IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v98y2014i3d10.1007_s11192-013-1172-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The transaction costs theory in international business research: a bibliometric study over three decades

Author

Listed:
  • Manuel Portugal Ferreira

    (UNINOVE—Universidade Nove de Julho, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Av. Francisco Matarazzo)

  • Cláudia Frias Pinto

    (UNINOVE—Universidade Nove de Julho Programa de Mestrado em Gestão de Projetos Av. Francisco Matarazzo)

  • Fernando Ribeiro Serra

    (UNINOVE—Universidade Nove de Julho, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Av. Francisco Matarazzo)

Abstract

Transaction costs theory (TCT) has long been an important conceptual lens for examining International Business (IB) phenomena and perhaps especially relevant for the study of multinational corporations, entry mode choices and location selection. In this paper we examine the extent to which TCT been used and has impacted IB research. Methodologically, we conduct a bibliometric study of the articles published on nine top journals for publishing IB-related research. We use Jean-François Hennart’s research as the key marker for TCT in IB research given that Hennart’s work has been a hallmark in the discipline. On a sample of 377 articles published between 1982 and 2010, and using the works rather than the authors as the unit of analysis, we analyze citations, co-citations and a spatial visualization of the intellectual research themes delved into. Our analyses provide insights on the influence of Hennart but more broadly of TCT on IB research over the past three decades. We conclude that the TCT has a pervasive influence on a large array of IB research and that Hennart’s work is boundary-spanning, connecting several research themes.

