IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/worbus/v53y2018i2p209-221.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability

Author

Listed:
  • Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro
  • Ciravegna, Luciano
  • Melgarejo, Mauricio
  • Lopez, Luis

Abstract

We analyze the impact of home country uncertainty on the internationalization-performance relationship of emerging market firms. Building on organizational learning theory and the institutional approach, we argue that internationalization has a positive impact on the performance of emerging market firms, and that this relationship is strengthened for firms based in emerging countries with higher corruption and political risk. The reason is that by being exposed to high levels of home country uncertainty in the form of political risk and corruption, firms develop an uncertainty management capability at home that helps them face the challenges of internationalization better. We also propose that this uncertainty management capability helps emerging market firms perform better outside of their home region. We test our arguments on a sample of 536 firms from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:53:y:2018:i:2:p:209-221
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090951617308398
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jwb.2017.11.002?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. Bonaglia, Federico & Goldstein, Andrea & Mathews, John A., 2007. "Accelerated internationalization by emerging markets' multinationals: The case of the white goods sector," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 369-383, December.
    2. Federico BONAGLIA & Andrea GOLDSTEIN & John MATHEWS, 2006. "Accelerated Internationalisation by Emerging Multinationals: the Case of White Goods Sector," Working Papers 270, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    3. Lenn Gomes & Kannan Ramaswamy, 1999. "An Empirical Examination of the Form of the Relationship Between Multinationality and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 173-187, March.
    4. Farok J Contractor & Sumit K Kundu & Chin-Chun Hsu, 2003. "A three-stage theory of international expansion: the link between multinationality and performance in the service sector," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(1), pages 5-18, January.
    5. Martin Glaum & Michael-Jörg Oesterle, 2007. "40 years of research on internationalization and firm performance: More questions than answers?," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 307-317, June.
    6. Ricardo G Flores & Ruth V Aguilera, 2007. "Globalization and location choice: an analysis of US multinational firms in 1980 and 2000," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(7), pages 1187-1210, December.
    7. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2008. "The multinationalization of developing country MNEs: The case of multilatinas," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 138-154, June.
    8. Jeffrey D Simon, 1984. "A Theoretical Perspective on Political Risk," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 15(3), pages 123-143, September.
    9. Alan M. Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2005. "A Perspective on Regional and Global Strategies of Multinational Enterprises," Chapters, in: Analysis of Multinational Strategic Management, chapter 8, pages 104-119, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Stephen J Kobrin, 1979. "Political Risk: A Review and Reconsideration," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 10(1), pages 67-80, March.
    11. Ciravegna, Luciano & Lopez, Luis & Kundu, Sumit, 2014. "Country of origin and network effects on internationalization: A comparative study of SMEs from an emerging and developed economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 916-923.
    12. David J. Teece, 2008. "Technology Transfer By Multinational Firms: The Resource Cost Of Transferring Technological Know-How," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 1, pages 1-22, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Chao, Mike Chen-Ho & Kumar, Vikas, 2010. "The impact of institutional distance on the international diversity-performance relationship," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 93-103, January.
    14. Verbeke, Alain & Kano, Liena, 2016. "An internalization theory perspective on the global and regional strategies of multinational enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 83-92.
    15. Hennart, J.M.A., 2012. "Emerging market multinationals and the theory of the multinational enterprise," Other publications TiSEM 23818daa-f6ed-4fd6-bca4-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Rose-Ackerman, Susan, 1975. "The economics of corruption," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 187-203, February.
    17. John H Dunning, 1998. "Location and the Multinational Enterprise: A Neglected Factor?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(1), pages 45-66, March.
    18. Linda Argote & Ella Miron-Spektor, 2011. "Organizational Learning: From Experience to Knowledge," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1123-1137, October.
    19. Anita M McGahan & Rogerio Victer, 2010. "How much does home country matter to corporate profitability?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(1), pages 142-165, January.
    20. Yadong Luo & Rosalie L Tung, 2007. "International expansion of emerging market enterprises: A springboard perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 481-498, July.
    21. Brenes, Esteban R. & Montoya, Daniel & Ciravegna, Luciano, 2014. "Differentiation strategies in emerging markets: The case of Latin American agribusinesses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 847-855.
