This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Due to the dispersion of headquarters’ activities across organizational and geographical boundaries, intermediate units (IUs) are emerging as a key actor of international business. IUs are intermediate structural layers between headquarters (HQ) and local subsidiaries with specific HQ responsibilities. Our study relies on original data of 67 IUs and, taking on a Resource Dependence approach, explores empirically the two HQ roles attributed to IUs: coordinative versus entrepreneurial. According to our results, the main differences between both roles relate to external network embeddedness, internal network position and autonomy. We argue that these differences arise from the dominant sources of power in each role. These findings have significant relevance for theory development and managerial practice as we provide a starting point for understanding the dispersion of complex HQ systems as well as how those systems are discharged and add value.
José Pla-Barber; Ana Botella-Andreu; Cristina Villar. Intermediate units in multinational corporations: A resource dependency view on coordinative versus entrepreneurial roles. International Business Review 2020, 30, 101773 .
AMA StyleJosé Pla-Barber, Ana Botella-Andreu, Cristina Villar. Intermediate units in multinational corporations: A resource dependency view on coordinative versus entrepreneurial roles. International Business Review. 2020; 30 (1):101773.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Pla-Barber; Ana Botella-Andreu; Cristina Villar. 2020. "Intermediate units in multinational corporations: A resource dependency view on coordinative versus entrepreneurial roles." International Business Review 30, no. 1: 101773.
The goal of this study is to provide a model of high-performing small and medium-sized companies to address the new environmental challenges in traditional manufacturing industries. Adopting a configurational logic and following an inductive approach based on four high-performing firms, this paper provides new empirical evidence on how the steps followed by these firms are adjusted to the high-performance models prescribed by the literature. In doing so, it also offers a dynamic view of the interrelationships between the strategy and the new conditions of the environment. At a practitioner level, the paper illustrates which recipes are more appropriate to prescribe recommendations for a more robust model that reinforces competitiveness in these industries. This research suggests that competitive success in traditional manufacturing industries requires movement along five complementary and interlinked strategic-development axes: the use of cooperation agreements, the combination of local and international manufacturing, the greater control of the distribution channel, the sale of customized products, and an increasing concern for sustainability.
José Pla-Barber; Cristina Villar; German Benito-Sarriá. Configurational Theory in Traditional Manufacturing Industries: A New Model of High-Performing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6818 .
AMA StyleJosé Pla-Barber, Cristina Villar, German Benito-Sarriá. Configurational Theory in Traditional Manufacturing Industries: A New Model of High-Performing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (17):6818.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Pla-Barber; Cristina Villar; German Benito-Sarriá. 2020. "Configurational Theory in Traditional Manufacturing Industries: A New Model of High-Performing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises." Sustainability 12, no. 17: 6818.
The aim of this chapter is to examine the profile of high-performing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Traditional Manufacturing Sectors (TMSs). The authors main contribution is to provide recommendations and benchmarks for prescribing a more robust model of internationalisation in these industries by specifying the types of internationalisation and innovation that better reinforce competitiveness. Our results, based on a sample of 132 SMEs, show that high-performing SMEs make more intense use of advanced operation modes that imply a closer interaction with the host country to access knowledge diversity, skills and work available in those markets. Moreover, compared to low-performing SMEs, and independently of their size and experience, these firms use a wide set of networking and marketing capabilities and develop innovations based on organisational changes that help to create new business models. After a number of years of forced adjustment and adaptation to a globalised context, the new model of high-performing SME in TMS could help to improve the global positioning of these firms in the long term.
Cristina Villar; José Pla-Barber. Chapter 5: The High-Performing SMEs in Traditional Manufacturing Sectors: Innovation and Foreign Operation Modes. International Business and Management 2018, 81 -96.
AMA StyleCristina Villar, José Pla-Barber. Chapter 5: The High-Performing SMEs in Traditional Manufacturing Sectors: Innovation and Foreign Operation Modes. International Business and Management. 2018; ():81-96.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Villar; José Pla-Barber. 2018. "Chapter 5: The High-Performing SMEs in Traditional Manufacturing Sectors: Innovation and Foreign Operation Modes." International Business and Management , no. : 81-96.