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Cláudia Frias Pinto & Fernando Ribeiro Serra, 2014. "The transaction costs theory in international business research: a bibliometric study over three decades," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 1899-1922, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:98:y:2014:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-013-1172-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-013-1172-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-013-1172-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-013-1172-8?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. Erin Anderson & Hubert Gatignon, 1986. "Modes of Foreign Entry: A Transaction Cost Analysis and Propositions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(3), pages 1-26, September.
    2. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1992. "Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 383-397, August.
    3. Treviño, Len J. & Mixon Jr., Franklin G. & Funk, Charles A. & Inkpen, Andrew C., 2010. "A perspective on the state of the field: International business publications in the elite journals as a measure of institutional and faculty productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 378-387, August.
    4. Moed, H. F. & Burger, W. J. M. & Frankfort, J. G. & Van Raan, A. F. J., 1985. "The use of bibliometric data for the measurement of university research performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 131-149, June.
    5. Acedo, Francisco José & Casillas, José Carlos, 2005. "Current paradigms in the international management field: An author co-citation analysis," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 619-639, October.
    6. Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Fernando Ribeiro Serra & Martinho Almeida, 2013. "Estudo bibliométrico do contributo de Buckley e Casson (1976) na investigação em negócios internacionais," Working Papers 97, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    7. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1993. "Knowledge of the Firm and the Evolutionary Theory of the Multinational Corporation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 24(4), pages 625-645, December.
    8. Jan Johanson & Jan-Erik Vahlne, 1977. "The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 8(1), pages 23-32, March.
    9. Ying Ding & Gobinda G. Chowdhury & Schubert Foo & Weizhong Qian, 2000. "Bibliometric information retrieval system (BIRS): A web search interface utilizing bibliometric research results," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 51(13), pages 1190-1204.
    10. Gatignon, Hubert & Anderson, Erin, 1988. "The Multinational Corporation's Degree of Control over Foreign Subsidiaries: An Empirical Test of a Transaction Cost Explanation," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(2), pages 305-336, Fall.
    11. David A Griffith & Salih Tamer Cavusgil & Shichun Xu, 2008. "Emerging themes in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(7), pages 1220-1235, October.
    12. Philip M. Podsakoff & Scott B. MacKenzie & Daniel G. Bachrach & Nathan P. Podsakoff, 2005. "The influence of management journals in the 1980s and 1990s," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 473-488, May.
    13. 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.
    14. Anupama Phene & Stephen Guisinger, 1998. "The Stature of the Journal of International Business Studies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(3), pages 621-631, September.
    15. Jean‐Francois Hennart & Young‐Ryeol Park, 1994. "Location, governance, and strategic determinants of japanese manufacturing investment in the united states," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 419-436, July.
    16. Katherine W. McCain, 1990. "Mapping authors in intellectual space: A technical overview," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 41(6), pages 433-443, September.
    17. Jean-François Hennart, 1991. "The Transaction Costs Theory of Joint Ventures: An Empirical Study of Japanese Subsidiaries in the United States," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(4), pages 483-497, April.
    18. Paul W Beamish & John C Banks, 1987. "Equity Joint Ventures and Theory of the Multinational Enterprise," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, June.
    19. Jean-François Hennart & Young-Ryeol Park, 1993. "Greenfield vs. Acquisition: The Strategy of Japanese Investors in the United States," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(9), pages 1054-1070, September.
    20. Bruce Kogut, 1988. "Joint ventures: Theoretical and empirical perspectives," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 319-332, July.
    21. Gerhard A. Wuehrer & Angela Elisabeth Smejkal, 2013. "The knowledge domain of the academy of international business studies (AIB) conferences: a longitudinal scientometric perspective for the years 2006–2011," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(2), pages 541-561, May.
    22. Apostolos Ballas & Vasilis Theoharakis, 2003. "Exploring Diversity in Accounting through Faculty Journal Perceptions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(4), pages 619-644, December.
    23. Peter W. Liesch & Lars Håkanson & Sara L. McGaughey & Stuart Middleton & Julia Cretchley, 2011. "The evolution of the international business field: a scientometric investigation of articles published in its premier journal," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(1), pages 17-42, July.
    24. Peter J. Buckley & Mark Casson, 1991. "The Future of the Multinational Enterprise," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, edition 0, number 978-1-349-21204-0.
    25. Kevin W. Boyack & Richard Klavans & Katy Börner, 2005. "Mapping the backbone of science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 64(3), pages 351-374, August.
    26. Nederhof, A. J. & van Raan, A. F. J., 1993. "A bibliometric analysis of six economics research groups: A comparison with peer review," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 353-368, August.
    27. Gomes-Casseres, Benjamin, 1989. "Ownership structures of foreign subsidiaries : Theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 1-25, January.
    28. David J. TEECE, 2008. "TRANSACTIONS COST ECONOMICS AND THE MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISE: An Assessment," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 20, pages 427-451, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    29. Henry Small, 1973. "Co‐citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 24(4), pages 265-269, July.
    30. Balakrishnan, Srinivasan & Koza, Mitchell P., 1993. "Information asymmetry, adverse selection and joint-ventures : Theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 99-117, January.
    31. Kogut, Bruce, 1989. "The Stability of Joint Ventures: Reciprocity and Competitive Rivalry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 183-198, December.
