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Entrepreneurship in multinational enterprises: A Penrosean perspective

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  • Alain Verbeke

    (University of Calgary
    University of Oxford
    Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB))

  • Wenlong Yuan

    (University of Calgary)

Abstract

and Key Results This paper applies Penrose’s (1959) insights on the quantity of managerial services required for firm-level organic expansion to the analysis of entrepreneurial activities in MNEs. We use these insights to build a framework relevant to entrepreneurial activities in MNEs, and then apply this framework to assess the metanational model (Doz/Santos/Williamson 2001) in terms of the quantity of managerial services required to implement it. Penrose’s (1959) insights on firm-level growth processes are still relevant to the analysis of entrepreneurial activities in MNEs. The quantity of managerial services required for the effective functioning of the metanational model appears to be particularly high, and the benefits of this model should therefore be carefully weighed against the potential costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Alain Verbeke & Wenlong Yuan, 2007. "Entrepreneurship in multinational enterprises: A Penrosean perspective," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 241-258, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:47:y:2007:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-007-0014-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-007-0014-4
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    3. Hutzschenreuter, Thomas & Horstkotte, Julian, 2013. "Managerial services and complexity in a firm’s expansion process: An empirical study of the impact on the growth of the firm," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 137-151.
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    6. Ilgaz Arikan & Asli M. Arikan & Oded Shenkar, 2022. "Revisiting emerging market multinational enterprise views: The Goldilocks story restated," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(4), pages 781-802, June.
    7. Adams, Kweku & Attah-Boakye, Rexford & Yu, Honglan & Chu, Irene & Ishaque, Maria, 2023. "Competence and enterprise of management as drivers of early foreign listing of medium-sized emerging market multinationals (EMNEs) from Africa," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
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    9. Christos Pitelis, 2007. "Edith Penrose and a learning-based perspective on the MNE and OLI," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 207-219, March.
    10. Borini, Felipe Mendes & de Miranda Oliveira, Moacir & Silveira, Franciane Freitas & de Oliveira Concer, Ronald, 2012. "The reverse transfer of innovation of foreign subsidiaries of Brazilian multinationals," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 219-231.
    11. Babelytė-Labanauskė Kristina, 2022. "Re-exploring Seminal Works on Resource-Based View and Resource Dependence Theory: The Case of Entrepreneurial Research Organization," Management of Organizations: Systematic Research, Sciendo, vol. 87(1), pages 21-42, June.
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    13. Julio del Junco & José Brás-dos-Santos, 2009. "How different are the entrepreneurs in the European Union internal market?—An exploratory cross-cultural analysis of German, Italian and Spanish entrepreneurs," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 135-162, June.
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