We analyze a novel way to configure and manage multinational networks and propose a model of "co-parenting", characterized by the sharing of parenting roles and distribution of responsibilities between two units. We develop our argument around the notion of the springboard subsidiary, an operating subsidiary which assumes headquarters’ functions since it shares greater institutional closeness with both the headquarters’ country as well as with the host region. Based upon qualitative data, our inductive model revolves around three stages: establishment, consolidation and maturity, each of which reflects distinct roles and loci of decision making among the three actors involved: headquarters, springboard subsidiary and local subsidiary. Overall, our study sheds distinct light on when and how headquarters add value by matching parenting to context. In expanding across regions, multinational firms often face a situation where neither the local unit nor the corporate headquarters possesses the competencies to be at the competitive forefront. This article analyses a model of interregional expansion of multinational firms by using springboard subsidiaries, these being operating subsidiaries that can serve as a bridge between headquarters and local subsidiaries since they share institutional and business ties with both. We develop a model in which some parenting functions ---coordination, control and knowledge creation---are distributed between headquarters and the springboard subsidiary along an accumulative process of capabilities. By demonstrating how a springboard subsidiary can help to align control to context, the model offers a tool for strategic analysis that helps avoid potential value destruction by headquarters.
Jose Pla Barber; Cristina Villar; Anoop Madhok. Co‐parenting through subsidiaries: A model of value creation in the multinational firm. Global Strategy Journal 2017, 8, 536 -562.
AMA StyleJose Pla Barber, Cristina Villar, Anoop Madhok. Co‐parenting through subsidiaries: A model of value creation in the multinational firm. Global Strategy Journal. 2017; 8 (4):536-562.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Pla Barber; Cristina Villar; Anoop Madhok. 2017. "Co‐parenting through subsidiaries: A model of value creation in the multinational firm." Global Strategy Journal 8, no. 4: 536-562.
Prior research has established the pivotal role of bilateral norms in relationship marketing, identifying them as effective relational governance mechanisms that firms can use to manage their international alliances with overseas intermediaries. Unfortunately, few studies have examined differential effects of specific norms on positive and negative behaviors, let alone norms’ effectiveness in the harsh export context of resource-constrained small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address these gaps, the authors explicate the effects of three norms (continuity expectations, equity, and cooperation) on both dysfunctional and productive behaviors of foreign distributors. Using two consecutive data collections, the results indicate that norms curb importer opportunism and help improve importer role performance and that continuity expectations and cooperation increase the chances of the survival of export ventures. The study further scrutinizes relational norms’ effects on opportunism in the context of exporting SMEs’ realities and tests relevant moderating effects. The findings indicate that while exporter dependence reduces the shielding effect of norms against opportunism, psychic distance and competitive intensity strengthen the protecting effect of relational norms. The results of this study underscore the heterogeneous nature of relational norms and suggest that norms such as continuity expectations play a leading role in structuring the ideology of a business dyad.
Claude Obadia; Irena Vida; Jose Pla Barber. Differential Effects of Bilateral Norms on SMEs’ Export Relationships: A Dynamic Perspective. Journal of International Marketing 2017, 25, 21 -41.
AMA StyleClaude Obadia, Irena Vida, Jose Pla Barber. Differential Effects of Bilateral Norms on SMEs’ Export Relationships: A Dynamic Perspective. Journal of International Marketing. 2017; 25 (3):21-41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClaude Obadia; Irena Vida; Jose Pla Barber. 2017. "Differential Effects of Bilateral Norms on SMEs’ Export Relationships: A Dynamic Perspective." Journal of International Marketing 25, no. 3: 21-41.
Jose Pla-Barber; Cristina Villar; Anoop Madhok. Co-Parenting: A Model of Value Creation in the Multinational Network. SSRN Electronic Journal 2017, 1 .
