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A Set of Motives to Unite Them All? Revisiting the Principles and Typology of MNE Motives

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  • Alvaro Cuervo-Cazzura

    (Northeastern University, USA)

  • Rajneesh Narula

    (Henley Business School University of Reading RG6 6UD UK)

Abstract

We reflect on the background and evolution of the internationalization motives over the last few decades, and provide suggestions for how to use the motives for future analyses. We also reflect on the contributions to the debate of the accompanying articles of the forum. There continue to be new developments in the way in which firms organize themselves as MNEs and this implies that the 'classic' motives originally introduced by Dunning in 1993 need to be revisited. Dunning's motives and arguments were deductive and atheoretical, and were intended to be used as a toolkit, used in conjunction with other theories and frameworks. They are not an alternative to a classification of possible MNE strategies. This paper provides a deeper and nuanced understanding on internationalization motives for future research to build on.

Suggested Citation

  • Alvaro Cuervo-Cazzura & Rajneesh Narula, 2015. "A Set of Motives to Unite Them All? Revisiting the Principles and Typology of MNE Motives," John H Dunning Centre for International Business Discussion Papers jhd-dp2015-03, Henley Business School, University of Reading.
    • Handle: RePEc:rdg:jhdxdp:jhd-dp2015-03
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    2. Rajneesh Narula & John Dunning, 2010. "Multinational Enterprises, Development and Globalization: Some Clarifications and a Research Agenda," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 263-287.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rajneesh Narula & André Pineli, 2017. "Multinational Enterprises and Economic Development in Host Countries: What We Know and What We Don’t Know," Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance, in: Gianluigi Giorgioni (ed.), Development Finance, chapter 6, pages 147-188, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Castellani, Davide & Montresor, Sandro & Schubert, Torben & Vezzani, Antonio, 2017. "Multinationality, R&D and productivity: Evidence from the top R&D investors worldwide," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 405-416.
    3. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro & Ciravegna, Luciano & Melgarejo, Mauricio & Lopez, Luis, 2018. "Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 209-221.
    4. Tomasz Dorożyński & Anetta Kuna-Marszałek & Janusz Świerkocki, 2017. "Motives of Poland's Outward Direct Investments from the Lodz Region: Results of a Direct Study," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 5(2), pages 101-122.
    5. Clampit, Jack & Gaffney, Nolan & Fabian, Frances & Stafford, Thomas, 2023. "Institutional misalignment and escape-based FDI: A prospect theory lens," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(3).
    6. Mukherjee, Debmalya & Makarius, Erin E. & Stevens, Charles E., 2021. "A reputation transfer perspective on the internationalization of emerging market firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 568-579.
    7. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2016. "Multilatinas as sources of new research insights: The learning and escape drivers of international expansion," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1963-1972.
    8. Schubert, Torben & Baier, Elisabeth & Rammer, Christian, 2016. "Technological capabilities, technological dynamism and innovation offshoring," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-044, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    9. Andrei Panibratov & Natalia Ribberink & Anna Veselova & Konstantin Nefedov, 2018. "Entry Modes And Liability Of Foreignness Effects: Evidence From Russian Firms On The German Market," Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, Faculty of Economics, Vilnius University, vol. 9(1).
    10. Narula, Rajneesh & Verbeke, Alain, 2015. "Making internalization theory good for practice: The essence of Alan Rugman's contributions to international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 612-622.
    11. Pla-Barber, José & Linares, Esmeralda & Ghauri, Pervez N., 2019. "The choice of offshoring operation mode: A behavioural perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 570-580.
    12. Barnard, Helena & Luiz, John M., 2018. "Escape FDI and the dynamics of a cumulative process of institutional misalignment and contestation: Stress, strain and failure," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 605-619.
    13. Barnard, Helena, 2021. "Host countries' level of development and internationalization from emerging markets: A typology of firm strategies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    14. Schubert, Torben & Baier, Elisabeth & Rammer, Christian, 2017. "Firm Capabilities, Technological Dynamism and Innovation Internationalisation – a Behavioural Approach," Papers in Innovation Studies 2017/13, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    15. Hasan Dinçer & Serhat Yüksel & Renata Korsakienė & Agota Giedrė Raišienė & Yuriy Bilan, 2019. "IT2 Hybrid Decision-Making Approach to Performance Measurement of Internationalized Firms in the Baltic States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, January.
    16. Peter Zámborský & Zheng Joseph Yan & Erwann Sbaï & Matthew Larsen, 2021. "Cross-Border M&A Motives and Home Country Institutions: Role of Regulatory Quality and Dynamics in the Asia-Pacific Region," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-24, October.
    17. Henrique Correa da Cunha & Vikkram Singh & Shengkun Xie, 2022. "The Determinants of Outward Foreign Direct Investment from Latin America and the Caribbean: An Integrated Entropy-Based TOPSIS Multiple Regression Analysis Framework," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, March.
    18. Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Saul Estrin & Rajneesh Narula, 2024. "Integrating host-country political heterogeneity into MNE–state bargaining: insights from international political economy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(2), pages 157-171, March.
    19. Olga Petricevic & David J Teece, 2019. "The structural reshaping of globalization: Implications for strategic sectors, profiting from innovation, and the multinational enterprise," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(9), pages 1487-1512, December.
    20. Fuster, Begoña & Lillo-Bañuls, Adelaida & Martínez-Mora, Carmen, 2020. "Reshoring of services and employment," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 233-246.
    21. Surdu, Irina & Narula, Rajneesh, 2021. "Organizational learning, unlearning and re-internationalization timing: Differences between emerging- versus developed-market MNEs," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(3).
    22. Torben Schubert & Elisabeth Baier & Christian Rammer, 2018. "Firm capabilities, technological dynamism and the internationalisation of innovation: A behavioural approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(1), pages 70-95, January.
    23. Luiz, John M. & Barnard, Helena, 2022. "Home country (in)stability and the locational portfolio construction of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 17-32.

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    Internationalization; motives; multinational companies;
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