IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ems/eureri/10539.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Greenfield or Acquisition Entry: A Review of the Empirical Foreign Establishment Mode Literature

Author

Listed:
  • Slangen, A.H.L.
  • Hennart, J-F.

Abstract

This paper reviews the empirical literature on the determinants of the choice by multinational enterprises between entering foreign countries through greenfields or acquisitions. We discuss and compare the main theoretical perspectives used, provide a detailed overview of the empirical findings, examine why these findings have often been inconsistent, and offer theoretical and methodological suggestions to guide future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Slangen, A.H.L. & Hennart, J-F., 2007. "Greenfield or Acquisition Entry: A Review of the Empirical Foreign Establishment Mode Literature," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-059-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    • Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:10539
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://repub.eur.nl/pub/10539/ERS-2007-059-ORG.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Torben Pedersen & Steen Thomsen, 1999. "Economic and Systemic Explanations of Ownership Concentration among Europe's Largest Companies," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 367-381.
    2. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    3. Stigler, George J., 2011. "Economics of Information," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 5, pages 35-49.
    4. 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, December.
    5. Keith D. Brouthers & Lance Eliot Brouthers, 2000. "Acquisition or greenfield start‐up? Institutional, cultural and transaction cost influences," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 89-97, January.
    6. Kenneth Arrow, 1962. "Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors, pages 609-626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. 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.
    8. Harris, Robert S & Ravenscraft, David, 1991. "The Role of Acquisitions in Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from the U.S. Stock Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(3), pages 825-844, July.
    9. Jaideep Anand & Andrew Delios, 1997. "Location Specificity and the Transferability of Downstream Assets to Foreign Subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(3), pages 579-603, September.
    10. X Martin & R Salomon, 2003. "Knowledge transfer capacity and its implications for the theory of the multinational corporation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(4), pages 356-373, July.
    11. Cho, Kang Rae & Padmanabhan, Prasad, 2005. "Revisiting the role of cultural distance in MNC's foreign ownership mode choice: the moderating effect of experience attributes," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 307-324, June.
    12. Andersson, Thomas & Svensson, Roger, 1994. " Entry Modes for Direct Investment Determined by the Composition of Firm-Specific Skills," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(4), pages 551-560.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. Jean‐Francois Hennart, 1988. "A transaction costs theory of equity joint ventures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 361-374, July.
    16. George P. Huber, 1991. "Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 88-115, February.
    17. 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.
    18. Brent D Wilson, 1980. "The Propensity of Multinational Companies to Expand Through Acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 11(1), pages 59-64, March.
    19. 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.
    20. Larimo, Jorma, 2003. "Form of investment by Nordic firms in world markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(10), pages 791-803, October.
    21. 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.
    22. Klaus E. Meyer, 1998. "Direct Investment in Economies in Transition," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1413.
    23. Sea‐Jin Chang & Philip M. Rosenzweig, 2001. "The choice of entry mode in sequential foreign direct investment," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 747-776, August.
    24. Breandan O Huallachain & Neil Reid, 1997. "Acquisition versus Greenfield Investment: The Location and Growth of Japanese Manufacturers in the United States," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 403-416.
    25. Benjamin Gomes-Casseres, 1990. "Firm Ownership Preferences and Host Government Restrictions: An Integrated Approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 21(1), pages 1-22, March.
    26. Jane W Lu, 2002. "Intra- and Inter-organizational Imitative Behavior: Institutional Influences on Japanese Firms' Entry Mode Choice," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(1), pages 19-37, March.
    27. Shimizu, Katsuhiko & Hitt, Michael A. & Vaidyanath, Deepa & Pisano, Vincenzo, 2004. "Theoretical foundations of cross-border mergers and acquisitions: A review of current research and recommendations for the future," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 307-353.
    28. Paul M. Healy & Krishna G. Palepu, 1993. "International Corporate Equity Associations: Who, Where, and Why?," NBER Chapters, in: Foreign Direct Investment, pages 231-254, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    29. 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.
    30. M Krishna Erramilli, 1991. "The Experience Factor in Foreign Market Entry Behavior of Service Firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(3), pages 479-501, September.
    31. Pennings, J.M. & Barkema, H.G. & Douma, S.W., 1994. "Organizational learning and diversification," Other publications TiSEM 2cabb122-340f-4729-afb3-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    32. J. Myles Shaver, 1998. "Accounting for Endogeneity When Assessing Strategy Performance: Does Entry Mode Choice Affect FDI Survival?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(4), pages 571-585, April.