AMA StyleJose Pla-Barber, Cristina Villar, Anoop Madhok. Co-Parenting: A Model of Value Creation in the Multinational Network. SSRN Electronic Journal. 2017; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Pla-Barber; Cristina Villar; Anoop Madhok. 2017. "Co-Parenting: A Model of Value Creation in the Multinational Network." SSRN Electronic Journal , no. : 1.
This paper provides a microeconometric analysis of the distinctive characteristics of springboard subsidiaries that have a positive impact on the subsidiaries’ performance. Based on panel data estimations for subsidiaries of European multinational companies with a presence in Spain, the authors found that if the subsidiary is located in the springboard country, then the performance improvement (increase in profit margin) of the subsidiary is about 49 percentage points. When the Spanish subsidiary is considered a springboard subsidiary, its performance is 7.7 percentage points higher than the performance of other subsidiaries that are not springboard subsidiaries. If the subsidiary has a technological relationship with another subsidiary, its performance is 6.7 percentage points higher than the performance of other subsidiaries that do not have a technological relationship. Finally, when the firm has low autonomy, the performance of the subsidiary is 6.2 percentage points lower than that of firms that are independent or have a high level of autonomy.
Carolina Caicedo Marulanda; Jose Pla Barber; Fidel León-Darder; Jhon James Mora Rodríguez. A Microeconometric Analysis of the Springboard Subsidiary: The Case of Spanish Firms. Economics 2015, 9, 1 .
AMA StyleCarolina Caicedo Marulanda, Jose Pla Barber, Fidel León-Darder, Jhon James Mora Rodríguez. A Microeconometric Analysis of the Springboard Subsidiary: The Case of Spanish Firms. Economics. 2015; 9 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarolina Caicedo Marulanda; Jose Pla Barber; Fidel León-Darder; Jhon James Mora Rodríguez. 2015. "A Microeconometric Analysis of the Springboard Subsidiary: The Case of Spanish Firms." Economics 9, no. 1: 1.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address foreign market entry mode as a way to enhance firm’s knowledge base, providing new insights into traditional explanations of entry mode choice for soft services. The authors offer an alternative knowledge-based approach to assess foreign investment decisions by considering the role of resource-augmenting (direct investment) and resource-exploiting strategies (licenses). In addition, the authors untie the type of experiential knowledge, i.e., host country and mode experience, to analyze its interactions with environmental uncertainties such as cultural distance. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a customized database of the Spanish Global Hotel industry covering practically all foreign entries until 2012, the authors use regression analysis to test the proposal. Findings – The authors demonstrate how in hotel chains (a) cultural distance influences the use of high resource-augmenting modes, due to both the difficulties in transferring the knowledge to third parties but also the imperative need of learning from local markets and (b) how strong brands tend to use resource-augmenting modes in their first steps abroad as a strategy to achieve a minimum level of resource basis to exploit it in a later stage. Originality/value – The findings question the appropriateness of prior assumptions from traditional internationalization process theories for soft services MNE and provide an alternative approach to assess entry mode choice in this context.
Jose Pla Barber; Cristina Villar; Fidel León-Darder. Augmenting versus exploiting entry modes in soft services. International Marketing Review 2014, 31, 621 -636.
AMA StyleJose Pla Barber, Cristina Villar, Fidel León-Darder. Augmenting versus exploiting entry modes in soft services. International Marketing Review. 2014; 31 (6):621-636.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Pla Barber; Cristina Villar; Fidel León-Darder. 2014. "Augmenting versus exploiting entry modes in soft services." International Marketing Review 31, no. 6: 621-636.
The offshoring of more advanced activities is increasing and a debate about the limits of offshoring has emerged. Companies are fine-slicing their value chains, and moving beyond the offshoring of peripheral and non-core activities to the offshoring of advanced and essential activities that are closer to their core (e.g. research, design and product development). The challenge is to understand the limits of offshoring and the most appropriate modes of offshoring. The purpose of this paper is to analyze what activities are offshorable and how best to govern offshored activities. We argue that companies are redefining their core activities and in this process, some essential activities previously viewed as core activities are being detached from the core, and they become more offshorable.