    32. Jean‐Francois Hennart, 1988. "A transaction costs theory of equity joint ventures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 361-374, July.
    33. Bruce Kogut, 1991. "Joint Ventures and the Option to Expand and Acquire," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(1), pages 19-33, January.
    34. Katharina Maria Hofer & Angela Elisabeth Smejkal & F. Zeynep Bilgin & Gerhard A. Wuehrer, 2010. "Conference proceedings as a matter of bibliometric studies: the Academy of International Business 2006–2008," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(3), pages 845-862, September.
    35. Antonio‐Rafael Ramos‐Rodríguez & José Ruíz‐Navarro, 2004. "Changes in the intellectual structure of strategic management research: a bibliometric study of the Strategic Management Journal, 1980–2000," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(10), pages 981-1004, October.
    36. Keith D. Brouthers & Ram Mudambi & David M. Reeb, 2012. "The blockbuster hypothesis: influencing the boundaries of knowledge," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(3), pages 959-982, March.
    37. Mary J. Culnan, 1986. "The Intellectual Development of Management Information Systems, 1972--1982: A Co-Citation Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(2), pages 156-172, February.
    38. Leonard J. Ponzi, 2002. "The intellectual structure and interdisciplinary breadth of Knowledge Management: A bibliometric study of its early stage of development," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 55(2), pages 259-272, August.
    39. Allen J Morrison & Andrew C Inkpen, 1991. "An Analysis of Significant Contributions to the International Business Literature," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(1), pages 143-153, March.
    40. Frank L DuBois & David Reeb, 2000. "Ranking the International Business Journals," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 31(4), pages 689-704, December.
    41. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke & Quyen T. K. Nguyen, 2011. "Fifty Years of International Business Theory and Beyond," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 755-786, December.
    42. Paul Beamish, 2006. "Publishing international (joint venture) research for impact," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 29-46, March.
    43. Andrew C Inkpen & Paul W Beamish, 1994. "An Analysis of Twenty-Five Years of Research in the Journal of International Business Studies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(4), pages 703-713, December.
    44. Richard H. Franke & Timothy W. Edlund & Frederick Oster, 1990. "The development of strategic management: Journal quality and article impact," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(3), pages 243-253, March.
    45. P R Chandy & Thomas G E Williams, 1994. "The Impact of Journals and Authors on International Business Research: A Citational Analysis of JIBS Articles," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(4), pages 715-728, December.
    46. Chan, Kam C. & Fung, Hung-Gay & Leung, Wai K., 2006. "International business research: Trends and school rankings," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 317-338, August.
    47. Gary Hamel, 1991. "Competition for competence and interpartner learning within international strategic alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S1), pages 83-103, June.
    48. Hennart, Jean-François, 2010. "Transaction Cost Theory and International Business," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 257-269.
    49. Peng, Mike W. & Zhou, Jessie Qi, 2006. "Most cited articles and authors in global strategy research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 490-508, December.
    50. Ian C. Macmillan, 1991. "The emerging forum for business policy scholars," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(2), pages 161-165, February.
    51. Shichun Xu & Goksel Yalcinkaya & Steven Seggie, 2008. "Prolific authors and institutions in leading international business journals," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 189-207, June.
    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. Broström , Anders & Karlsson, Staffan, 2015. "Unraveling the R&D-Innovation-Productivity relationship - a study of an academic endavour," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 414, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    2. Miroslav Nedelchev, 2018. "Bibliometric Review of Corporate Governance Theories and Methods," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 4, pages 126-145.
    3. Cristina López-Duarte & Marta M. Vidal-Suárez & Belén González-Díaz & Nuno Rosa Reis, 2016. "Understanding the relevance of national culture in international business research: a quantitative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1553-1590, September.
    4. Ahmed Hassanein & Mohamed M. Mostafa, 2023. "Bibliometric network analysis of thirty years of islamic banking and finance scholarly research," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1961-1989, June.
    5. Yulia Nedelcheva, 2016. "The Dynamics Of Outsourcing: A Bibliometric Study," Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Economics, SOUTH-WEST UNIVERSITY "NEOFIT RILSKI", BLAGOEVGRAD, vol. 4(2), pages 301-310.
    6. Merigó, José M. & Yang, Jian-Bo, 2017. "A bibliometric analysis of operations research and management science," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 37-48.
    7. Magdalena Olczyk, 2016. "A systematic retrieval of international competitiveness literature: a bibliometric study," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 6(3), pages 429-457, December.
    8. María de las Mercedes Capobianco-Uriarte & María del Pilar Casado-Belmonte & Gema María Marín-Carrillo & Eduardo Terán-Yépez, 2019. "A Bibliometric Analysis of International Competitiveness (1983–2017)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, March.
    9. Bahoo, Salman & Alon, Ilan & Paltrinieri, Andrea, 2020. "Corruption in international business: A review and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    10. Mikel Alayo & Txomin Iturralde & Amaia Maseda & Gloria Aparicio, 2021. "Mapping family firm internationalization research: bibliometric and literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1517-1560, August.
    11. Gloria Aparicio & Txomin Iturralde & Ana Vilma Rodríguez, 2023. "Developments in the knowledge-based economy research field: a bibliometric literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 317-352, February.
    12. Abderahman Rejeb & Alireza Abdollahi & Karim Rejeb & Mohamed M. Mostafa, 2023. "Tracing knowledge evolution flows in scholarly restaurant research: a main path analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 2183-2209, June.
    13. Remedios Hernández-Linares & Soumodip Sarkar & Manuel J. Cobo, 2018. "Inspecting the Achilles heel: a quantitative analysis of 50 years of family business definitions," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(2), pages 929-951, May.

