IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/worbus/v50y2015i1p36-45.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exchange rate challenges, flexible intra-firm adjustments, and subsidiary longevity

Author

Listed:
  • Song, Sangcheol

Abstract

We examine how multinational corporations’ (MNCs) foreign subsidiaries enhance their performance through flexible intra-firm adjustments and reduce their exit ratio under exchange rate changes in their host countries. We analyze Korean MNCs where foreign subsidiaries engage in intra-firm sales or purchases of product with counterpart affiliates with opposite price competitiveness. Results show that such subsidiaries can enhance their performance and thereby reduce their exit rates within their host countries. We also find that high host market uncertainty or large subsidiary investment size positively moderates the impact of a subsidiary's performance—enhanced through flexible adjustments through intra-firm trade—on its exit.

Suggested Citation

  • Song, Sangcheol, 2015. "Exchange rate challenges, flexible intra-firm adjustments, and subsidiary longevity," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 36-45.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:50:y:2015:i:1:p:36-45
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2014.01.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090951614000029
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jwb.2014.01.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Linda Allen & Christos Pantzalis, 1996. "Valuation of the operating Flexibility of Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(4), pages 633-653, December.
    2. Chris Changwha Chung & Seung-Hyun Lee & Paul W Beamish & Takehiko Isobe, 2010. "Subsidiary expansion/contraction during times of economic crisis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(3), pages 500-516, April.
    3. Joel A. C. Baum & Tony Calabrese & Brian S. Silverman, 2000. "Don't go it alone: alliance network composition and startups' performance in Canadian biotechnology," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 267-294, March.
    4. L. Felipe Monteiro & Niklas Arvidsson & Julian Birkinshaw, 2008. "Knowledge Flows Within Multinational Corporations: Explaining Subsidiary Isolation and Its Performance Implications," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 90-107, February.
    5. Anna Nadolska & Harry G Barkema, 2007. "Learning to internationalise: the pace and success of foreign acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(7), pages 1170-1186, December.
    6. Seung-Hyun Lee & Mona Makhija, 2009. "The effect of domestic uncertainty on the real options value of international investments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(3), pages 405-420, April.
    7. Christos Pantzalis & Betty J Simkins & Paul A Laux, 2001. "Operational Hedges and the Foreign Exchange Exposure of U.S. Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(4), pages 793-812, December.
    8. Subramanian Rangan, 1998. "Do Multinationals Operate Flexibly? Theory and Evidence," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(2), pages 217-237, June.
    9. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    10. Terza, Joseph V. & Basu, Anirban & Rathouz, Paul J., 2008. "Two-stage residual inclusion estimation: Addressing endogeneity in health econometric modeling," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 531-543, May.
    11. Tailan Chi, 2000. "Option to acquire or divest a joint venture," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 665-687, June.
    12. Dixit, Avinash K, 1989. "Entry and Exit Decisions under Uncertainty," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(3), pages 620-638, June.
    13. René Belderbos & Jianglei Zou, 2009. "Real options and foreign affiliate divestments: A portfolio perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(4), pages 600-620, May.
    14. Prasad Padmanabhan & Kang Rae Cho, 1999. "Decision Specific Experience in Foreign Ownership and Establishment Strategies: Evidence from Japanese Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 25-41, March.
    15. Jean-François Hennart & Dong-Jae Kim & Ming Zeng, 1998. "The Impact of Joint Venture Status on the Longevity of Japanese Stakes in U.S. Manufacturing Affiliates," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 382-395, June.
    16. Johannes Gräb & Jan Priebe, 2009. "Low Malnutrition but High Mortality: Explaining the Paradox of the Lake Victoria Region," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 185, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    17. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    18. Masaaki Kotabe & Janet Y Murray, 1990. "Linking Product and Process Innovations and Modes of International Sourcing in Global Competition: A Case of Foreign Multinational Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 21(3), pages 383-408, September.
    19. Price, T. Jeffrey & Wetzstein, Michael E., 1999. "Irreversible Investment Decisions In Perennial Crops With Yield And Price Uncertainty," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 24(1), pages 1-13, July.
    20. Avinash K. Dixit & Robert S. Pindyck, 1994. "Investment under Uncertainty," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 5474.
    21. Robert McDonald & Daniel Siegel, 1986. "The Value of Waiting to Invest," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(4), pages 707-727.
    22. Guilhem Bascle, 2008. "Controlling for endogeneity with instrumental variables in strategic management research," Post-Print hal-00576795, HAL.
    23. Douglas E. Thomas & Lorraine Eden & Michael A. Hitt & Stewart R. Miller, 2007. "Experience of emerging market firms: The role of cognitive bias in developed market entry and survival," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 845-867, December.
    24. Fisch, Jan Hendrik & Zschoche, Miriam, 2011. "Do firms benefit from multinationality through production shifting?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 143-149, June.
    25. Glenn Hoetker, 2007. "The use of logit and probit models in strategic management research: Critical issues," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 331-343, April.
