International Business Dissertations
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The D.B.A. in international business trains highly qualified individuals for careers in academics, consulting and multinational corporations. This collection includes dissertations written by graduates of our D.B.A. program.
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Item Producer environment's impact on the reverse investment strategies of large developing country firms(Southern New Hampshire University, 2002) Broaden, Charlotte; Samii, Massood; Aybar, C. Bulent; Nugent, Nicholas; Johnson, R. LarryAs stated in the dissertation, "Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s financial investors, corporate strategists and political leaders from the world largest economies were engaged in intensifying their focus on emerging or developing economies. The developing economies were seen as the new frontier for economic growth for some of the world's largest corporations. Not only did these developing economies provide the picture of opportunity - companies in the industrialized world became dependent upon on overseas markets for both economies of scale and increasing profits. Simultaneously, developing economies benefited as well. Capital, technology and management expertise flowed into these economies providing a basis for economic growth. However along with opportunity comes risk. Financial shocks rocked the global economy in the mid 1990s, (beginning with the peso crisis that struck Mexico and then followed by the Asian financial crisis). Political instability in the form of increased crime, kidnapping, assassinations and guerrilla activity were on the rise. These economic and political shocks became the impetus for "capital flight", sending capital fleeing back to the safe haven of their domestic markets or other stable advanced economies. Firms in developing economies were forced to consider alternative avenues for increasing their economic well-being. One alternative that can be given serious consideration is reverse investment. Historically, developing nations have participated in foreign direct investments (FDI) outflows to more developed and advanced economies. Albeit, the level of flows have been miniscule in comparison to the outflows from advanced nations, over time these outflows are becoming a significant factor in the development of transnational firms from developing economies. This activity is the focus of this thesis." (Library-derived description)Item Network externalities and internationalization : a Four Forces model of internationalization for firms operating in network externality environments(Southern New Hampshire University, 2002) Hecox, Mark G.; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Dhakar, Tej; Fellman, Philip VosAs stated in the dissertation, "The global economy continues to evolve into a high-density, inter-networked environment. With increasing interactions enabled by the Internet and digital communication platforms, products, firms and industries have to evolve their form and function to adapt for survival. Business network relationships are becoming increasingly important in the internationalization decision process. Inter-networking technology is changing the way firms view the international business landscape. The economics of inter-networking must be considered in effective internationalization decision making. This research endeavors to examine empirically how and why economic, relationship and technology forces uniquely associated with an network externality environment shape the internationalization behavior of high technology firms operating in network externality environments. Firms operating in network externality oriented markets face economic, technology and relationship forces that differ significantly from those firms operating in traditional non-externality environments. In addition, many of the firms operating in this type of environment are in developing high technology industries like computer peripheral equipment, pre-packaged software and related computer devices. According to Ward's business directory, these firms currently represent over $500 billion US dollars in gross sales and are fueling the global communication technology revolution. Most current internationalization literature, theory and empirical work are based on firms operating in traditional non-externality environments. Much of the classical foreign direct investment and internationalization theory has centered on an economic theory paradigm (Dunning 1976, Kindelberger 1969, Knickerbocker 1974, Magee 1977). Stages and process models of internationalization have relied on transaction cost principles related to international manufacturing environments. More recent internationalization theory from the networking relationship school has begun to acknowledge the importance of using an organizational behavior paradigm to help explain the complexity of the internationalization phenomena. To adequately address the internationalization of high technology firms, Coviello and McAuley (1999) suggest that a combination of paradigms be used. In my theoretical framework that follows, I use a combination of economic theory, organizational theory and network theory to explain causal relationships driving the internationalization decision strategy of high technology firms operating in network externality environments. I present a causal model - The Four Forces Model of Internationalization for Firms Operating in Network Externality Environments - identifying causal relationships with the forces affecting firm internationalization and the associated predicted outcomes. It is suggested that these forces are unique in combination to firms operating within network externality environments and that they conspire to shape internationalization decision making and resulting outcomes. The