Technology decentralization and knowledge‐related competitiveness for Asia Pacific MNEs

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of the paper is to advance understanding for the nature and essence of Asia Pacific multinational enterprises' (MNEs) knowledge-related competitiveness in the Balkans. Design/methodology/approach -A questionnaire-based survey was carried out in 56 Asia Pacific MNEs located in the Balkans. By using descriptive statistics the extent of technology centralization is identified, the sources of technology MNEs use in their operations and the essence and roles of decentralized research and development (R&D) departments are evaluated. Findings -Technological demand-side influences and the traditional centripetal forces in Asia Pacific MNEs are still quite strong. Among all countries under investigation, only in Greece and Slovenia are signs found of some original product development work and creative activities.Research limitations/implications -In order to have a better understanding for knowledgerelated competitiveness of Asia Pacific MNEs in the Balkans regional economic and labor conditions, more sophisticated industry characteristics and the strategic orientation of MNEs towards the region should also be considered. Practical implications -A useful source of information for academics, business people and local governments that seek to promote value added investments in their countries. Originality/value -This paper fulfils an identified gap in the literature by investigating MNEs' technology strategies in an EU peripheral region. To the extent of one's knowledge there are no relevant studies that survey the extent of technology (de)centralization of Asia Pacific MNEs in the Balkan countries from the perspective of empirical reality.

The tension of information sharing: Effects on subsidiary embeddedness

“…The third and final contribution is to the broad IB literature, which has investigated FDI in non-traditional areas mainly in emerging economies (Meyer, 2004;Todt et al, 2007;Yan et al, 2007). By contrast, the activities of MNEs in peripheral areas have been little explored (Benito & Narula, 2007;Manolopoulos, 2006;Santangelo, 2004Santangelo, , 2009Todt et al, 2007), probably because of the small scale of the phenomenon. The contribution of this study is in the direction of expanding our understanding of this phenomenon.…”

“…Such locations are recognized as peripheral compared to core territorial units, which drive and dominate the economic landscape (Benito & Narula, 2007). Nonetheless, MNEs are discovering valuable resources here (Manolopoulos, 2006;Santangelo, 2004Santangelo, , 2009Todt et al, 2007).…”

“…Non-traditional locations (e.g. emerging-market economies and peripheral areas of advanced countries) have been increasingly targeted by foreign investors searching for opportunities and valuable resources to enhance their competitive advantage (Manolopoulos, 2006;Santangelo, 2004Santangelo, , 2009Todt, Gutié rrez-Gracia, Ferná ndez de Lucio, & Castro-Martínez, 2007;Yan, Haiyang, Hitt, & Geng, 2007). Nonetheless, extant research on non-traditional locations has mainly focused on emerging economies, leaving peripheral areas largely unexplored.…”

Knowledge sharing and subsidiary R&D mandate development: A matter of dual embeddedness

“…The specific profile sought was delimited by six criteria: (1) the firm had to be a dominantly owned subsidiary, since the literature addressing subsidiary roles has tended to focus on such cases (Birkinshaw & Hood, 1998); (2) (Manolopoulos, 2006); (3) its MNC headquarters had to be located in an EU country, since membership of a 'deep' integration scheme, such as the EU (based on the regional convergence of economic structures and the establishment of common institutions and coordinated policies), has been found to affect subsidiary roles (Benito, Grøgaard, & Narula, 2003), especially at a disaggregated value chain level (Rugman & Verbeke, 2004;Rugman, Verbeke, & Yuan, 2011); (4) it had to be located in the same geographical area, thus presenting the same opportunities for becoming embedded within the local environment (Figueiredo, 2011), in this instance Catalonia, home to the largest concentration of the chemical industry (ranging from petrochemicals to biotechnology industries) in southern Europe and responsible for approximately 50% of Spain's chemical production (Arguimbau & Alegret, 2010); (5) it had to possess a long track-record of operating in Spain, with sufficient time to have established and developed deeply embedded relationships, given that effective partnerships require time and attention (Håkansson & Snehota, 1995); (6) it had to be a large company (in terms of the number of workers), since a subsidiary's size is an indication of its resources (Yamin & Andersson, 2011), and large subsidiaries can undertake a considerable range of R&D activities…”

Determinants of Market Orientation of Foreign Operations in Greece: A Meta-Internationalization Analysis from the Subsidiary Perspective

“…Since our sample covers the major sectors of activity (with food and beverages and pharmaceuticals and chemicals standing out as the most prevalent), it reflects the whole industrial composition and economic activity of the country. The response rate for our research reached 41.2% which is considered very satisfactory when compared with similar postal surveys (Harzing, 1997) and considering the well-documented difficulties of obtaining questionnaire responses in the country under investigation (Manolopoulos, 2006). Indeed, according to Yang et al (2006), the typical response rate for mail surveys is approximately 27%.…”