Esmeralda Linares-Navarro; Torben Pedersen; Jose Pla Barber. FINE SLICING OF THE VALUE CHAIN AND OFFSHORING OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN MULTINATIONALS. Journal of Business Economics and Management 2014, 15, 111 -134.
AMA StyleEsmeralda Linares-Navarro, Torben Pedersen, Jose Pla Barber. FINE SLICING OF THE VALUE CHAIN AND OFFSHORING OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN MULTINATIONALS. Journal of Business Economics and Management. 2014; 15 (1):111-134.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEsmeralda Linares-Navarro; Torben Pedersen; Jose Pla Barber. 2014. "FINE SLICING OF THE VALUE CHAIN AND OFFSHORING OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN MULTINATIONALS." Journal of Business Economics and Management 15, no. 1: 111-134.
Cristina Villar; Joaquin Alegre; Jose Pla Barber. Exploring the role of knowledge management practices on exports: A dynamic capabilities view. International Business Review 2014, 23, 38 -44.
AMA StyleCristina Villar, Joaquin Alegre, Jose Pla Barber. Exploring the role of knowledge management practices on exports: A dynamic capabilities view. International Business Review. 2014; 23 (1):38-44.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Villar; Joaquin Alegre; Jose Pla Barber. 2014. "Exploring the role of knowledge management practices on exports: A dynamic capabilities view." International Business Review 23, no. 1: 38-44.
Jose Pla Barber; Joaquin Alegre. The role of knowledge and learning in internationalization. International Business Review 2014, 23, 1 -3.
AMA StyleJose Pla Barber, Joaquin Alegre. The role of knowledge and learning in internationalization. International Business Review. 2014; 23 (1):1-3.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Pla Barber; Joaquin Alegre. 2014. "The role of knowledge and learning in internationalization." International Business Review 23, no. 1: 1-3.
Is the societal-level of analysis sufficient today to understand the values of those in the global workforce? Or are individual-level analyses more appropriate for assessing the influence of values on ethical behaviors across country workforces? Using multi-level analyses for a 48-society sample, we test the utility of both the societal-level and individual-level dimensions of collectivism and individualism values for predicting ethical behaviors of business professionals. Our values-based behavioral analysis indicates that values at the individual-level make a more significant contribution to explaining variance in ethical behaviors than do values at the societal-level. Implicitly, our findings question the soundness of using societal-level values measures. Implications for international business research are discussed.
David A. Ralston; Carolyn P. Egri; Olivier Furrer; Min-Hsun Kuo; Yongjuan Li; Florian Wangenheim; Marina Dabic; Irina Naoumova; Katsuhiko Shimizu; María Teresa De La Garza Carranza; Ping Ping Fu; Vojko V. Potocan; Andre Pekerti; Tomasz Lenartowicz; Narasimhan Srinivasan; Tania Casado; Ana Maria Rossi; Erna Szabó; Arif Butt; Ian Palmer; Prem Ramburuth; David M. Brock; Jane Terpstra-Tong; Ilya Grison; Emmanuelle Reynaud; Malika Richards; Philip Hallinger; Francisco B. Castro; Jaime Ruiz-Gutiérrez; Laurie Milton; Mahfooz Ansari; Arunas Starkus; Audra Mockaitis; Tevfik Dalgic; Fidel León-Darder; Hung Vu Thanh; Yong-Lin Moon; Mario Molteni; Yongqing Fang; José Pla-Barber; Ruth Alas; Isabelle Maignan; Jorge C. Jesuino; Chay-Hoon Lee; Joel D. Nicholson; Ho-Beng Chia; Wade Danis; Ajantha S. Dharmasiri; Mark Weber. Societal-Level Versus Individual-Level Predictions of Ethical Behavior: A 48-Society Study of Collectivism and Individualism. Journal of Business Ethics 2013, 122, 283 -306.