    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. Cristina López-Duarte & Marta M. Vidal-Suárez & Belén González-Díaz & Nuno Rosa Reis, 2016. "Understanding the relevance of national culture in international business research: a quantitative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1553-1590, September.
    2. Cláudia Frias Pinto & Fernando Ribeiro Serra & Manuel Portugal Ferreira, 2014. "A bibliometric study on culture research in International Business," Working Papers 107, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    3. Bell, J.H.J., 1996. "Joint or Single Venturing? : An Electric Approach to Foreign Entry Mode Choice," Other publications TiSEM 06f84735-3cf5-432f-8bc8-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Peng, Mike W. & Zhou, Jessie Qi, 2006. "Most cited articles and authors in global strategy research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 490-508, December.
    5. Madhok, Anoop, 1998. "The nature of multinational firm boundaries: Transaction costs, firm capabilities and foreign market entry mode," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 259-290, June.
    6. Madhok, Anoop, 1996. "Know-how-, experience- and competition-related considerations in foreign market entry: An exploratory investigation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 339-366, August.
    7. Rialp, Alex & Merigó, José M. & Cancino, Christian A. & Urbano, David, 2019. "Twenty-five years (1992–2016) of the International Business Review: A bibliometric overview," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 1-1.
    8. Cuypers, I.R.P., 2009. "Essays on equity joint ventures, uncertainty and experience," Other publications TiSEM 8dc79e86-c625-467f-a450-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Nuno Rosa Reis & Manuel Portugal Ferreira & João Carvalho Santos, 2013. "A bibliometric study of the cultural models in International Business research," Working Papers 104, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    10. Michael Nippa & Jeffrey J Reuer, 2019. "On the future of international joint venture research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(4), pages 555-597, June.
    11. Timothy B. Folta & Walter J. Ferrier, 1997. "International Expansion Through Sequential Investment: The Effects Of National Culture On Buyouts And Dissolutions In Biotechnology Partnerships," Game Theory and Information 9701001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Li, Peng-Yu & Meyer, Klaus E., 2009. "Contextualizing experience effects in international business: A study of ownership strategies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 370-382, October.
    13. Iavor Marangozov, 2005. "From Practice to Theory of the International Joint Ventures," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 44-77.
    14. Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Ariño, Africa, 2000. "Governance changes in strategic alliances: Antecedents of contractual renegotiations," IESE Research Papers D/415, IESE Business School.
    15. Jan Hendrik Fisch & Bjoern Schmeisser, 0. "Phasing the operation mode of foreign subsidiaries: Reaping the benefits of multinationality through internal capital markets," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-33.
    16. repec:dau:papers:123456789/2221 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Jan Hendrik Fisch & Bjoern Schmeisser, 2020. "Phasing the operation mode of foreign subsidiaries: Reaping the benefits of multinationality through internal capital markets," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(8), pages 1223-1255, October.
    18. Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Nuno Rosa Reis & Fernando Ribeiro Serra & Benny Kramer Costa, 2013. "Understanding the footprint of the RBV in International Business studies: The last twenty years of research," Working Papers 96, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    19. Kotler, Philip & Manrai, Lalita A. & Lascu, Dana-Nicoleta & Manrai, Ajay K., 2019. "Influence of country and company characteristics on international business decisions: A review, conceptual model, and propositions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 482-498.
    20. Stienstra, Miranda, 2020. "The determinants and performance implications of alliance partner acquisition," Other publications TiSEM 7fdee0c2-d4d2-4f5b-95e3-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    21. Slangen, Arjen & Hennart, Jean-François, 2007. "Greenfield or acquisition entry: A review of the empirical foreign establishment mode literature," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 403-429, December.

    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:spr:scient:v:98:y:2014:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-013-1172-8. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.