Apologies for cross-posting
Call
for Papers for a Special Issue in the International Journal of Emerging Markets
THE growing power of
chinese multinationals and the necessity for the evolution of international
business theories
Submission
Deadline: March 31, 2017
Guest
Editors:
Byung Il Park, Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies, South Korea
Kwangho Kim, Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies, South Korea
Consulting editor: Christoph
Lattemann, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany
Purpose and Research Questions:
Following the rapid economic growth of
China during the last few decades, Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs)
have emerged as a force to be reckoned with and many of them have turned into
new global giants (e.g., Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo and so on) in the world
economic arena (Alon et al., 2011; Gugler & Vanoli, 2015; Yang &
Stoltenberg, 2014). Both state-owned and private Chinese MNCs successfully
internationalized their business operations, and thus their presence is often
considered as a formidable power in developing countries. For instance, the number of Chinese
companies in the ‘Global Fortune 500’ has more than doubled to 85 companies in
2013, versus 42 in 2010 (Fortune, 2010; 2013). By this measure, China recently
overtook Japan, which has 62 companies on the Fortune list, and trails only the
US, which still holds the top spot with 132 companies.
Despite the rise of Chinese MNCs as the
part of emerging market firms, our understanding of these firms still remains in
its infancy (Alon et al., 2012; Jansson & Söderman, 2015). While scholars have investigated
diverse topics on MNCs, existing studies have developed theories by
predominately focusing on MNCs from the developed (Western) countries. Thus, conventional
theories on international business (IB), such as internalization perspective (Buckley & Casson, 1976; 1999; Rugman
& Verbeke, 1995) and OLI paradigm (Dunning, 1993; 2000) might not be
sufficiently applicable to emerging market multinationals, such as Chinese MNCs
considering the difference in culture, political and economic systems, foreign
direct investment motivations and governance structure between emerging markets
and the developed countries (the challenges that Chinese MNCs may encounter,
their behavioral patterns, and the ways that they localize, etc. might be
highly dissimilar to those of Western MNCs in developed markets) (Lattemann
& Alon, 2015).
For example, imbalance theory (Moon
& Roehl, 2001) argues that the conventional theories (i.e., internalization
perspective and OLI paradigm) are not satisfactory in providing adequate
explanations for the rich variety of FDI activities observed from Chinese MNCs
based on emerging markets. The imbalance theory suggests that Chinese MNCs
often undertake FDI to build new assets which will strengthen the firm’s own
arsenal of resources for future competition. Resource dependence theory
(Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) also points out that no one firm possesses
sufficient resources to efficiently compete against other rivals in the global
arena and thus the former needs to look for complementary resources that are
not available internally from external environments (refer to the acquisition
of IBM’s personal computer business by Lenovo and Shanghai General Motors’
takeover for Ssangyong Motor Company operating in South Korea). According to
the uppsala model (Johanson & Vahlne, 1977), the typical strategy of these
Chinese firms is to accumulate experience from the domestic market to some
extent and then gradually intensify their activities in foreign markets. Based
on these discussions, we believe that this is an appropriate time to try to
refine mainstream IB theories considering multinationalization primarily as the
outcome of competitive advantage based on possession of unique assets (Moon
& Roehl, 2001). In addition, IB researchers should attempt to explore an
evolution of the theoretical domains by synthesizing a variety of FDI
motivations, much of which are not well explained by ownership-specific and
internalization advantage approaches.
Thus, this special issue aims to improve
our understanding on Chinse MNCs as well as to offer a unique opportunity to
re-consider diverse extant theories on MNCs by promoting an extension to
account for emerging market MNCs. Investigating Chinese MNCs can provide
appropriate implications for other MNCs from emerging economies. We seek papers that advance theoretical perspectives, which are able
to integrate the extant theoretical lens into Chinese MNCs, provide valuable insights and new knowledge and subsequently offer implications for
MNCs from emerging markets.
We invite submissions from scholars
who, individually or collectively, draw on varied theoretical perspectives,
adopt diverse empirical approaches, and investigate at multiple levels of
analysis. We seek both theoretical
and empirical papers that may address, but are not limited to, the following
list of potential research questions:
- How can
extant literature combine existing international business theories with foreign
direct investment motivations undertaken by Chinese MNCs?