    33. Zejan, Mario C, 1990. "New Ventures of Acquisitions. The Choice of Swedish Multinational Enterprises," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 349-355, March.
    34. 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.
    35. Torben Pedersen & Steen Thomsen, 1997. "European Patterns of Corporate Ownership: A Twelve-Country Study," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(4), pages 759-778, December.
    36. Swee-Swun Lam, 1997. "Control versus Firm Value: The Impact of Restrictions on Foreign Share Ownership," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 26(1), Spring.
    37. Jiatao Li, 1995. "Foreign entry and survival: Effects of strategic choices on performance in international markets," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(5), pages 333-351.
    38. Kenneth A. Froot, 1993. "Foreign Direct Investment," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number froo93-1, March.
    39. Henisz, Witold J, 2000. "The Institutional Environment for Multinational Investment," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(2), pages 334-364, October.
    40. Rydqvist, Kristian, 1992. "Dual-Class Shares: A Review," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 8(3), pages 45-57, Autumn.
    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. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2008. "Factors affecting perceptions of the choice between acquisition and greenfield entry: The case of Western FDI in an emerging market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 5-38, February.
    2. Sels, A.T.H., 2006. "Foreign direct investment as an entry mode. An application in emerging economies," Other publications TiSEM 583ca9b5-1691-425d-8f77-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    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. Demirbag, Mehmet & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W., 2009. "Equity-based entry modes of emerging country multinationals: Lessons from Turkey," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 445-462, October.
    5. Hendrik Klier & Christian Schwens & Florian B. Zapkau & Desislava Dikova, 2017. "Which Resources Matter How and Where? A Meta-Analysis on Firms’ Foreign Establishment Mode Choice," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 304-339, May.
    6. Piaskowska, D., 2005. "Essays on firm growth and value creation," Other publications TiSEM 89053610-79c6-4c52-9d1c-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Anil, Ibrahim & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Ozkasap, Gaye, 2014. "Ownership and market entry mode choices of emerging country multinationals in a transition country: evidence from Turkish multinationals in Romania," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 19(4), pages 413-452.
    8. Larimo, Jorma & Arslan, Ahmad, 2013. "Determinants of foreign direct investment ownership mode choice: Evidence from Nordic investments in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.
    9. Zdolsek, Daniel & Kolar, Iztok, 2013. "Management disclosure practices for disaggregated (financial) information in Slovenian unlisted companies," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.
    10. Canabal, Anne & White III, George O., 2008. "Entry mode research: Past and future," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 267-284, June.
    11. Douglas Dow & Jorma Larimo, 2011. "Disentangling the Roles of International Experience and Distance in Establishment Mode Choice," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 321-355, June.
    12. Slangen, A.H.L., 2007. "Do Multinationals Really Prefer to Enter Culturally-Distant Countries Through Greenfields Rather than Through Acquisitions? The Role of Parent Experience and Subsidiary Autonomy," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-060-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    13. Larimo, Jorma, 2003. "Form of investment by Nordic firms in world markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(10), pages 791-803, October.
    14. Youngok Kim & Sidney J. Gray, 2008. "The impact of entry mode choice on foreign affiliate performance: The case of foreign MNEs in South Korea," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 165-188, April.
    15. Anne-Wil Harzing & Markus Pudelko, 2016. "Do We Need to Distance Ourselves from the Distance Concept? Why Home and Host Country Context Might Matter More Than (Cultural) Distance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 1-34, February.
    16. Slangen, Arjen H.L. & van Tulder, Rob J.M., 2009. "Cultural distance, political risk, or governance quality? Towards a more accurate conceptualization and measurement of external uncertainty in foreign entry mode research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 276-291, June.
    17. Thomas Hutzschenreuter & Arie Y. Lewin & Stephan Dresel, 2011. "Time to Success in Offshoring Business Processes," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 65-92, February.
    18. Shimizu, Katsuhiko & Hitt, Michael A. & Vaidyanath, Deepa & Pisano, Vincenzo, 2004. "Theoretical foundations of cross-border mergers and acquisitions: A review of current research and recommendations for the future," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 307-353.
    19. Hennart, Jean-François & Sheng, Hsia Hua & Pimenta, Gustavo, 2015. "Local complementary inputs as drivers of entry mode choices: The case of US investments in Brazil," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 466-475.
    20. Ang, Siah Hwee & Benischke, Mirko H. & Hooi, Andrea Wai-Leng, 2018. "Frequency of international expansion through high control market expansion modes and interlocked directorships," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 493-503.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    acquisition; establishment mode choice; greenfield; review;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ems:eureri:10539. 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: RePub (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/erimanl.html .

    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.