implications for firm internationalization strategy are discussed. From this model evolved my key propositions for empirical testing. In order to develop an empirically based explanatory dissertation with relevant causal relationships regarding the internationalization of firms operating in industries that exhibit network externalities, I will use a multiple case study research strategy. As articulated by Yin (1994) this approach is good for complex organizational phenomena, of which firm internationalization has been described and for addressing "how" and "why" types of research questions. In order to avoid a less than rigorous contribution to theory, the multiple case study methodology that I employ is of an explanatory nature seeking to identify and confirm causal relationships among the key variables in the internationalization of these firms. I use an experimental approach to test my theoretical framework with each case decision. By seeking non-random patterns using a pattern matching design combined with a quantitative analysis technique known as Degrees-of-Freedom analysis, I am able to collect rich qualitative data and test my model predictions empirically and quantitatively against the observed outcomes. By statistically comparing the observed and predicted patterns, I am able to determine the level of support for my model predictions and research propositions." (Library-derived description)Item The evolutionary mechanisms of hybridization in the current global environments of corporate governance : potential stabilities of hybrid structures(Southern New Hampshire University, 2004) Takei, Hideki; Fellman, Philip Vos; Hassan, Mahboubul; Samii, Massood; Nugent, NicholasAs stated in the dissertation, "Corporate governance is an important dimension of management. Appropriate governance practices lead companies to continuously improving prosperity by guiding them through environmental uncertainties and the risks of operations, especially operations in unfamiliar overseas environments. In this regard, effective corporate governance structures have been critical to the success of multinational enterprises (MNEs) that tend to face higher levels of uncertainty and risk than domestic corporations. In addition to the serious uncertainty and risk in international business environments, MNEs have had to deal with varying and often unfamiliar requests and values on the part of local investors and regulatory authorities. These groups frequently define their interests and the objectives of their investments on the basis of their own cultural and historical background. As financial markets have globalized, they have also been made more complex as a result of encouraging international investors to participate in several indigenous and multinational securities markets. These various requests, values and demands on the part of international investors or local regulatory authorities have often been a drag on the overseas performance of MNEs.2 While indigenous governance structures might be quite well suited to local values and regulatory demands, they are unable to deal with the requests and values of home country corporations and their investors. This provides a serious challenge to multinational corporate governance than the existing indigenous structures. In this regard, one of the latest findings is that more effective governance structures may come about through the emergence of hybrid governance. Hybrid governance is the result of a process whereby indigenous corporate governance structures are modified to accommodate international requirements, but without sacrificing deeply rooted historical and cultural values. In this regard, it is more accurate to speak of "hybridization", or a transformation of governance structure and a change in the overall governance paradigm, rather than a simple process of modification. A hybrid governance structure is, fundamentally, a new structure which while sensitive to local values, nonetheless meets a reasonable international standard of due diligence. Interestingly, some recent studies on hybrid corporate governance (Aoki, 2000) argue that the highest level of corporate performance in MNE's may come not from local governance structures, nor from overseas governance structures of the developed countries but rather from a hybridized governance system. While the superior potential performance of hybrid structures has been previously argued (Aoki, 2000), there have not been confirmatory studies of actual corporate performance to date. One reason for this is that the structure of emergent hybrid governance has not been clearly differentiated from that of more traditional concepts of corporate governance. In earlier studies, hybrid models were described as having "semistrong" governance attributes from different types of indigenous corporate and social structures (Williamson, 1996). By semi-strong, earlier authors, particularly Williamson, actually mean a system where external values are rather arbitrarily grafted onto local governance structures. In theory, this kind of structure draws upon relatively equal amounts from the overseas company's governance environment and the local governance environment. In terms of models, this kind of hybridization is relatively primitive. While these models attempt to mix local and international values, they do so in an unintegrated or additive fashion. In other words, while they may add governance provisions and requirements in relatively equal measure from both the local system and the international system, there is no attempt to integrate these two elements. In this case, the principal attributes of semistrong governance models are the result of an unstable hybrid model. The model is unstable because the process lacks any integrative function. An additional complication in the literature has been that hybrid corporate governance models