- What are
critical factors positively affecting Chinese MNCs’ successful transformation
into global giants?
- What are
the challenges that particularly Chinese MNCs may encounter in their global business
operations and what are the critical determinants helping Chinese MNCs to
overcome such challenges?
- Are
business operations and strategies of Chinese MNCs different between the developed
and the developing countries?
- Do
state-owned Chinese MNCs and private Chinese MNCs show different globalization
patterns and different performance outcomes?
- To what
degree, can the existing theories on MNCs that mainly reflect Western MNCs’
perspective be applicable to Chinese MNCs?
- How do
Chinese MNCs improve their image and reputation as creative and innovative?
Submission
Instructions:
The
deadline for submissions is March 31, 2017. For further information of International
Journal of Emerging Markets, including style guidelines, please visit the International
Journal of Emerging Markets website at: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/editorial_team.htm?id=ijoem.
All
submissions will be subject to the regular double-triple peer review process at
the International Journal of Emerging Markets. The guest editors are seeking
reviewers for this issue and are soliciting nominations and volunteers to
participate as reviewers. Please contact the guest editors to volunteer or
nominate a reviewer.
More
Information:
To obtain
additional information, please contact the guest editors:
Byung Il
Park, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea ([log in to unmask])
Kwangho
Kim, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea ([log in to unmask])
References
Alon, I., Child, J.,
Li, S., & McIntyre, J. R. (2011). Globalization of Chinese firms:
Theoretical universalisam or particularism. Management
and Organizational Review, 7(2), 191-200.
Alon, I., Molodtsova,
T., & Zhang, J. (2012). Macroeconomic prospects for China’s outward FDI. Transnational Corporations Review, 4(2),
16-40.
Buckley, P. J., &
Casson, M. (1976). The future of the
multinational enterprise.
Buckley, P. J., &
Casson, M. (1999). A theory of
international operations. In: Buckley, P. J. and Ghauri, P. N. (eds.), The
internationalization of the firm. London: International Thomson Business Press,
55-60.
Dunning, J. H. (1993).
Multinational enterprises and the global
economy. Wokingham: Addison-Wesley.
Dunning, J. H. (2000).
The eclectic paradigm as an envelope for economic and business theories of MNE
activity. International Business Review,
9, 163-190.
Fortune. (2010).
Fortune 500. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/fortune500/
Fortune. (2013).
Fortune 500. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/fortune500/
Gugler, P., &
Vanoli, L. (2015). Technology-sourcing investment abroad as an enhancer of
Chinese MNWs’ innovative capabilities. International Journal of Emerging
Markets, 10(2), 243-271.
Janssen, H., & Söderman,
S. (2015). International strategic management hybrids in China. International Journal of Emerging Markets,
10(2), 209-223.
Johanson, J., &
Vahlne, J. E. (1977). The internationalization process of the firm - model of
knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments. Journal of International Business Studies,
8(1), 23-32.
Lattemann, C, & Alon,
I (2015). The rise of Chinese multinationals: A strategic threat or an economic
opportunity?, Georgetown Journal of
International Affairs, 16(1), 168-175.
Moon, H-C., &
Roehl, T. W. (2001). Unconventional foreign direct investment and the imbalance
theory. International Business Review,
10, 197-215.
Pfeffer, J., &
Salancik, G. R. (1978). The external
control of organizations: A resource dependence perspective. New York:
Harper and Row.
Rugman, A. M., & Verbeke, A. (1995). Transnational networks and global competition:
An organizing framework. Research in
Global Strategic Management, 5, 3-23.
Yang, X., & Stoltenberg, C. D. (2014). A review of institutional influences on the
rise of made-in-China multinationals. International
Journal of Emerging Markets, 9(2), 162-180.
Dr. Byung Il Park
Professor of International Business
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
College of Business
Tel: +82-2-2173-3193
Mobile: +82-10-4157-3532
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Personal Homepage: http://hufs.ac.kr/user/leedspark/index.action
Editor in Chief: International Journal of Multinational Corporation Strategy