Although a growing literature indicates that cultural distance – that is, differences between national cultures – is an important determinant of organizational actions and performance, both empirical and theoretical concerns abound. In this study, the relationships of cultural distance with entry mode choice, international diversification, and MNE performance are examined by meta-analyzing data from 66 independent samples, with cumulative sample sizes ranging from 2,255 to 24,152. Regression results failed to provide statistical evidence of significant relationships between cultural distance and entry mode choice, international diversification, and MNE performance. The examination of moderator effects, however, yielded important results. We found a strong negative association between cultural distance and entry mode choice for US-based MNEs. The cultural distance–international diversification relationship was negative for high-technology industries, while it was positive for other industries. Cultural distance also had a strong positive effect on MNE performance for developed country investments. A similar, strong positive relationship was found between cultural distance and international diversification in studies with more recent samples. Results of this study indicate that substantial additional research is needed before the role of cultural distance is fully understood. Journal of International Business Studies (2005) 36, 270–283. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400136

Social exchange theory is used to model the outcomes of procedural and distributive justice in supply chain relationships. In this study, we examine how the enacted procedural and distributive justice policies of a firm influence its partner's attitudes and behaviors within a sample of 290 supply chain relationships. Findings indicate that the perceived procedural and distributive justice of a supplier's policies enhance the long-term orientation and relational behaviors of its distributor, which, in turn, are associated with decreased conflict and increased satisfaction, that influence the distributor's performance. The authors discuss the importance of the results for academics and practitioners. #

The authors employ the dynamic capabilities perspective to gain a greater understanding of the conversion of firm resources into exploitation and exploration capabilities and the influence of these firm capabilities on firm outcomes. Specifically, they theorize that marketing and technological resources provide a foundation for the establishment of exploitation and exploration capabilities, respectively, and that these dynamic capabilities influence the degree of product innovation and market performance. The theorized relationships, which the authors examine using a survey of 111 U.S. importers, indicate that marketing resources influence an importer's development of exploitation capabilities, whereas technological resources influence the development of exploration capabilities. Furthermore, the authors find that exploitation capabilities provide a foundation for the development of exploration capabilities. They also find that whereas exploitation capabilities are negatively related to the degree of product innovation, exploration capabilities positively influence both the degree of product innovation and market performance. The authors provide implications for international marketing academics and practitioners.

This paper employs organizational learning theory to examine the short-term effect of past export performance, and internal (management) and external (market) forces on marketing strategy adaptation and current export performance. Results from a survey of over 500 export managers indicate that current-period performance improvement (in terms of performance achievement, export intensity, and performance satisfaction in the current year) is influenced by the firm's commitment to exporting. Further, the authors found that while performance satisfaction feeds performance improvement in the following year, both the previous year's export intensity and export performance achievement produce a negative impact on current-period performance improvement. More importantly, the level of development in the export market facilitates marketing strategy adaptation in the short term, as does export intensity in the previous year. However, satisfaction with previous-year performance negatively influences the degree of distribution adaptation. Implications for international business researchers and practitioners are also discussed. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 304–325. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400339

A sizeable body of international business (IB) research is devoted to building knowledge about the determinants of organizational performance. A key precursor to accurately diagnosing why some organizations succeed in the international marketplace while others struggle is operationalizing performance appropriately. Yet, to date, no systematic investigation has considered how well IB research measures performance. We examine the measurement of performance in 96 articles published in the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of International Business Studies, Management Science, Organization Science, and the Strategic Management Journal between 1995 and 2005. The findings reveal that most studies do not measure performance in a manner that captures the multifaceted nature of the construct. We describe the implications of these results, and offer suggestions for improving future practice. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 1064–1080. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400398