have been traditionally addressed as a transitional phase of governance which is, on the whole, assumed to be following a pattern of global convergence (Bradley et al, 1998). The problem here is that convergence is assumed rather than demonstrated and this then results in a mischaracterization of the process of hybridization, and often in the definition of a model where the various elements of hybridization are inherently unstable (i.e., they are temporary, transitional mechanisms) (Williamson, 1996). One consequence of this mischaracterization is that by assuming hybridization is merely an intermediate step on the way to global convergence the hybrid model is seen as a merely temporary, intermediate process. Williamson (1996) sees hybrid structures as the "mid-point" on the path to convergence and he envisions a process where, after this mid-point, hybrid attributes start disappearing, in order to be replaced by rather unspecified "convergent" elements. Clarifying this process does not, unfortunately, lead to any better description of the process of evolution and adaptation in corporate governance structure. Where the point of governance has been most clearly articulated (Bradley et al, 1998; Logue and Seward, 1999) it turns out that the so-called "point of convergence" is simply the Anglo-American, purely contractarian system. Far from being a point of convergence, this would simply be the imposition of one local system across global markets. To date, recent historical evidence suggests that not only is such an outcome improbable (Kester, 1991; Roe, 1999; Aoki, 2000; Gilson, 2001; Licht 2002) but also that the "transaction cost proof of the universality of shareholder value is, at best, a delusion and at worst a pointless triviality (Fellman and Takei, 2003)." (Library-derived description)Item Cultural influences on the development of marketing strategy for multinational retailers(Southern New Hampshire University, 2005) Sparks, Roland J.; Nugent, Nicholas; Samii, Massood; Fellman, Philip Vos; Spirou, PatriciaThis paper examines the affects of culture on the marketing strategies of multinational retailers. The paper develops a model of nineteen international retail marketing strategy factors and relates them to the five cultural factors of the Hofstede Model. The paper relates three of these factors (breadth of product assortment, retail format, and speed of retailer expansion) to Hofstede's cultural factors and various economic factors. The findings of the paper are: the cultural factors of power distance and individualism, and the economic factor of population are related to the breadth of product assortment; the cultural factors of power distance and masculinity, and the economic factors of GDP and population are related to retail formats; and the cultural factors of power distance and masculinity, and the economic factor population growth are related to the speed of retail expansion. The significant findings of the paper are: the inverse relationship between the cultural factor of individualism and increases in product assortment; and the positive relationship between the cultural factor of power distance and the increased speed of retail expansion. (Author abstract)Item Value implications of emerging market multinationals' cross-border expansion patterns : an analysis of M&As, JVs and SAs(Southern New Hampshire University, 2005) Ficici, Aysun; Bulent, Aybar; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Aliouche, El-HachemiThe objective of this study is to examine the value implications of cross-border expansion patterns of Emerging Market Multinationals (EMMs) and to observe market reaction to these patterns. It primarily focuses on mergers and acquisition (M&A), joint venture (JV) strategic alliance (SA) and announcements that took place during the period of 1991-2003. EMMs considered in this study are listed in UNCTAD's world investment report (2002), as the top 50 non-financial Transnational Corporations (TNCs) from developing economies and the largest 25 non-financial TNCs based in Central and Eastern Europe. This study employs event study and examines a total of 982 international expansion activities entailing 436 (M&As), 387 (JVs) and 159 (SAs) performed by 66 EMMs. The results indicate that market reaction to M&As is generally negative. Hence, EMMs that expand through M&As create little or no value. Similar results are evident for the JVs. SAs seem to generate more positive abnormal returns, but not statistically significant. While Asian and Latin American EMMs' expansions create value for shareholders, Eastern European EMMs' expansions are value destructive. A negative association between size of the acquisition and abnormal returns is illustrated suggesting value destructive impact of larger acquisitions. Acquisitions of SOEs are also value destructive. International experience and familiarity with the target market proved to be insignificant. Good governance is positively associated with cumulative abnormal returns. Diversified EMMs' cross-border acquisitions tend to create value for shareholders; however, hi-tech EMMs' cross-border acquisitions are value destructive. Some target country characteristics have a significant impact on acquiring firms' value creation. While more developed institutional infrastructure and overall level of economic development have positive impact on abnormal returns, geographic and cultural proximity proved to be insignificant. Cross-sectional and logistic regression analyses also support these results. Yet, the impact of all three expansion patterns on the performance of EMMs is positive. The improvement in performance is evident in all three years after the announcement. The performance in the third year surpasses the first two years. It is also indicative from the result that as EMM performance improves with time, multinationality measure