    26. Seung‐Hyun Lee & Sangcheol Song, 2012. "Host country uncertainty, intra‐MNC production shifts, and subsidiary performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1331-1340, November.
    27. Gabriel R. G. Benito, 2005. "Divestment and international business strategy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 235-251, April.
    28. Patrizia Tiberi Vipraio & Marco Giansoldati, 2010. "On Various Types of Trade," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 52-67, May.
    29. Evan Rawley, 2010. "Diversification, coordination costs, and organizational rigidity: evidence from microdata," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(8), pages 873-891, August.
    30. Newey, Whitney K., 1987. "Efficient estimation of limited dependent variable models with endogenous explanatory variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 231-250, November.
    31. Masaaki Kotabe & Glenn S Omura, 1989. "Sourcing Strategies of European and Japanese Multinationals: A Comparison," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 20(1), pages 113-130, March.
    32. Peter J. Buckley & Mark Casson, 2010. "Analysing Foreign Market Entry Strategies: Extending the Internalisation Approach," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Multinational Enterprise Revisited, chapter 8, pages 177-204, Palgrave Macmillan.
    33. José Mata & Pedro Portugal, 2000. "Closure and divestiture by foreign entrants: the impact of entry and post‐entry strategies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 549-562, May.
    34. Charles Y. Tang & Surinder Tikoo, 1999. "Operational flexibility and market valuation of earnings," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(8), pages 749-761, August.
    35. Bruce Kogut, 1991. "Joint Ventures and the Option to Expand and Acquire," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(1), pages 19-33, January.
    36. Tailan Chi & Donald J McGuire, 1996. "Collaborative Ventures and Value of Learning: Integrating the Transaction Cost and Strategic Option Perspectives on the Choice of Market Entry Modes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(2), pages 285-307, June.
    37. Arnd Huchzermeier & Morris A. Cohen, 1996. "Valuing Operational Flexibility Under Exchange Rate Risk," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 100-113, February.
    38. Kozo Kiyota & Toshiyuki Matsuura & Shujiro Urata, 2008. "EXCHANGE RATE VOLATILITY AND MNCs' PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS: THE CASE OF JAPANESE MANUFACTURING MNCs," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 53(03), pages 523-538.
    39. Sea-Jin Chang & Jay Hyuk Rhee, 2011. "Rapid FDI expansion and firm performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(8), pages 979-994, October.
    40. Richard W. Blundell & Richard J. Smith, 1989. "Estimation in a Class of Simultaneous Equation Limited Dependent Variable Models," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 56(1), pages 37-57.
    41. Avinash Dixit, 1992. "Investment and Hysteresis," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 107-132, Winter.
    42. Stephen R Gates & William G Egelhoff, 1986. "Centralization in Headquarters–Subsidiary Relationships," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(2), pages 71-92, June.
    43. Bruce Kogut & Nalin Kulatilaka, 1994. "Operating Flexibility, Global Manufacturing, and the Option Value of a Multinational Network," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(1), pages 123-139, January.
    44. Ilya RP Cuypers & Xavier Martin, 2010. "What makes and what does not make a real option? A study of equity shares in international joint ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(1), pages 47-69, January.
    45. Lee, Seung-Hyun & Makhija, Mona & Paik, Yongsun, 2008. "The value of real options investments under abnormal uncertainty: The case of the Korean economic crisis," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 16-34, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Spyros Arvanitis & Thomas Bolli & Tobias Stucki, 2017. "In or Out: How Insourcing Foreign Input Production Affects Domestic Production," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 879-907, December.
    2. Arte, Pratik & Larimo, Jorma, 2019. "Taking stock of foreign divestment: Insights and recommendations from three decades of contemporary literature," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 1-1.
    3. Thomas Hutzschenreuter & Philippa-Luisa Harhoff, 2020. "National capital city location and subsidiary portfolio expansion: The negative effect of geographic distance to the capital city at inception on the speed of subsequent investments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(7), pages 1107-1132, September.
    4. Danchi Tan & Weichieh Su & Joseph T. Mahoney & Yasemin Kor, 2020. "A review of research on the growth of multinational enterprises: A Penrosean lens," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 498-537, June.
    5. Sousa, Carlos M.P. & He, Xinming & Lengler, Jorge & Tang, Linhan, 2021. "Foreign market re-entry: A review and future research directions," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(2).
    6. Wang, Yi & Larimo, Jorma, 2020. "Survival of full versus partial acquisitions: The moderating role of firm’s internationalization experience, cultural distance, and host country context characteristics," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    7. Christofi, Michael & Pereira, Vijay & Vrontis, Demetris & Tarba, Shlomo & Thrassou, Alkis, 2021. "Agility and flexibility in international business research: A comprehensive review and future research directions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    8. Obadia, Claude & Bello, Daniel C., 2019. "How to select an export mode without bias," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 171-183.
    9. Qun Tan & Carlos M. P. Sousa, 2019. "Why Poor Performance is Not Enough for a Foreign Exit: The Importance of Innovation Capability and International Experience," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 465-498, June.