AMA StyleDavid A. Ralston, Carolyn P. Egri, Olivier Furrer, Min-Hsun Kuo, Yongjuan Li, Florian Wangenheim, Marina Dabic, Irina Naoumova, Katsuhiko Shimizu, María Teresa De La Garza Carranza, Ping Ping Fu, Vojko V. Potocan, Andre Pekerti, Tomasz Lenartowicz, Narasimhan Srinivasan, Tania Casado, Ana Maria Rossi, Erna Szabó, Arif Butt, Ian Palmer, Prem Ramburuth, David M. Brock, Jane Terpstra-Tong, Ilya Grison, Emmanuelle Reynaud, Malika Richards, Philip Hallinger, Francisco B. Castro, Jaime Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Laurie Milton, Mahfooz Ansari, Arunas Starkus, Audra Mockaitis, Tevfik Dalgic, Fidel León-Darder, Hung Vu Thanh, Yong-Lin Moon, Mario Molteni, Yongqing Fang, José Pla-Barber, Ruth Alas, Isabelle Maignan, Jorge C. Jesuino, Chay-Hoon Lee, Joel D. Nicholson, Ho-Beng Chia, Wade Danis, Ajantha S. Dharmasiri, Mark Weber. Societal-Level Versus Individual-Level Predictions of Ethical Behavior: A 48-Society Study of Collectivism and Individualism. Journal of Business Ethics. 2013; 122 (2):283-306.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid A. Ralston; Carolyn P. Egri; Olivier Furrer; Min-Hsun Kuo; Yongjuan Li; Florian Wangenheim; Marina Dabic; Irina Naoumova; Katsuhiko Shimizu; María Teresa De La Garza Carranza; Ping Ping Fu; Vojko V. Potocan; Andre Pekerti; Tomasz Lenartowicz; Narasimhan Srinivasan; Tania Casado; Ana Maria Rossi; Erna Szabó; Arif Butt; Ian Palmer; Prem Ramburuth; David M. Brock; Jane Terpstra-Tong; Ilya Grison; Emmanuelle Reynaud; Malika Richards; Philip Hallinger; Francisco B. Castro; Jaime Ruiz-Gutiérrez; Laurie Milton; Mahfooz Ansari; Arunas Starkus; Audra Mockaitis; Tevfik Dalgic; Fidel León-Darder; Hung Vu Thanh; Yong-Lin Moon; Mario Molteni; Yongqing Fang; José Pla-Barber; Ruth Alas; Isabelle Maignan; Jorge C. Jesuino; Chay-Hoon Lee; Joel D. Nicholson; Ho-Beng Chia; Wade Danis; Ajantha S. Dharmasiri; Mark Weber. 2013. "Societal-Level Versus Individual-Level Predictions of Ethical Behavior: A 48-Society Study of Collectivism and Individualism." Journal of Business Ethics 122, no. 2: 283-306.
Este artículo dota de contenido teórico a los conceptos de país trampolín y filial trampolín. Una realidad en las relaciones España-Latinoamérica que, pese a estar continuamente presente en la agenda política y diplomática, no ha sido analizada desde el punto de vista de la investigación en dirección de empresas. La filial trampolín se configura como una innovación organizativa que permite capitalizar las ventajas del país trampolín en la mejora de la eficiencia de las estrategias de internacionalización de la empresa europea en Latinoamérica.
Jose Pla Barber. La filial trampolín: una innovación organizativa en la internacionalización de la empresa europea en Latinoamérica. Estudios Gerenciales 2012, 13 -25.
AMA StyleJose Pla Barber. La filial trampolín: una innovación organizativa en la internacionalización de la empresa europea en Latinoamérica. Estudios Gerenciales. 2012; ():13-25.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Pla Barber. 2012. "La filial trampolín: una innovación organizativa en la internacionalización de la empresa europea en Latinoamérica." Estudios Gerenciales , no. : 13-25.