decreases - stating a negative relationship between performance and multinationality. (Author abstract)Item Political risk and MNC's location decision - a dynamic perspective(Southern New Hampshire University, 2006) Rajamanickam, Mohana; Samii, Massood; Aybar, Bulent; Dhakar, Tej S.; Fellman, Philip VosThis thesis builds a dynamic modeling tool for analyzing the impact of political risk on the production location decisions of multinational corporations (MNCs). The choice of location by MNCs involves various decisional factors and the time- dependent interactions among them. A sophisticated location analysis has to incorporate these complexities in a holistic perspective. The combined impact of learning and political risk on the location decision was studied in this thesis through computation simulation. The key findings are as follows. a) The cost of operating in a host country increases with increasing political risk. Hence, a country with high political risk receives increasing investment at a later point in time than a country with lower political risk. From a country’s national perspective, FDI policy makers need to focus on reducing the transaction cost due to political risk in order to receive earlier investments .b) An increased rate of learning by MNCs helps to reduce their transaction costs and this helps them expand internationally at an earlier stage compared to a slower learning MNC. A fast learning MNC in a risky environment can outpace a slow learner in terms of lower operating costs and profitability. It thus follows that MNCs need to consider the risk of the host country in combination with their learning capacity when evaluating international production locations. c) If the alternative location choice is a cheaper destination but has high political risk, smaller MNCs cannot gain a cost advantage by investing in such a host country because they lack economies of scale necessary to utilize this potential advantage. It only makes economic sense for large MNCs to move their production locations to riskier countries for cost advantages. Finally, the dynamic methodology employed in this thesis is a novel analytical contribution to the discipline of international business. By altering the variables in the simulation model, various scenario analyses specific to a firm and country can be performed which can be of value for FDI decision makers in a variety of settings including corporate strategy, marketing, finance and economic and social policy. (Author abstract)Item Exchange rate fluctuation and firm value analysis of emerging market multinationals(Southern New Hampshire University, 2006) Thirunavukkarasu, Arul; Aybar, Bulent; White, Charles; Samii, Massood; Fellman, Philip VosThe purpose of this dissertation is to broaden the understanding of exchange rate exposure of Emerging Market Multinationals (EMNCs). It is well known that emerging markets are more risky than the developed markets therefore it was hypothesized that the exchange rate exposure of the EMNCs would be greater than the developed market multinationals (DMNCs). The findings of the thesis are as follows. Using a sample of 212 MNCs from emerging and developed markets it was found that a) More than 60% of the EMNCs and the DMNCs are significantly exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. This finding in is an improvement from the earlier studies in this area where the proportion of exposed firms was thought to be below 25%. b) Analyzing the magnitude of the exposure, EMNCs are 20% more exposed than developed market MNCs. c) On analyzing the direction of the real exchange rate exposure, EMNCs are predominantly positively exposed to the exchange rate risk, i.e., they gain in value with local currency appreciation. Since the EMNCs have significant multinational presence, it is concluded that the positive exposure is a result of presence of foreign currency debt. A direct implications of these findings for the investor community is that EMNCs are more exposed to exchange rate fluctuations than DMNCs. Further in analyzing the EMNCs as investment vehicles, attention has to be given to the level of foreign debt held by EMNCs as this can have direct implications on the firm value. (Author abstract)Item The international photovoltaics industry : an analysis of multinational firm marketing strategies(Southern New Hampshire University, 2008) Allen, Brad; Nugent, Nicholas; Samii, Massood; Vos Fellman, Phillip; McDougall, Duncan C.The photovoltaic energy markets around the world have progressed unevenly, primarily as a result of industry-specific externalities regarding political, environmental, and economic market factors. Photovoltaic technologies present solutions that address the concerns about pollution and long-term energy security attributed to contemporary electrical generation methods. To date, photovoltaic technologies have not met the levels of anticipated electricity contribution on an international basis, even though awareness of global warming and demand for electricity both continue to rise. (Author abstract)Item The impact of country attitudinal brand equity on country financial brand equity : the case of the United States(Southern New Hampshire University, 2009) Harrison, Michael J.; Nugent, Nicholas; Samii, Massood; Fellman, Philip Vos; Hecox, MarkApproaching a country as a brand is growing in importance and significance. The advent of globalization, geopolitical concerns and global environmental issues place nation states in highly visible positions where a country’s brand is a concern for nation state policy makers as well as for the country’s businesses and citizens. Country brand equity derives from firm brand equity and the research similarly follows two major streams; brand equity as an emotional construct (i.e. trust, loyalty, emotional connection) and as a financial construct (i.e. brand value NPV