    22. Dynah A. Basuil & Deepak K. Datta, 2015. "Effects of Industry- and Region-Specific Acquisition Experience on Value Creation in Cross-Border Acquisitions: The Moderating Role of Cultural Similarity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(6), pages 766-795, September.
    23. Douglas Nigh, 1985. "The Effect of Political Events on United States Direct Foreign Investment: A Pooled Time-Series Cross-Sectional Analysis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, March.
    24. Mohsin Habib & Leon Zurawicki, 2002. "Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 291-307, June.
    25. 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.
    26. Michael A Witt & Arie Y Lewin, 2007. "Outward foreign direct investment as escape response to home country institutional constraints," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 579-594, July.
    27. Max Boisot & Marshall W. Meyer, 2008. "Which Way through the Open Door? Reflections on the Internationalization of Chinese Firms," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 4(3), pages 349-365, November.
    28. Boisot, Max & Meyer, Marshall W., 2008. "Which Way through the Open Door? Reflections on the Internationalization of Chinese Firms," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(3), pages 349-365, November.
    29. Thorp, Rosemary, 1998. "Progress, Poverty and Exclusion: An Economic History of Latin America in the 20th Century," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 412, March.
    30. Witold J Henisz, 2003. "The power of the Buckley and Casson thesis: the ability to manage institutional idiosyncrasies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(2), pages 173-184, March.
    31. Brenes, Esteban R. & Camacho, Arnoldo R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Pichardo, Caleb A., 2016. "Strategy and innovation in emerging economies after the end of the commodity boom—Insights from Latin America," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4363-4367.
    32. 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.
    33. 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.
    34. Luis E Lopez & Sumit K Kundu & Luciano Ciravegna, 2009. "Born global or born regional? Evidence from an exploratory study in the Costa Rican software industry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(7), pages 1228-1238, September.
    35. 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.
    36. Rosemary Thorp, 1998. "Progress, Poverty and Exclusion: An Economic History of Latin America in the 20th Century," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 79303, February.
    37. Ciravegna, Luciano & Brenes, Esteban R., 2016. "Learning to become a high reliability organization in the food retail business," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4499-4506.
    38. Pankaj Ghemawat, 2003. "Semiglobalization and international business strategy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(2), pages 138-152, March.
    39. Alan M Rugman & Alain Verbeke, 2008. "The theory and practice of regional strategy: a response to Osegowitsch and Sammartino," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(2), pages 326-332, March.
    40. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, 2016. "Corruption in international business," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 35-49.
    41. Witold J Henisz & Edward D Mansfield & Mary Ann Von Glinow, 2010. "Conflict, security, and political risk: International business in challenging times," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(5), pages 759-764, June.
    42. Kirt C Butler & Domingo Castelo Joaquin, 1998. "A note on political risk and the required return on foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(3), pages 599-607, September.
    43. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mehmet Genc, 2008. "Transforming disadvantages into advantages: developing-country MNEs in the least developed countries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(6), pages 957-979, September.
    44. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra, 2006. "Who cares about corruption?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(6), pages 807-822, November.
    45. Vito Tanzi, 1998. "Corruption Around the World: Causes, Consequences, Scope, and Cures," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 45(4), pages 559-594, December.
    46. John H Dunning, 1988. "The Eclectic Paradigm of International Production: A Restatement and Some Possible Extensions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(1), pages 1-31, March.
    47. Mike Wright & Igor Filatotchev & Robert E. Hoskisson & Mike W. Peng, 2005. "Strategy Research in Emerging Economies: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 1-33, January.
    48. Contractor, Farok J. & Kumar, Vikas & Kundu, Sumit K., 2007. "Nature of the relationship between international expansion and performance: The case of emerging market firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 401-417, December.
    49. Javier Santiso, 2007. "Latin America's Political Economy of the Possible: Beyond Good Revolutionaries and Free-Marketeers," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262693593, December.
    50. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mary M Maloney & Shalini Manrakhan, 2007. "Causes of the difficulties in internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(5), pages 709-725, September.
    51. Theodore H. Moran, 2004. "International Political Risk Management : The Brave New World," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15039, December.
    52. Lui, Francis T, 1985. "An Equilibrium Queuing Model of Bribery," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(4), pages 760-781, August.
