IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i7p2384-d156996.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of Inter-Partner Trust on Third-Country Relocation of International Joint Ventures in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yong-Sik Hwang

    (School of Business, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea)

  • Kidong Kim

    (Korea Fire Facility Association, Seoul 06694, Korea)

Abstract

This study explores how inter-partner trust in international joint ventures (IJV) affects third country relocation decisions as foreign partners face an uncertain business environment in China due to wage increases and competition from local companies intensifies. As the concept of third-country relocation is relatively new compared to other international business concepts, it is crucial to find a solid framework that can explain this phenomenon. A study of 232 Korean IJVs operating in China was used to assess the relationship between inter-partner trust and third-country relocation intention. Also, we measured moderating variables that strengthen (plant performance, asset specificity, coercive pressure) and weaken (mimetic pressure and normative pressure) the negative relationship between trust and third-country relocation intention. The main effect and interaction effects were significant in showing that inter-partner trust hinders decisions on IJV’s third-country relocation. In addition, the results show that trust and third-country relocation relationship interact with other moderating variables. In conclusion, our study suggests that foreign IJVs should explore various aspects such as inter-partner relationships and internal and institutional factors before making decisions on IJV relocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Yong-Sik Hwang & Kidong Kim, 2018. "The Effects of Inter-Partner Trust on Third-Country Relocation of International Joint Ventures in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2384-:d:156996
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2384/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2384/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Manning, Stephan, 2014. "Mitigate, tolerate or relocate? Offshoring challenges, strategic imperatives and resource constraints," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 522-535.
    2. Steve Werner & Lance Eliot Brouthers & Keith D Brouthers, 1996. "International Risk and Perceived Environmental Uncertainty: The Dimensionality and Internal Consistency of Miller's Measure," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(3), pages 571-587, September.
    3. Boersma, Margreet F. & Buckley, Peter J. & Ghauri, Pervez N., 2003. "Trust in international joint venture relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(12), pages 1031-1042, December.
    4. Steven Tadelis & Oliver E.Williamson, 2012. "Transaction Cost Economics [The Handbook of Organizational Economics]," Introductory Chapters,, Princeton University Press.
    5. Ancarani, Alessandro & Di Mauro, Carmela & Fratocchi, Luciano & Orzes, Guido & Sartor, Marco, 2015. "Prior to reshoring: A duration analysis of foreign manufacturing ventures," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 141-155.
    6. Jolanda Hessels & Siri Terjesen, 2010. "Resource dependency and institutional theory perspectives on direct and indirect export choices," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 203-220, February.
    7. Cheng, Hsiang-Lin & Yu, Chow-Ming Joseph, 2008. "Institutional pressures and initiation of internationalization: Evidence from Taiwanese small- and medium-sized enterprises," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 331-348, June.
    8. Ash Amin, 1999. "An Institutionalist Perspective on Regional Economic Development," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 365-378, June.
    9. Lui, Steven S. & Wong, Yin-yee & Liu, Weiping, 2009. "Asset specificity roles in interfirm cooperation: Reducing opportunistic behavior or increasing cooperative behavior?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(11), pages 1214-1219, November.
    10. Henk W. Volberda & Arie Y. Lewin, 2003. "Co‐evolutionary Dynamics Within and Between Firms: From Evolution to Co‐evolution," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(8), pages 2111-2136, December.
    11. Daphne Yiu & Shige Makino, 2002. "The Choice Between Joint Venture and Wholly Owned Subsidiary: An Institutional Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 667-683, December.
    12. Mike W Peng & Denis Y L Wang & Yi Jiang, 2008. "An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 920-936, July.
    13. Raymond Vernon, 1966. "International Investment and International Trade in the Product Cycle," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(2), pages 190-207.
    14. Aleid E. Brouwer & Ilaria Mariotti & Jos N. van Ommeren, 2004. "The firm relocation decision: An empirical investigation," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 38(2), pages 335-347, June.
    15. Srilata Zaheer & Akbar Zaheer, 2006. "Trust across borders," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(1), pages 21-29, January.
    16. William H Davidson, 1980. "The Location of Foreign Direct Investment Activity: Country Characteristics and Experience Effects," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 11(2), pages 9-22, June.
    17. Anoop Madhok & Stephen B. Tallman, 1998. "Resources, Transactions and Rents: Managing Value Through Interfirm Collaborative Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 326-339, June.
    18. Jonas F Puck & Dirk Holtbrügge & Alexander T Mohr, 2009. "Beyond entry mode choice: Explaining the conversion of joint ventures into wholly owned subsidiaries in the People's Republic of China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(3), pages 388-404, April.
    19. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    20. Ng, Paul Wai-Kit & Lau, Chung-Ming & Nyaw, Mee-Kau, 2007. "The effect of trust on international joint venture performance in China," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 430-448, December.
    21. Li, Julie Juan & Zheng Zhou, Kevin & Lam, Simon S.K. & Tse, David K., 2006. "Active trust development of local senior managers in international subsidiaries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 73-80, January.