calculations, Tobin’s Q, sales, market share) Recent debate surrounding the brand equity of the United States centers on the impact of attitudes toward the US and their impact on US businesses. The aim of this research is to determine, from a macro country level, if country attitudinal brand equity has an impact on country financial brand equity, and if so, to what extent. Based on in-depth interviews with US International Trade Representatives, and the recent literature on country brands, this study uses Granger Tests of Causality to determine the relationship between country attitudes toward the US and country imports of US goods and US export market share. This study then derives, validates and compares three country brand equity models using Structural Equation Modeling. This dissertation contributes to the marketing literature by advancing our understanding of US country attitudinal brand equity and its impact on US financial brand equity. This research demonstrates that the relationship between country attitudinal brand equity and country financial brand equity is statistically significant and that attitudes toward the US impacts US export market share, yet is the impact on US exports is less certain. Specific recommendations for nation state policy makers, business managers and future areas country brand equity research are also included. (Author abstract)Item Technology spillover and productivity growth under R&D consortia policy(Southern New Hampshire University, 2010) Teekasap, Pard; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Fellman, Philip Vos; Dkahar, TejThis present research studies the effect of the R&D consortia policy on the productivity growth and technology spillover through FDI in the Southeast Asia region using a system dynamics approach Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam are selected as the representative countries in the Southeast Asia region. The R&D consortia policy has not been implemented in these three countries. However, the effect of the R&D consortia policy on the selected countries is examined through the Japanese case which successfully utilizes the R&D consortia policy. The study shows that Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam gain benefits from the R&D consortia policy by having higher productivity. Increase in the country's productivity also improves the average income of the population in that country. By having more income per person, the country can attract more FDI which in turn increases the technology spillover and productivity of the country. Through sensitivity analysis, the country can gain more benefits by shortening the policy implementation duration. However, these benefits are the short-term benefits instead of the long-term benefits. The negative reaction of foreign firms toward the implementation of the R&D consortia policy also shows insignificant effect on the productivity of the country and the GDP per capita although it lowers the level of FDI. The effect of the R&D consortia policy on the improvement of the productivity growth, country's economy, and foreign investment varies due to the economic situation and the risk of the country. The country with mature economy gains more productivity growth but acquires less additional FDI from the policy while the country with a rapidly growing economy receives less benefit in terms of country productivity but acquires more benefits in terms of FDI. The country which is perceived by foreign investors as a high risk country requires a longer period until the effect of the R&D consortia policy on the increase in FDI takes place. (Author abstract)Item Unbundling the supply chain for the international music industry(Southern New Hampshire University, 2010) Renard, Stanislas; Fellman, Philip Vos; Ficici, Aysun; Nugent, Nicholas; Goodrich, Peter SpangThis thesis analyses the international music industry supply chain. The descriptive background presented entails publishing rights, the vertical integration of the historical music industry, the historical position of the artist, and follows the evolution of the digital technology, distributive production, and peer-to-peer file sharing networks in order to build a prescriptive model which addresses the following three research questions. Given the revolution in technology in the music industry where do the Majors fit? What is the positioning of the artist in the new digital technology? And given the change of position of the Majors and the positioning of the artist what are the descriptive and prescriptive possibilities should the Majors disappear and be replaced by alternative elements in the music industry supply chain? The present study considers the Music Industry as the trade of prerecorded music in any format and assumes responsibility regarding the results presented up to July 2009. This thesis considers the four Majors as being part of the Music Industry rather than an absolute representation of the industry itself. Also this dissertation’s primary concern is the bundling and unbundling of the music industry’s supply chain and not the bundling of products within that supply chain. (Author abstract)Item The optimization of energy portfolio management (EPM): Framework and simulation(Southern New Hampshire University, 2011-09) Chang, Yan; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Dhakar, Tej; Ficici, AysunWith the rapid increasing energy needs from all kinds of energy consumers, energy prices have increased dramatically, especially the price for fossil energy. How to lower energy consumption cost, which energy is optimal choice, and how social costs of energy will impact on energy consumption, these questions are addressed in this dissertation via Energy Portfolio Management (EPM) model with framework and simulation. The EPM model is established to find out an optimal energy solution which can provide