The hypothesis that managerial characteristics which facilitate the organisational learning process can provide firms with a basis for competitive advantage has received a great deal of attention. While there is evidence that organisational learning affects export intensity, we argue that intermediate variables, such as innovation, should be used in order to evaluate its impact in organisations. This study shows that firms with a higher organisational learning capability tend to be more innovative, and for this reason, they are more likely to export a higher share of their production. From a longitudinal perspective, we use structural equation modeling on a database from Italian and Spanish ceramic tile producers, worldwide leaders in terms of technology. The database combines primary and secondary data. The results support our theoretical conjectures. Findings improve our understanding of the antecedents of export intensity and are related to previous research.
Joaquín Alegre; Jose Pla Barber; Ricardo Chiva; Cristina Villar. Organisational learning capability, product innovation performance and export intensity. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 2012, 24, 511 -526.
AMA StyleJoaquín Alegre, Jose Pla Barber, Ricardo Chiva, Cristina Villar. Organisational learning capability, product innovation performance and export intensity. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. 2012; 24 (5):511-526.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoaquín Alegre; Jose Pla Barber; Ricardo Chiva; Cristina Villar. 2012. "Organisational learning capability, product innovation performance and export intensity." Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 24, no. 5: 511-526.
Although a considerable amount of research has explored the entry mode choice, results regarding the direct influence of some variables on the entry mode choice evince a lack of a clear consistency. By introducing the moderator effect of the nature of the services being provided by the firm, we explain some of these inconclusive results. We use a comprehensive database on the Spanish hotel industry which covers nearly all the operations carried out by the majority of Spanish hotel chains up to 2011. We found that both intangibility and complexity of the services offered by the hotel moderate the relationship between environmental uncertainties and entry mode choice by increasing the propensity to use greater commitment entry modes when faced with conditions of country risk and cultural uncertainty.
Cristina Villar; Jose Pla Barber; Fidel León-Darder. Service characteristics as moderators of the entry mode choice: empirical evidence in the hotel industry. The Service Industries Journal 2012, 32, 1137 -1148.
AMA StyleCristina Villar, Jose Pla Barber, Fidel León-Darder. Service characteristics as moderators of the entry mode choice: empirical evidence in the hotel industry. The Service Industries Journal. 2012; 32 (7):1137-1148.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Villar; Jose Pla Barber; Fidel León-Darder. 2012. "Service characteristics as moderators of the entry mode choice: empirical evidence in the hotel industry." The Service Industries Journal 32, no. 7: 1137-1148.
José Pla-Barber; Pervez N. Ghauri. Internationalization of service industry firms: understanding distinctive characteristics. The Service Industries Journal 2012, 32, 1007 -1010.
AMA StyleJosé Pla-Barber, Pervez N. Ghauri. Internationalization of service industry firms: understanding distinctive characteristics. The Service Industries Journal. 2012; 32 (7):1007-1010.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Pla-Barber; Pervez N. Ghauri. 2012. "Internationalization of service industry firms: understanding distinctive characteristics." The Service Industries Journal 32, no. 7: 1007-1010.
This paper contributes to improve our knowledge on the important role of product innovation in export strategy by introducing the moderating effects of organizational variables. We argue that in a medium knowledge-intensive industry, these variables might strengthen the relationship between innovations and exports. Research on innovation and export strategy has addressed these issues increasingly during last decades; however, the divergence on the empirical approaches difficult the understanding of the linkages among variables, which are highly dependent on the industry technological characteristics. We carry out a time-lagged study using the literature-based innovation output (LBIO) method to account for product innovations and its degree of complexity during the period from 2000 to 2007. Our results evidence that, when considering the moderating role of size and experience, the influence of innovations on exports becomes stronger. Important implications for researchers, managers and policy makers arise from these findings.
Cristina Villar; Jose Pla Barber; Joaquín Alegre. Unravelling the moderating effects of size and experience on product innovations and exports: a study in a medium knowledge-intensive industry. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 2012, 24, 219 -238.
