After thirty years of research on the relationship between internationalization and firm performance, findings on its direction and magnitude are still contradictory.
Mario Krist explores if, how, and why internationalization and performance are related to each other and explicitly considers the role of intangible resources in this context. Based on the method of meta-analysis, he reveals a positive relationship at the aggregate level which is moderated by contextual factors. Having found that a sigmoid curve type pattern best explains the relationship for a sample of German multinational firms, the author explores the moderating role of five different intangible resources. He suggests that the successful international deployment of intangible resources depends on whether the value of a resource is location bound or not. Furthermore, firm performance is not only influenced by the degree of internationalization but also by the way how it is implemented. Finally, he demonstrates that a slow and modest pace of international expansion has a positive impact on performance, whereas this effect can eventually turn negative for firms progressing too quickly.
Autorentext
Dr. Mario Krist promovierte bei Prof. Dr. Andreas Bausch am Lehrstuhl für Strategisches Management und Controlling der Jacobs University Bremen. Er ist als Mitarbeiter im Strategischen Controlling der Bayer AG tätig.
Zusammenfassung
A large body of strategy and international business literature has examined the relationship between internationalization (regional diversification) and firm perfo- ance over the last decades. In essence, the current state of research on the internati- alization-performance relationship must be characterized, however, as being hetero- neous and inconclusive. From a conceptual point of view, increasing levels of inter- tionalization should have positive effects on firm performance due to economies of scale, market power effects, and risk reduction effects, to name but a few. At the same time, firms that expand internationally have to cope with substantial negative effects which are primarily associated with liabilities of foreignness. As a consequence, extensive empirical studies on the internationalization-performance relationship are somewhat mixed and contradictory. Against this background, Mario Krist highlights three central research objectives: First, he establishes if and why there should be a relationship between internationalization and firm performance. Second, he elaborates which intangible resources act as major success factors in the relationship between internationalization and performance and why this occurs. Third, he explores how these intangible resources act within the internationalization process concerning their ultimate impact on firm performance and how characteristics of the internationali- tion process itself have an impact on the focal relationship. Mario Krist chooses a topic which is of high practical relevance since inter- tionalization is at the core of corporate and business strategy. His research objectives are well developed based on a sound description of the current research status.
Inhalt
The Effect of Context-Related Moderators on the Internationalization-Performance Relationship: Evidence from Meta-Analysis.- Intangible Resources and their Effect on the Internationalization-Performance Relationship.- Intangible Resources and the Internationalization Process: Path Dependence of Building a Profitable Multinational Company.- Conclusion.