useful guidance to energy consumers and policymakers about how to select optimal energy portfolio with lower cost and less risk. The conceptual framework presents the methodology of EPM, while EPM simulations demonstrate the selection of optimal energy choices, and further, the impacts of social cost on the optimal energy portfolio in the case of United States. The findings from EPM Simulations fall into three categories: 1)without considering social cost, biomass and coal are optimal choices and should consume at the maximum; 2)considering single social cost, coal and nuclear are favored only if social cost of coal is less than 100% of its private cost or social cost of nuclear is less than 300% of its private cost, otherwise, biomass is optimal; 3)considering all sorts of social costs simultaneously, optimal energy portfolio varies with the level of social cost: with low and central level of social cost, coal and nuclear are preferable due to their stable and lower cost; with high level of social cost, biomass, nuclear and potential natural gas are still favored, however the optimal solution will switch to favor biomass (if social cost of coal is more than 300% of its private cost or social cost of nuclear is 830% more than its private cost.Item The impact of international cross-listings on firm value after the Sarbanes–Oxley Act: Evidence from American depositary receipts(Southern New Hampshire University, 2012-03) Cao, Man Minh; Aybar, Bulent; Samii, Massood; Ficici, Aysun; White, CharlesThe Sarbanes-Oxley Act is formally named the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002. The act is arguably one of the most significant reforms to affect the U.S. stock markets since the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This study compares valuation implications of ADR announcements before and after the introduction of the act. A total of 234 ADR announcements are analyzed over a time frame spanning from 1994 to 2010 by employing event study methodology. Even though several studies attempt to explore the effects of the act on the value of firms issuing American Depository Receipts (ADR), reported results are either negative or positive. The empirical results presented in this study indicate that the impact on ADR issuing firms is not negative. The observed cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) reveal that investors on average positively react to ADR issue announcements during the post Sarbanes-Oxley period. However, empirical results do not lend support for the hypothesis that CARs are significantly different during the two periods analyzed in the study.Item A typology for forecasting nonperforming mortgage loans in the United States, Ireland, China, and Spain(Southern New Hampshire University, 2013) Buzzell, Zuzana P.; Nugent, Nicholas; Samii, Masood; Broaden, Charlotte; Allen, BradItem The effect of firm strategy and corporate performance on software market growth in emerging regions(Southern New Hampshire University, 2013-05) Mertz, Sharon A.; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Broaden, Charlotte; Fixsen, WilliamThe purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of firm strategies and corporate performance on enterprise software market growth in emerging regions. The emerging regions of Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America, currently represent smaller overall markets for software vendors, but exhibit high growth rates and potential for greater opportunity as infrastructures improve, technology adoption accelerates, and firms refine their emerging market strategies. The research analyzes a data set of 102 publicly traded software firms which conduct business in at least one emerging region outside their home country headquarters location, and compares aspects of firm product strategy, go-to-market strategy, delivery models, research and development location investments, and corporate profitability ratios to aggregate emerging market growth rates. Findings indicate that decisions on product strategies (software only versus hardware and software), channel strategies (single vs. multichannel), and delivery models (multiple delivery models vs. SaaS/Cloud computing or on-premise only) are directionally associated with firm growth rates as predicted. Results also suggest that firm size and position within the industry life cycle and technology maturity curve are factors which may firm impact growth rates, and offer opportunities for further research.(Author abstract)Item Incentives for sustainability in the European Union: Analysis of institutional factors, governance issues, and tax policy(2014-03-27) Zilch, Kathleen Byrne; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Ficici, Aysun; Caruso, KarinSustainability and the debate over climate change have become hot topics in the literature and news. Global reactions to the mounting scientific evidence have evolved rapidly in recent years, as an increased sense of urgency has emerged. On September 27, 2013, the IPCC announced that there is a 95% probability that climate change has been caused by humans. This announcement, in conjunction with extreme weather events in recent years, has created even more urgency for policymakers to address climate change issues. Since the EU has been successful in decreasing its GHG emissions, its institutional factors, governance structure, and energy tax policies are examined. Institutional structures vary greatly between developed and developing countries, which may impact the “green-ness” of firms operating within those regions. Previous studies examine institutional factors in both developed and developing nations; however, the literature lacks sufficient research in the area of “green-specific” institutional factors. The “green-ness” of firms in developed versus developing countries is examined. The “greenness” of firms from