew it effectively (Exploration).
This study investigates an under-researched topic: individual-to-individual or team-to-team inter... more This study investigates an under-researched topic: individual-to-individual or team-to-team interactions during the alliance pre-formation phase. We develop a general theory based on the principle of congruity for understanding the micro-dynamics of the alliance formation process. The attitudes of each party in an alliance towards their prospective partner depend on the level of mismatch between their initial evaluations of the contributions of each partner, and on their wish intensity and speed to reach congruity. The impact of different managerial cultural backgrounds (special theory) and mind-sets (special theory application) are theorised. Further applications are considered and all are presented as testable propositions.
This study examines the impact of research and development (R&D)-specific factors in determining ... more This study examines the impact of research and development (R&D)-specific factors in determining the likelihood of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from developed countries to be attractive partners vis-à-vis forming alliances with SMEs from large emerging economies (LEEs). This study is founded on the knowledge-accessing theory of alliance formation, which emphasises the higher efficiency gains of knowledge application as opposed to knowledge generation. We extend this theory to SMEs on the basis that smaller firms, because of their resources constraints and drive to survive, are likely to use alliances to access external knowledge bases leading to new product development (NPD) opportunities because of the low feasibility of acquiring knowledge. As a mix of complex knowledge is necessary to develop most modern products and services, SMEs are also likely to adopt a more flexible operational approach and to accept compromises to forge knowledge-accessing alliances. We illustrate this theoretical development using primary data collected from British and German biotechnology SMEs, declaring the intention prospectively to form alliances with their counterparts in Brazil. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing the likelihood of a firm as an attractive alliance partner. Our results indicate that R&D-specific factors influence the likelihood of firms to be attractive alliance partners. In particular, firms showing an in-house innovation history focused on one or few products are more likely to be attractive alliance partners with LEE firms than those that do not. Another R&D-specific predictor that enhances the chances of alliance partner attractiveness with LEE firms is the firm's focused searching and identifying capability relative to technology or equipment that demonstrates good prospects to improve the firm's line of products. A third predictor refers to the firm's awareness regarding non-cost obstacles for its own technological development. Implications for policy makers and practitioners are also discussed.
European Management Journal, 19 (5), 560-569, 2001
In this paper the authors examine the views of Brazilian Managing Directors of prospective high-t... more In this paper the authors examine the views of Brazilian Managing Directors of prospective high-tech joint ventures with European or US firms. It provides insights on the importance of contributions from a typical local (Brazilian) partner firm, as well as from a typical foreign (European or US) partner firm. It also uses a panel of Specialists in order to classify independently two groups of firms: the most suitable and the least suitable to international joint ventures. Several differences concerning the perceived importance of prospective contributions were identified between the two groups of local firms.
... Country of Origin into Global Marketing Strategy: A Review of US Marking Statutes 44 Irvine C... more ... Country of Origin into Global Marketing Strategy: A Review of US Marking Statutes 44 Irvine Clarke 111 and Margaret Owens 4. Macrosegmentation Schemes for the Emerging Eastern European and Former Soviet Country Markets 61 Angela D'Auria Stanton and C. P Rao II. ...
Our increasingly complex global business environment inevitably brings counterparts to the negoti... more Our increasingly complex global business environment inevitably brings counterparts to the negotiation table. However, the lack of user-friendly coding systems, and other associated complexities over the last 6 decades, may have discouraged scholars to further their research in negotiation, communication, and its related fields. A viable coding scheme in place can help scholars and practitioners unfold the negotiation process by explaining the ‘cause and effect’ relationship within this social context. We propose a 24-categorytypology that stems from Bales’ IPA model, with Field Theory as our theoretical frame-work. Our empirical data comprises of two-party negotiation simulations. Some distinct features of our proposed scheme when compared to the IPA model are reduced coding time experienced, a straightforward framework that is less complicated to follow, a valid and reliable scheme and lastly, a scheme with a robust theoretical-methodological under-pinning in its development. The reliability of our scheme is determined through Krippendorff’s Alpha (α). Through our methodological contribution, we aim to investigate the dynamics in small group interactions; and encourage future scholars to study the multidimensional nature of international negotiations.