    10. Ryan W. Tang & Ying Zhu & Hongbo Cai & Jinrong Han, 2021. "De-internationalization: A Thematic Review and the Directions Forward," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 267-312, June.
    11. He, Xinming & Rizov, Marian & Zhang, Xufei, 2022. "Workforce size adjustment as a strategic response to exchange rate shocks: A strategy-tripod application to Chinese firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 203-213.
    12. Gleich, Wolfgang & Schmeisser, Bjoern & Zschoche, Miriam, 2017. "The influence of competition on international sourcing strategies in the service sector," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 279-287.
    13. Schmid, David & Morschett, Dirk, 2020. "Decades of research on foreign subsidiary divestment: What do we really know about its antecedents?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    14. Schmid, David & Morschett, Dirk, 2023. "Retailers’ foreign market exits over time: A strategic management perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5).
    15. Belderbos, René & De Michiel, Federico & Sleuwaegen, Leo & Wu, Shubin, 2021. "Global market integration, efficiency orientation, and drivers of foreign subsidiary divestments," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    16. Viacheslav Iurkov & Gabriel R G Benito, 2020. "Change in domestic network centrality, uncertainty, and the foreign divestment decisions of firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(5), pages 788-812, July.
    17. Coudounaris, Dafnis N. & Orero-Blat, María & Rodríguez-García, María, 2020. "Three decades of subsidiary exits: Parent firm financial performance and moderators," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 408-422.
    18. Konara, Palitha & Ganotakis, Panagiotis, 2020. "Firm-specific resources and foreign divestments via selloffs: Value is in the eye of the beholder," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 423-434.
    19. Song, Sangcheol, 2022. "Determining investment size and local embeddedness under host market uncertainty and growth rates," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Song, Sangcheol, 2014. "Unfavorable Market Conditions, Institutional and Financial Development, and Exits of Foreign Subsidiaries," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 279-289.
    2. Sangcheol Song, 2014. "Subsidiary Divestment: The Role of Multinational Flexibility," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 47-70, February.
    3. Sangcheol Song & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2017. "Relationship with Headquarters and Divestments of Foreign Subsidiaries: The Hysteresis Perspective," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 545-570, August.
    4. Song, Sangcheol & Lee, Seung-Hyun & Makhija, Mona, 2015. "Operational hedging in foreign direct investments under volatile and divergent exchange rates across countries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 548-557.
    5. Sangcheol Song, 2013. "FDI Structure, Investment Specificity, and Multinationality Value under Host Market Uncertainty," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(6), pages 795-817, December.
    6. Song, Sangcheol, 2022. "Determining investment size and local embeddedness under host market uncertainty and growth rates," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2).
    7. Sangcheol Song, 2015. "Inter-Country Exchange Rates and Intra-Firm Trade Flow Within Global Network of Multinational Corporations," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Sangcheol Song, 2017. "Ownership Increase in International Joint Ventures: The Within- and Across-Country Flexibility Perspective," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 93-120, February.
    9. Song, Sangcheol, 2021. "Do in-network ties help in lowering subsidiary divestment rates under environmental challenges?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 257-265.
    10. Sangcheol Song, 2014. "Entry mode irreversibility, host market uncertainty, and foreign subsidiary exits," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 455-471, June.
    11. Tailan Chi & Jing Li & Lenos G Trigeorgis & Andrianos E Tsekrekos, 2019. "Real options theory in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 525-553, June.
    12. Chris Changwha Chung & Seung-Hyun Lee & Jeoung-Yul Lee, 2013. "Dual-Option Subsidiaries and Exit Decisions During Times of Economic Crisis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 555-577, August.
    13. Song, Sangcheol, 2021. "When do multinational corporations adjust production volume flexibly among in-network subsidiaries?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 532-542.
    14. Song, Sangcheol, 2020. "Actualization of growth potential in international joint ventures: The moderating effects of localization strategies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    15. Song, Sangcheol, 2023. "Multinational operational flexibility, within-network redundancy, and downside risks and divestment rates of international investments," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(1).
    16. Song, Sangcheol, 2023. "Portfolio ownership, production shifts, and downside risks: Evidence from Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    17. Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen & Lenos Trigeorgis & Jeffrey J. Reuer, 2017. "Real options theory in strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 42-63, January.
    18. Sangcheol Song, 2014. "Value and Cost of Multinationality: International Diversification and Real Options Effects," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 8(5), pages 115-125.
    19. Lee, Hyoungjin & Chung, Chris Changwha, 2022. "Go small or go home: Operational exposure to violent conflicts and foreign subsidiary exit," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    20. Li, Yong & James, Barclay & Madhavan, Ravi & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2006. "Real Options: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead," Working Papers 06-0114, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:50:y:2015:i:1:p:36-45. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620401/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.