    53. Charles JP Chen & Yuan Ding & Chansog (Francis) Kim, 2010. "High-level politically connected firms, corruption, and analyst forecast accuracy around the world," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(9), pages 1505-1524, December.
    54. Klaus E Meyer, 2001. "Institutions, Transaction Costs, and Entry Mode Choice in Eastern Europe," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(2), pages 357-367, June.
    55. Gongming Qian & Lee Li & Ji Li & Zhengming Qian, 2008. "Regional diversification and firm performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(2), pages 197-214, March.
    56. Paolo Mauro, 1995. "Corruption and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 110(3), pages 681-712.
    57. Kent Eriksson & Jan Johanson & Anders Majkgård & D Deo Sharma, 1997. "Experimental Knowledge and Costs in the Internationalization Process," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(2), pages 337-360, June.
    58. Mr. Vito Tanzi, 1998. "Corruption Around the World: Causes, Consequences, Scope, and Cures," IMF Working Papers 1998/063, International Monetary Fund.
    59. 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.
    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. Conti, Claudio Ramos & Parente, Ronaldo & de Vasconcelos, Flávio C., 2016. "When distance does not matter: Implications for Latin American multinationals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1980-1992.
    2. Mehmet Demirbag & Martina McGuinness & Hüseyin Altay, 2010. "Perceptions of Institutional Environment and Entry Mode," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 207-240, April.
    3. Jingtao Yi & Shuang Meng & Craig D. Macaulay & Mike W. Peng, 2019. "Corruption and foreign direct investment phases: The moderating role of institutions," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 2(2), pages 167-181, June.
    4. 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.
    5. Yadong Luo & Rosalie L Tung, 2018. "A general theory of springboard MNEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(2), pages 129-152, February.
    6. Godinez, Jose R. & Liu, Ling, 2015. "Corruption distance and FDI flows into Latin America," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 33-42.
    7. Clegg, Jeremy & Lin, Hsin Mei & Voss, Hinrich & Yen, I-Fan & Shih, Yi Tien, 2016. "The OFDI patterns and firm performance of Chinese firms: The moderating effects of multinationality strategy and external factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 971-985.
    8. Lu, Jiangyong & Liu, Xiaohui & Filatotchev, Igor & Wright, Mike, 2014. "The impact of domestic diversification and top management teams on the international diversification of Chinese firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 455-467.
    9. Mbalyohere, Charles & Lawton, Thomas & Boojihawon, Roshan & Viney, Howard, 2017. "Corporate political activity and location-based advantage: MNE responses to institutional transformation in Uganda’s electricity industry," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(6), pages 743-759.
    10. Geleilate, José-Mauricio G. & Magnusson, Peter & Parente, Ronaldo C. & Alvarado-Vargas, Marcelo J., 2016. "Home Country Institutional Effects on the Multinationality–Performance Relationship: A Comparison Between Emerging and Developed Market Multinationals," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 380-402.
    11. Foroudi, Pantea & Gupta, Suraksha & Patel, Parth & Batsakis, Georgios & Vaatanen, Juha & Czinkota, Michael, 2023. "The effect of home country characteristics on the internationalization of EMNEs: The moderating role of knowledge stock," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    12. Mazé, Dominique & Chailan, Claude, 2021. "A South-South perspective on emerging economy companies and institutional coevolution: An empirical study of Chinese multinationals in Africa," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(4).
    13. Youngok Kim & Sidney J Gray, 2017. "Internationalization strategy and the home-regionalization hypothesis: The case of Australian multinational enterprises," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 42(4), pages 673-691, November.
    14. Ziyi Wei & Quyen T. K. Nguyen, 2020. "Local responsiveness strategy of foreign subsidiaries of Chinese multinationals: The impacts of relational-assets, market-seeking FDI, and host country institutional environments," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 661-692, September.
    15. 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.
    16. 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.
    17. Elitsa R. Banalieva & Gary Gregg & Ravi Sarathy, 2010. "The Impact of Regional Trade Agreements on the Global Orientation of Emerging Market Multinationals," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 797-826, December.
    18. Nguyen, Quyen T.K. & Kim, Sylvia, 2020. "The multinationality and performance relationship: Revisiting the literature and exploring the implications," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    19. Brenes, Esteban R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Pichardo, Caleb A., 2019. "Managing institutional voids: A configurational approach to understanding high performance antecedents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 345-358.
    20. Cardoza, Guillermo & Fornes, Gaston & Farber, Vanina & Gonzalez Duarte, Roberto & Ruiz Gutierrez, Jaime, 2016. "Barriers and public policies affecting the international expansion of Latin American SMEs: Evidence from Brazil, Colombia, and Peru," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2030-2039.

    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:eee:worbus:v:53:y:2018:i:2:p:209-221. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620401/description#description .

    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.