This paper makes a theoretical innovation by integrating two key principles – mutual forbearance ... more This paper makes a theoretical innovation by integrating two key principles – mutual forbearance and the principle of congruity – into one general process model. It examines the micro-mechanisms underlying the formation of a mutual-forbearance agreement and explicates the role of time and of individual actions. We further understanding of the process of cooperation building by drawing a parallel between early stages of the formation process of mutual forbearance and cooperation, and argue that mutual forbearance may, under certain conditions, lead to long-term cooperation or, if mismanaged, completely smother any chances of it. A prospective agreement may be put at risk when potential contributions are evaluated differently by each party and no action to mitigate the consequences is taken; even more so in a mutual-forbearance context when the parties can only observe their counterparts’ actions through the market. Our model takes into account the micro-mechanisms associated with the time between the actions of one entity/individual (e.g. the top manager) and the reaction of another entity/individual, the boundary conditions of the background to those actions and the alternative actions available during this time. Propositions for further exploration and implications are drawn.
Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, e... more Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, especially in the case of uncertain business environments, few studies have investigated human resource issues in the context of SMEs prior to alliance formation. Even more scarce are studies looking at the impact of a manager/entrepreneur’s characteristics on pre-alliance formation, despite recognition of the expected crucial role of the entrepreneur in this context and of the strong connection between an entrepreneur and their SME. Drawing on international entrepreneurship theory and empirical observations from an exploratory study, we propose a post hoc conceptual model. The exploratory empirical part of our study employs a sample of entrepreneurs from biotechnology SMEs in the United Kingdom and Germany intending to ally in a large emerging market (i.e. Brazil). Our empirical observations suggest an anomalous (at first glance) negative association between the entrepreneur’s level of higher education (a construct at the individual level) and the attractiveness of the SME as a partner firm vis-à-vis alliance formation (a construct at the firm level). Our post hoc model emphasises the role of practical experience and the corresponding levels of international entrepreneurial orientation as theorised variables mediating the observed empirical relationship. We develop theoretical propositions, and suggest practical implications and future research directions.
Hybrid strategy, which emerged as a contingency option to Porter’s (1980) generic strategies fram... more Hybrid strategy, which emerged as a contingency option to Porter’s (1980) generic strategies framework, defends that in a dynamic environment the simultaneous pursuit of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches is fundamental for the short-term performance and long-term survival of the firm. A vast amount of literature supports the benefits of adopting a mixed approach of strategy: several empirical studies have proved that a hybrid strategy establishes a firm’s performance superiority over the pure strategy choice.
However, the hybrid literature has concentrated all its focus on the performance linkage and to the debate of countering the pure strategy approach, but very little attention has been paid to the challenges that the mixed strategy implementation present. In fact, despite the rich empirical literature, it has still not been elucidated how firms that adopt a hybrid strategy may successfully integrate the inherent contradiction of the “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches, escaping from the “Stuck in The Middle” outcome. Furthermore, the literature reveals that several types of hybrid implementations, which should correspond to different strategy-structure-environment paradigms, exist. In order to study the characteristics of these different types of hybrid strategies, we suggest a typology composed of four types of hybrid implementation, defined by two antecedents of the firm and two antecedents of the environment.
Additionally, we align and contrast the hybrid and ambidextrous approaches, which share many similarities. Despite the fact that they have been confounded in empirical studies, we concluded that hybridity and ambidexterity are distinct and complementary concepts: while hybrid strategy defines the value proposition of the firm (a composition of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation”), ambidexterity focus on how to deliver this value with efficiency (Exploitation) and how to renew it effectively (Exploration).
This study investigates an under-researched topic: individual-to-individual or team-to-team inter... more This study investigates an under-researched topic: individual-to-individual or team-to-team interactions during the alliance pre-formation phase. We develop a general theory based on the principle of congruity for understanding the micro-dynamics of the alliance formation process. The attitudes of each party in an alliance towards their prospective partner depend on the level of mismatch between their initial evaluations of the contributions of each partner, and on their wish intensity and speed to reach congruity. The impact of different managerial cultural backgrounds (special theory) and mind-sets (special theory application) are theorised. Further applications are considered and all are presented as testable propositions.