EU-member nations are also compared to those based in both developed and developing countries. The Newsweek Green Index is tested for significance. Governance issues, specifically agency problems, are abundant in efforts to reduce global carbon emissions. Extensive research has been conducted related to firm-level governance; however, research is lacking in the area of agency issues inherent in global collaboration. Despite the EU’s multilateral governance structure, the EU was one of the few Kyoto members to reach its emissions reduction target for the period ended 2012; however, this could be offset by the inaction of developing countries. Since the EU “green” policies have focused on energy-related emissions, Eurostat’s emission data relative to developing countries (excluding deforestation) is tested. Tax policy is one of many methods which countries can use to reduce GHG emissions. Previous studies have focused on cap and trade as well as international tax competition; however, the literature lacks sufficient research on the effectiveness of the EU’s energy tax policies. This section examines the effectiveness of the 2003 EU Energy Taxation Directive in encouraging “green” activities. Eurostat’s “implicit tax rate on energy” is tested for significance. (Author abstract)Item Internationalization of small and medium sized enterprises and longevity: A study of SMEs from software publishing services industry(2014-05) Ganesan, Vedavinayagam; Massood, Samii; Nugent, Nicholas; Aybar, Bulent; Dhakar, TejInternationalization of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is an increasingly important area in international business research. One of the important discussions in internationalization of SMEs is relationship between internationalization and performance. A considerable amount of literature has been published on this relationship. Performance measures in these studies often include profitability, organization growth and competitiveness. So far, however, there has been little discussion about link between internationalization and longevity or survival of SMEs. Longevity as a measure of performance of internationalization of SMEs combined with other performance measures would give added understanding of internationalization of SMEs. The main purpose of this study, therefore, is to discover relationship between SMEs’ internationalization and their longevity. Despite their inherent vulnerabilities and heightened risks they face during their internationalization, SMEs continue internationalizing. Resource based view theories, location advantage theories and liabilities of foreignness theories can justify this counterintuitive behavior. SMEs’ ability to reap benefits of internationalization using their resources and location advantages improve longevity. Internationalization risks SMEs face are for short period and after these short-term hurdles, liabilities of foreignness decrease, benefits of internationalization overweigh risks and chances of longer survival improve. This study proposes that, all else being equal, internationalization has positive impact on longevity. This study focuses on SMEs from software publishing service industry. The study sample includes 67 USA based active and inactive small and medium sized software firms (SMSFs) existed between 1984 and 2013. Mean, Variation and Trend of degree of internationalization are related to number of years of firms’ existence using multivariate linear regression methodology. This study finds that size of internationalization alone does not have significant impact on longevity of SMSFs. Variation in level of internationalization has significant positive impact on longevity. Considering variations in level of internationalization as result of firms’ pro-active strategic actions, this study suggests that strategic variation rather than the level of internationalization help to improve longevity of SMSFs. This research also finds evidence that short-lived SMSFs spent more on R&D and acquired more assets when compared with long-lived SMSFs and SMSFs improved longevity through mergers and acquisitions. (Author abstract)Item Innovation and firm performance: A comparative study of rapidly developing economies & the European Union(Southern New Hampshire University, 2015-03-31) Caron, Michelle I.; Samii, Massood; Nugent, Nicholas; Dhakar, Tej; Ficici, AysunThis dissertation analyzes the innovation efforts of large, technology-intensive firms as they pertain to firm performance. The research examines two distinct groups of technology intensive firms deriving from countries with opposing stages of economic development and contrasting demographics of their populations: Rapidly Developing Economies (RDEs) and European Union (EU) countries. Technology enables firms to re-imagine their core competencies, improve existing processes, and model improved processes and routines. By understanding the return on investing in innovative pursuits, firms could adapt strategic business models to capture firm growth that has previously been under-developed and secure a competitive advantage. Likewise, local and national government agencies could offer specific incentives to help ensure longevity and sustainability to their position in world markets and identify previously untapped trading partners and strategic alliances. In addition, strategists would be better equipped to support and target R&D initiatives during declines in the market and/or industry. The results are reported according to manufacturing and service industries. The studies indicate that the most profitable firms derive from the service sector versus manufacturing. Custom Computer Programming firms represents the highest profit margins in EU countries and Computer Programming Services represents the highest profit margins for RDE countries. Despite more firms being represented from RDE than the EU, these firms do not spend more than large, technology firms from the EU. Upon investigating which group acquired more patents, it was found that RDE countries have more patents granted than EU countries. In addition, RDEs currently have more high-tech exports as a percentage of manufactured goods per capita than EU countries. The impact of the global recession appeared to have an impact on large, technology-intensive firms in the EU in particular, while a majority of RDE firms have already returned to or have exceeded pre-recession levels. The incorporation date was also examined to determine both the age of firms included in the study, as well as the labor capital of both groups. It was determined that RDE firms included in the study hire significantly more employees than EU firms, and more manufacturing employees were hired than those in the service sector.