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Returnee managers as an asset for emerging market multinational enterprises: Chinese cross-border acquisitions (2008–2017)

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  • Xie, Zaiyang
  • Wang, Liang

Abstract

Returnee managers, a scarce human resource for emerging market multinational enterprises in the past, are becoming increasingly abundant, and their value is at risk of diminishing. The analysis of Chinese cross-border acquisitions (2008–2017) reveals that only returnee managers from the same country in which an acquisition is targeted facilitate the acquisition, whereas the others fail to make a difference. The impacts are stronger when the acquiring company has less international experience and when the target country has a weak institutional environment. Thus, returnee managers as an asset should be deployed where they are most needed and least substitutable.

Suggested Citation

  • Xie, Zaiyang & Wang, Liang, 2022. "Returnee managers as an asset for emerging market multinational enterprises: Chinese cross-border acquisitions (2008–2017)," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:57:y:2022:i:2:s109095162100081x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2021.101270
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