This study examines the impact of research and development (R&D)-specific factors in determining ... more This study examines the impact of research and development (R&D)-specific factors in determining the likelihood of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from developed countries to be attractive partners vis-à-vis forming alliances with SMEs from large emerging economies (LEEs). This study is founded on the knowledge-accessing theory of alliance formation, which emphasises the higher efficiency gains of knowledge application as opposed to knowledge generation. We extend this theory to SMEs on the basis that smaller firms, because of their resources constraints and drive to survive, are likely to use alliances to access external knowledge bases leading to new product development (NPD) opportunities because of the low feasibility of acquiring knowledge. As a mix of complex knowledge is necessary to develop most modern products and services, SMEs are also likely to adopt a more flexible operational approach and to accept compromises to forge knowledge-accessing alliances. We illustrate this theoretical development using primary data collected from British and German biotechnology SMEs, declaring the intention prospectively to form alliances with their counterparts in Brazil. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing the likelihood of a firm as an attractive alliance partner. Our results indicate that R&D-specific factors influence the likelihood of firms to be attractive alliance partners. In particular, firms showing an in-house innovation history focused on one or few products are more likely to be attractive alliance partners with LEE firms than those that do not. Another R&D-specific predictor that enhances the chances of alliance partner attractiveness with LEE firms is the firm's focused searching and identifying capability relative to technology or equipment that demonstrates good prospects to improve the firm's line of products. A third predictor refers to the firm's awareness regarding non-cost obstacles for its own technological development. Implications for policy makers and practitioners are also discussed.
European Management Journal, 19 (5), 560-569, 2001
In this paper the authors examine the views of Brazilian Managing Directors of prospective high-t... more In this paper the authors examine the views of Brazilian Managing Directors of prospective high-tech joint ventures with European or US firms. It provides insights on the importance of contributions from a typical local (Brazilian) partner firm, as well as from a typical foreign (European or US) partner firm. It also uses a panel of Specialists in order to classify independently two groups of firms: the most suitable and the least suitable to international joint ventures. Several differences concerning the perceived importance of prospective contributions were identified between the two groups of local firms.
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Papers by Claudio De Mattos
However, the hybrid literature has concentrated all its focus on the performance linkage and to the debate of countering the pure strategy approach, but very little attention has been paid to the challenges that the mixed strategy implementation present. In fact, despite the rich empirical literature, it has still not been elucidated how firms that adopt a hybrid strategy may successfully integrate the inherent contradiction of the “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches, escaping from the “Stuck in The Middle” outcome. Furthermore, the literature reveals that several types of hybrid implementations, which should correspond to different strategy-structure-environment paradigms, exist. In order to study the characteristics of these different types of hybrid strategies, we suggest a typology composed of four types of hybrid implementation, defined by two antecedents of the firm and two antecedents of the environment.
Additionally, we align and contrast the hybrid and ambidextrous approaches, which share many similarities. Despite the fact that they have been confounded in empirical studies, we concluded that hybridity and ambidexterity are distinct and complementary concepts: while hybrid strategy defines the value proposition of the firm (a composition of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation”), ambidexterity focus on how to deliver this value with efficiency (Exploitation) and how to renew it effectively (Exploration).
However, the hybrid literature has concentrated all its focus on the performance linkage and to the debate of countering the pure strategy approach, but very little attention has been paid to the challenges that the mixed strategy implementation present. In fact, despite the rich empirical literature, it has still not been elucidated how firms that adopt a hybrid strategy may successfully integrate the inherent contradiction of the “Low Cost” and “Differentiation” approaches, escaping from the “Stuck in The Middle” outcome. Furthermore, the literature reveals that several types of hybrid implementations, which should correspond to different strategy-structure-environment paradigms, exist. In order to study the characteristics of these different types of hybrid strategies, we suggest a typology composed of four types of hybrid implementation, defined by two antecedents of the firm and two antecedents of the environment.
Additionally, we align and contrast the hybrid and ambidextrous approaches, which share many similarities. Despite the fact that they have been confounded in empirical studies, we concluded that hybridity and ambidexterity are distinct and complementary concepts: while hybrid strategy defines the value proposition of the firm (a composition of “Low Cost” and “Differentiation”), ambidexterity focus on how to deliver this value with efficiency (Exploitation) and how to renew it effectively (Exploration).