(Author abstract)Item Knowledge transfer in multinational enterprises: intra-firm and inter-firm perspectives(Southern New Hampshire University, 2016-05-17) Wang, Lingling; Samii, Massood; Ficici, Aysun; Aybar, Bulent; Collins, J. StephanieThis dissertation aims to explore one of the most important aspects of knowledge management, knowledge transfer in multinational enterprises (MNEs). It examines this knowledge transfer process from two distinct perspectives: intra-firm and inter-firm. Intra-firm transfer of knowledge refers to the knowledge flow between headquarters and subsidiaries and inter-firm transfer is defined as the knowledge transfer between partners in international joint-ventures (IJV). Specifically, it attempts to investigate the factors that influence the intra-firm knowledge transfer process and the willingness to share knowledge between partners in IJVs, in order to improve the performance of MNEs. Since willingness to share knowledge between partners is more complex than that between parent and subsidiary due to the difference in ownership structure, if MNEs are able to manage the willingness to share knowledge in IJVs, then dealing with it between parent and a subsidiary should be much easier. To examine intra-firm knowledge transfer, system dynamics (SD) modelling is adopted and simulations demonstrate that both the transmission willingness and capacity, and absorptive willingness and capacity are important for MNEs to enhance its performance, since knowledge transfer is a two-way communication process. In order to reach a win-win situation, both headquarters and subsidiaries should be willing to share knowledge and learn from each other. To improve the effectiveness of knowledge transfer, ways to enhance transmission willingness and absorptive capacity, and cultural factors that influence cross-border communication are explored and discussed. In inter-firm knowledge transfer, most of the research literature examines at the absorptive capacity of recipients of knowledge, but does not examine the willingness to share knowledge. In fact, knowledge will not be effectively and efficiently transferred between partners if only capacity is involved. Therefore, the willingness to share knowledge is equally important in the knowledge transfer process. After a survey of literature, several factors that may influence willingness to share knowledge between partners in IJVs are identified. Then questionnaire was sent out and based on the responses of the survey, three case studies are employed to verify those factors that determine the willingness to share knowledge in IJVs in China. This dissertation attempts to get a better understanding of the intra-firm and inter-firm knowledge transfer in academia and provide some useful insights to practitioners in order to effectively and efficiently manage knowledge in MNEs and enhance firms’ performance, since knowledge is the most important strategic asset that firms possess and is closely related to their sustainable competitive advantage. (Author abstract)Item The obsolescence of patent proxies as country and firm innovation measures(Southern New Hampshire University, 2016-12) Chambers, John G. II; Samii, Massood; Aybar, Bulent; Ficici, Aysun; Nugent, Nicholas; Dhakar, TejStrategic practitioners and business scholars continuously analyze and study competitive advantage through innovation, seeking measurements that provide evidence of cause and effect. As a policy matter and academic matter, the impact of intellectual property rights on innovation is still debated. Despite the argument from authority via some bureaus, institutions and vested interests, who do emphasize some empirical studies, the matter remains unsettled. This would appear perplexing considering the volumes of scholarship surrounding this topic. This dissertation encourages a stepping back and, via refreshed considerations of classical and contemporary international business literature, a baselining of the analysis. A means to balance the holistic with the detailed is necessary; innovation proxies, such as R&D spending or patent activity, are suspect given the fluid nature of innovation. Offering an enhancement to the value chain paradigm, a means to assess innovation as comparative advantage demands respect to the holistic activities of firms and country institutions. Property rights are often employed to show economic growth and innovation; however, property rights require parsing to determine if physical property rights alone are an impetus to innovation without reliance on intellectual property rights. The usage of patent as innovation proxy is challenged in this thesis. Thus, the argument is constructed by viewing multiple, theoretical drivers that effect the firm as well as country-specific institutions. The results indicate that patent protection is not correlated with macro-level views of innovation, and it is not an appropriate proxy for innovation unless confined in the narrowest of scenarios. (Author abstract)