Top management teams in international business research: A review and suggestions for future research

Abstract

This article reviews and critically assesses the large and diverse literature on top management teams (TMTs) that has focused on international business (IB) issues. We apply an organizing framework that centers around four key elements of TMTs -TMT composition, structure, processes, and governanceand the most commonly studied IB-related choices and outcomes. This framework allows us to synthesize the contributions of the literature on TMTs in IB and identify opportunities for future research. The contributions of our review are threefold. First, we offer a roadmap for navigating the large and diverse literature on TMTs in IB. Second, we provide a systematic and critical evaluation of the key empirical and theoretical developments in this literature. Third, we highlight opportunities for future research to make theoretical and empirical advancements in each of the areas of our organizing framework. In these future research opportunities, we draw particular attention to the need to further contextualize TMT research in IB by proposing opportunities to more systematically incorporate the unique nature of the MNE and the external environment in which the MNE operates.1 Some scholars have acknowledged in passing that on some occasions TMTs could also comprise members who are lower in the firms' hierarchy, such as division presidents (e.g., Hambrick, 2010).

Product development capabilities-based export channel selection and export performance

“…Although no effect was found between this variable and any dependent variable in our study, according to upper echelons theory, organisational decisions are based on managerial demographic characteristics and traits (Tasheva and Nielsen, 2022). It would be productive for future research to pay attention to how managerial capabilities affect export channel selection and the contingency factors or boundary conditions for channel selection based on upper echelons theory (Cuypers et al, 2022). In addition to upper echelons theory, real options theory has recently been adopted in export channel research (Ipsmiller et al, 2021) to explore how firms can generate value by using export channels as real option alternatives, which provides additional insights into the dominating TCA logic on channel efficiency.…”

“…Although no effect was found between this variable and any dependent variable in our study, according to upper echelons theory, organisational decisions are based on managerial demographic characteristics and traits (Tasheva and Nielsen, 2022). It would be productive for future research to pay attention to how managerial capabilities affect export channel selection and the contingency factors or boundary conditions for channel selection based on upper echelons theory (Cuypers et al. , 2022).…”

CEO International Experience in Advanced Market Economies and Firm Investment Horizon in a Transitioning Economy

“…Second, we contribute to the literature by responding to recent calls (e.g., Cuypers et al, 2022) to clarify the situational rationales for CEOs' impact on firm strategic decisions. Specifically, our study offers insights into how the characteristics of the job environment in which CEOs are embedded affect the relevance of their international experience in supporting firms' long-term investment horizons (Plass et al, 2010).…”

How a chairperson's international experience can affect the post-entry speed of international SMEs from emerging economies: the roles of functional variety and power

“…Second, our study of how the functional variety of a chairperson affects internationalisation speed decisions adds to those studies that apply the upper echelons theory to the research of internationalisation speed. Variety in TMTs has been discussed by a large amount of research on internationalisation (Cuypers et al. , 2022).…”

“…Second, our study of how the functional variety of a chairperson affects internationalisation speed decisions adds to those studies that apply the upper echelons Chair's functional variety and power in SMEs theory to the research of internationalisation speed. Variety in TMTs has been discussed by a large amount of research on internationalisation (Cuypers et al, 2022). However, the literature has disregarded the possibility that within-chairperson functional variety could affect the internationalisation decision process.…”