International business strategy: development of an integrated framework and typology

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is international business strategy (IBS) has evolved into a complex and vast domain of study. Given this fact, the author first proposed a set of screens that a firm’s IBS manager was required to assess before venturing into a foreign country. Then the author developed an integrated IBS framework to secure a holistic view regarding IBS. Finally, the author proposed a typology to classify IBS archetypes. Design/methodology/approach The author undertook a systematic and integrated literature review of IBS literature. The literature review was carried out with a conceptual perspective in mind. Incremental and argumentative logic was applied to develop the integrated IBS framework from a wide domain of literature. Furthermore, the typology on IBS initiatives was also developed based upon a classification scheme developed in the framework. Findings The author developed the integrated conceptual framework based upon six building blocks which were conceptual elements. The framework consisted of the antecedent variable as internationally deployable organizational resources and capabilities (IDORC), the mediating variables as internationally implementable organizational process (IIOP), internationally executable practices and activities (IEPA) and international market product service offerings (IMPSO). The moderating variable was international initiatives management direction and control (IIMDC), while the dependent variable was international market performance assessment (IMPA). Thus, IDORC, IIOP, IEPA, IMPSA, IIMDC and IMPA were the building blocks of IBS framework. There were 12 types of IBS typologies based upon the dominant role played by the home and host countries in the six building block elements of IBS mentioned. The 12 typologies were domestic reproduction (DR), foreign country centric offerings (FCCO), international offerings perspective (IOP), foreign country-driven activities (FCDA), international-driven activities (IDA), foreign country-driven process (FCDP), international-driven process (IDP), foreign country initiatives domestically controlled (FCIDC), international initiatives domestically controlled (IIDC), international initiatives home-dominant foreign dyad controlled (IIHDFDC), international independent initiative (III) and international coordinated network approach (ICNA). Research limitations/implications In this study, an integrated framework on IBS was developed. In the theoretical framework, antecedent (DORC), mediating (IIOP, IEPA and IMPSA), moderating (IIMDC) and dependent variables (IMPA) have been incorporated. This was the first theoretical contribution of this paper toward IBS theorization. Second contribution of this paper was toward typology development regarding IBS initiatives archetypes. The 12 typologies were DR, FCCO, IOP, FCDA, IDA, FCDP, IDP, FCIDC, IIDC, IHDFDC, III and ICNA. The IBS typology is based upon the six constituent concepts developed from literature. Practical implications Managers who are responsible for the planning and execution of IBS initiatives could from the integrated IBS framework comprehend what would be the steps required to plan and execute an IBS strategy in its entirety for success in foreign markets. Furthermore, managers could understand the various mediation and moderation roles regarding the IBS factors present in any firm internationalization effort. This would help managers not only to amplify the mediating effects but also to tweak the efforts of moderation so as to arrive at better internationalization performance. The section on typology on IBS initiatives would help managers to secure a better fit for the IBS initiative of the firm. The typology would anchor managerial perspectives regarding how the home country firm organizational contributions on resources and capabilities, processes, practice activities and products and services need to be offered in foreign countries. Originality/value To the best of author’s knowledge, this is one of the first frameworks regarding an integrated perspective on IBS and a typology on IBS based upon a set of antecedent (resources and capabilities), mediation (process, activities and market offerings), moderation (management control) and dependent (performance) variables building on firm resource-based view perspectives.

Explicating firm international corporate social responsibility initiatives

“…In Figure 1, thus the ICSR model involving the moderator and mediating variables are presented. The author in this study examines the conditions for the successful planning and implementation of ICSR initiatives (Bhattacharyya, 2020). ICSR function will receive interests with the increasing internationalisation of firms (Bhattacharyya, 2019a, 2019b).…”

“…CSR planning needs to be carried out by the top management team (TMT) of a firm for better effectiveness (Waldman et al , 2006; Azam et al (2020). CSR planning should provide detailed budgeting with a detailed layout of processes and activities to be carried out (Moon et al , 2011; Bhattacharyya, 2020). Calabrese et al (2015) advocate that in CSR planning it is important that feedback of past experience is catered too.…”

“…In the context of ICSR (as for other business initiatives) as discussed earlier, ICSR practice will be contingent upon the practice of international business itself (Preece et al , 1999; Bhattacharyya, 2020). The extent of international exposure of a firm needs to be depicted based upon the extent of revenue, profits, investments and assets coming from international ventures relative to national initiatives (Camisón and Villar‐López, 2010).…”

“…Thus, all the factors discussed in this section depict the contribution and effectiveness of ICSR. However, there is a dearth of studies reflecting (theoretical or empirical investigation) regarding the process of ICSR (Bhattacharyya and Verma, 2019; Bhattacharyya, 2020). In essence, the aim of this literature review study is to ascertain, what factors determine the effectiveness of ICSR initiatives.…”

International market selection: an application of hybrid multi-criteria decision-making technique in the textile sector

“…Previous literature reviews on the subject show the diversity of approaches, analytical perspectives, methodological proposals, gaps and variety of results and even differences in the conceptual domain. In this way, the domain-specific field addresses not only the IMS perspective (Papadopoulos and Denis, 1988;Andersen and Strandskov, 1997;Douglas and Craig, 2011;Ozturk et al, 2015) but also the topic of segmentation (Steenkamp and Ter Hofstede, 2002;Papadopoulos and Martín Martín, 2011) and strategy (Bhattacharyya, 2020). Meanwhile, in the aspect concerning research on the methodological approaches proposed for the IMS processes, it RIBS 31,1 can be highlighted that the studies applied in the field have been developed even through more diverse points and proposals that address systematic, non-systematic and relational approaches that improve decision-making regarding external markets (Andersen and Buvik, 2002;Brouthers and Nakos, 2005).…”