AMA StyleCristina Villar, Jose Pla Barber, Joaquín Alegre. Unravelling the moderating effects of size and experience on product innovations and exports: a study in a medium knowledge-intensive industry. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. 2012; 24 (2):219-238.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Villar; Jose Pla Barber; Joaquín Alegre. 2012. "Unravelling the moderating effects of size and experience on product innovations and exports: a study in a medium knowledge-intensive industry." Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 24, no. 2: 219-238.
European multinational corporations are increasingly recognizing the value that their Spanish subsidiaries can offer in their Latin American operations. In essence, Spain can potentially function as a springboard into Latin America as part of multinational firms’ strategy. By elaborating on the role and functioning of what we have called a ‘springboard subsidiary’ and a ‘springboard strategy’, we seek to provide an appropriate theoretical framework to better understand this emerging phenomenon. We consider that springboarding is embedded in the economic geography literature that tries to answer the key issue of how global corporations manage their subsidiaries outside their home regions. It also draws on the recently developed multinational regionalization theory.
José Pla-Barber; Joaquín Camps. Springboarding: a new geographical landscape for European foreign investment in Latin America. Journal of Economic Geography 2011, 12, 519 -538.
AMA StyleJosé Pla-Barber, Joaquín Camps. Springboarding: a new geographical landscape for European foreign investment in Latin America. Journal of Economic Geography. 2011; 12 (2):519-538.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Pla-Barber; Joaquín Camps. 2011. "Springboarding: a new geographical landscape for European foreign investment in Latin America." Journal of Economic Geography 12, no. 2: 519-538.
This article addresses the internationalization of soft-services. These types of services require major local presence than other industries as production and consumption occur simultaneously. In particular, the study attempts to analyze those factors that might influence the entry mode choice and reflect the specific nature of the hotel industry, which shows an important increase of their operations overseas in recent years. Based on a sample composed of more than 1,200 entry operations in the Spanish hotel industry, our results suggest that determinant factors of entry mode choice in manufacturing firms cannot be directly transferred to the internationalization of soft-services firms. Some variables which were generally analyzed as determinant factors of control decisions in the manufacturing sector are not significant or present different results in the hotel industry. Moreover, this study enhances knowledge on internationalization based on countries other than the most developed.
José Pla-Barber; Fidel León-Darder; Cristina Villar. The internationalization of soft-services: entry modes and main determinants in the Spanish hotel industry. Service Business 2011, 5, 139 -154.
AMA StyleJosé Pla-Barber, Fidel León-Darder, Cristina Villar. The internationalization of soft-services: entry modes and main determinants in the Spanish hotel industry. Service Business. 2011; 5 (2):139-154.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Pla-Barber; Fidel León-Darder; Cristina Villar. 2011. "The internationalization of soft-services: entry modes and main determinants in the Spanish hotel industry." Service Business 5, no. 2: 139-154.
This paper empirically investigates the entry mode choice in the hotel industry. Based on more than 1200 entry decisions, which covers practically all operations carried out by the majority of Spanish hotel chains up to 2009, the study attempts to (a) identify the factors that influence the mode choice of incorporating each new hotel within the chain and (b) to reflect the specific nature of the hotel industry with regard to the results obtained from samples of other industries. The results suggest the importance of considering a holistic approach that facilitates the understanding of a complex phenomenon which is not always explained just by efficiency considerations. Additionally, the results show that some arguments used in manufacturing firms cannot be directly transferred to the hotel industry because unique characteristics of these special services condition the entry mode choice into international markets.
Fidel León-Darder; Cristina Villar-García; José Pla-Barber. Entry mode choice in the internationalisation of the hotel industry: a holistic approach. The Service Industries Journal 2011, 31, 107 -122.
AMA StyleFidel León-Darder, Cristina Villar-García, José Pla-Barber. Entry mode choice in the internationalisation of the hotel industry: a holistic approach. The Service Industries Journal. 2011; 31 (1):107-122.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFidel León-Darder; Cristina Villar-García; José Pla-Barber. 2011. "Entry mode choice in the internationalisation of the hotel industry: a holistic approach." The Service Industries Journal 31, no. 1: 107-122.