    22. Lin Cui & Fuming Jiang, 2012. "State ownership effect on firms' FDI ownership decisions under institutional pressure: a study of Chinese outward-investing firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(3), pages 264-284, April.
    23. Africa Ariño & José de la Torre, 1998. "Learning from Failure: Towards an Evolutionary Model of Collaborative Ventures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 306-325, June.
    24. Sharif, Naubahar & Huang, Can, 2012. "Innovation strategy, firm survival and relocation: The case of Hong Kong-owned manufacturing in Guangdong Province, China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 69-78.
    25. Robert Salomon & Zheying Wu, 2012. "Institutional distance and local isomorphism strategy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 43(4), pages 343-367, May.
    26. Lahiri, Somnath & Kedia, Ben L., 2011. "Co-evolution of institutional and organizational factors in explaining offshore outsourcing," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 252-263, June.
    27. Pino G. Audia & Henrich R. Greve, 2006. "Less Likely to Fail: Low Performance, Firm Size, and Factory Expansion in the Shipbuilding Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(1), pages 83-94, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Alessia Amighini & Claudio Cozza & Elisa Giuliani & Roberta Rabellotti & Vittoria Scalera, 2015. "Multinational enterprises from emerging economies: what theories suggest, what evidence shows. A literature review," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(3), pages 343-370, September.
    2. Li, Jizhong & Jiang, Fuming & Shen, Jie, 2016. "Institutional distance and the quality of the headquarters–subsidiary relationship: The moderating role of the institutionalization of headquarters’ practices in subsidiaries," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 589-603.
    3. Jonas Puck & Markus K. Hödl & Igor Filatotchev & Hans-Georg Wolff & Benjamin Bader, 2016. "Ownership mode, cultural distance, and the extent of parent firms’ strategic control over subsidiaries in the PRC," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 1075-1105, December.
    4. Martin, Xavier, 2013. "Solving theoretical and empirical conundrums in international strategy research by matching foreign entry mode choices and performance," Other publications TiSEM 7645ea46-0b9a-4fc0-ae33-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Cui, Lin & He, Xiaoming, 2017. "Expanding near the home base or venture far? The influence of home country state on the economic distance of foreign direct investments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 95-107.
    6. Li, Jing & Xia, Jun & Shapiro, Daniel & Lin, Zhouyu, 2018. "Institutional compatibility and the internationalization of Chinese SOEs: The moderating role of home subnational institutions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 641-652.
    7. Lee, Jeoung Yul & Xiao, Shufeng(Simon) & Choi, Byungchul, 2021. "Unpacking the drivers of emerging market firms’ international joint venture formation: The interplay between technological innovation strategies and home- and host-institutional pressures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 378-392.
    8. Siah Hwee Ang & Mirko H. Benischke & Jonathan P. Doh, 2015. "The interactions of institutions on foreign market entry mode," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(10), pages 1536-1553, October.
    9. Kedia, Ben L. & Bilgili, Tsvetomira V., 2015. "When history matters: The effect of historical ties on the relationship between institutional distance and shares acquired," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 921-934.
    10. Lahiri, Somnath & Elango, B. & Kundu, Sumit K., 2014. "Cross-border acquisition in services: Comparing ownership choice of developed and emerging economy MNEs in India," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 409-420.
    11. Fuming Jiang & Subramaniam Ananthram & Jizhong Li, 2018. "Global Mindset and Entry Mode Decisions: Moderating Roles of Managers’ Decision-Making Style and Managerial Experience," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 413-447, June.
    12. Hernández, Virginia & Nieto, María Jesús, 2015. "The effect of the magnitude and direction of institutional distance on the choice of international entry modes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 122-132.
    13. Jane Wenzhen Lu & Wen Li & Aiqi Wu & Xueli Huang, 2018. "Political hazards and entry modes of Chinese investments in Africa," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 39-61, March.
    14. Hitt, Michael A. & Li, Dan & Xu, Kai, 2016. "International strategy: From local to global and beyond," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 58-73.
    15. Zhi Shen & Francisco Puig, 2018. "Spatial Dependence of the FDI Entry Mode Decision: Empirical Evidence From Emerging Market Enterprises," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 171-193, February.
    16. Li, Min & He, Xinming & Sousa, Carlos M.P., 2017. "A review of the empirical research on export channel selection between 1979 and 2015," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 303-323.
    17. Zhang, Hongjuan & Young, Michael N. & Tan, Justin & Sun, Weizheng, 2018. "How Chinese companies deal with a legitimacy imbalance when acquiring firms from developed economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 752-767.
    18. Gloria Ge & Hugh Wang, 2013. "The impact of network relationships on internationalization process: An empirical study of Chinese private enterprises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 1169-1189, December.
    19. Buitrago R., Ricardo E. & Barbosa Camargo, María Inés, 2021. "Institutions, institutional quality, and international competitiveness: Review and examination of future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 423-435.
    20. Saleh, Ali Salman & Anh Nguyen, Thi Lan & Vinen, Denis & Safari, Arsalan, 2017. "A new theoretical framework to assess Multinational Corporations’ motivation for Foreign Direct Investment: A case study on Vietnamese service industries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 630-644.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2384-:d:156996. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.