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This dissertation consists of three essays examining the influence of contextual factors on the patterns of knowledge-sourcing of firms. I argue that both the institutional framework and the geographical location exert an influence in the way firms search for innovative knowledge outside of their own boundaries and across geographical distances. The first essay explores the influence of location in a peripheral region on the patterns of collaboration for innovation. The second essay focuses on the effect of specific public policies on the characteristics of innovation practices. The third essay studies the changes in the patterns of innovation after a change of ownership produced by the privatization of formerly state-owned companies. The first essay focuses on the influence of geographical factors (in particular the location in a peripheral economy) on patterns of knowledge sourcing. Using patent data, I examine the dispersion of inventor networks in two countries located in the periphery of Europe. I find that in these settings, the disaggregation of innovation across national borders will depend on a combination of location, multinationality of the firm, knowledge tacitness and organizational capabilities in innovation. In the context of national systems of innovation in peripheral economies, economic actors connected to more innovative locations tend to be part of more geographically dispersed inventor networks. When these economic actors are engaged in tacit knowledge creation, their innovative activities tend to be co-located, unless the orchestrator of the innovation is a highly innovative company that is able to conduct this type of innovation in a dispersed fashion. The second essay explores whether publicly-funded schemes for innovation are related to an increase in the “openness” of firms’ innovation practices. Using survey data from 5,238 firms in 29 countries, I find that both monetary and non-monetary support policies for innovation are related to an increase in the degree of openness of individual firms. This openness is expressed both in terms of the number of external partners with whom they collaborate and the number of open innovation activities they perform. However, the relationship between the extent of public support and openness seems to be negatively moderated by the existence of previous innovative activity within the firm. Public support has more impact on less innovative firms and less influence when the firm is already innovative, which implies that it is important to target such supports in order to maximize their impact. Additionally, I find that non-monetary support is more critical than financial support in increasing openness. For policy makers facing salient financial constraints, this implies that institutions and government policies can play an important role in fostering open innovation. The third essay explores the patterns of knowledge sourcing of firms before and after privatization. Privatization of state-owned enterprises generates the adoption of new management practices and changes in the companies' objectives. While the literature has abundantly explored the consequences of privatization over different aspects of firm performance, its effects on innovation have been scarcely explored. While some studies suggest that privatization produces a subsequent reduction in the amount of R&D investment, little else is known about specific changes in the patterns of innovation of privatized firms. I hypothesize that privatized firms are likely to focus on a narrower set of technologies as a response to increased pressure for profitability and short-term results. I also analyze the competing arguments regarding the privatized firms' willingness to engage in collaborations with other firms and to disperse their innovation activities internationally. I used patent data for a sample of privatized firms from multiple countries to assess the validity of these hypotheses. / Business Administration/International Business Administration

<p>Introduction: Already in the 1970’s, internationalisation was noted as a striking trend in business. Since then, the speed of internationalisation has increased as infrastructure, communication, and IT have decreased space and time barriers for international trade. Today, companies must engage in international activities to survive in the competitive environment and researchers argue that firms’ international performance is determined by their ability to establish relationships.</p><p>Problem: In order to facilitate the search for business actors globally, Chamber Trade Business to Business AB offers a database in which companies can post business inquiries. Lately, the number of inquiries published in the database has decreased. Therefore, the question arose what other tools companies use instead when searching for business partners. This empirically driven problem is also matched by a theoretical need for more research about how firms establish international relationships.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how small Swedish B2B companies find downstream international partners.</p><p>Theoretical framework: In order to create a frame of reference for guidance in the collection and analysis of the empirical data, theory has been divided into three sections; Internationalisation theory, Business to Business relationships theory, and Means for international interaction.</p><p>Method: To fulfil the purpose of the thesis, a qualitative study with an inductive approach was undertaken. Secondary data in terms of literature and academic articles were scanned to create a theoretical framework and to facilitate the collection of primary data. Primary data was gathered from ten small Swedish firms in order to find out how their downstream international business relationships had been initiated.</p><p>Conclusion: Our thesis concludes that many Swedish sellers start out their internationalisation to countries with close distance by responding to unsolicited orders from foreign customers. Over time, their proactiveness increases and they primary use the following channels in order to find international partners: networks, trade fairs, trade- and industry organisations, and the Internet. Databases have several defaults for being a useful search tool, mainly their lack of precise search criteria and personal interaction. Further, when companies offer a high quality product, a reputation is created about the company. Consequently, foreign customers pull the company into new countries and the need for external search tools is low.</p>

Decisions regarding foreign market entry and market entry mode are strategically important to multinational corporations (MNCs). Most previous studies have focused on the economic rationale behind these decisions and assumed that MNCs' decisions are rational and independent of their own and other MNCs' previous decisions. / In conclusion, the evidence noticeably refutes the claim that there is only an economic explanation for the decisions regarding foreign market entry and market entry mode, and demonstrates that organizational legitimacy, a social consideration, can play a key role in explaining an MNC's decision. / This thesis develops the neoinstitutional perspective of foreign direct investment strategy. The main proposition is that an MNC's decision regarding foreign market entry and subsidiary ownership level represents its desire to gain external and internal organizational legitimacy, and its decision is influenced by its own previous decisions and the previous decisions of other MNCs from the same home country. In the empirical setting of Japanese MNCs' foreign investments across the world over the period 1987--1999, I find supporting evidence for my main argument. First, other MNCs' entry into a market induces an MNC to enter the same market to gain external organizational legitimacy and an MNC's prior overseas establishments trigger its subsequent market entry to gain operational experience. Second, an MNC selects to trade a portion of its subsidiary ownership level for external and internal organizational legitimacy by forming an equity joint venture with local partners or industry incumbents. Third, in uncertain situations, an MNC mimics the prevalent, legitimate subsidiary ownership level strategy adopted by other MNCs in the same geographical region, and it is more prone to make a mimetic choice when its subsidiary is located in a less-developed country than in a developed country. / Chan Man-kuen Christine. / "July 2002." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-10, Section: A, page: 3630. / Supervisor: Shige Makino. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-193). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Introduction: Already in the 1970’s, internationalisation was noted as a striking trend in business. Since then, the speed of internationalisation has increased as infrastructure, communication, and IT have decreased space and time barriers for international trade. Today, companies must engage in international activities to survive in the competitive environment and researchers argue that firms’ international performance is determined by their ability to establish relationships. Problem: In order to facilitate the search for business actors globally, Chamber Trade Business to Business AB offers a database in which companies can post business inquiries. Lately, the number of inquiries published in the database has decreased. Therefore, the question arose what other tools companies use instead when searching for business partners. This empirically driven problem is also matched by a theoretical need for more research about how firms establish international relationships. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how small Swedish B2B companies find downstream international partners. Theoretical framework: In order to create a frame of reference for guidance in the collection and analysis of the empirical data, theory has been divided into three sections; Internationalisation theory, Business to Business relationships theory, and Means for international interaction. Method: To fulfil the purpose of the thesis, a qualitative study with an inductive approach was undertaken. Secondary data in terms of literature and academic articles were scanned to create a theoretical framework and to facilitate the collection of primary data. Primary data was gathered from ten small Swedish firms in order to find out how their downstream international business relationships had been initiated. Conclusion: Our thesis concludes that many Swedish sellers start out their internationalisation to countries with close distance by responding to unsolicited orders from foreign customers. Over time, their proactiveness increases and they primary use the following channels in order to find international partners: networks, trade fairs, trade- and industry organisations, and the Internet. Databases have several defaults for being a useful search tool, mainly their lack of precise search criteria and personal interaction. Further, when companies offer a high quality product, a reputation is created about the company. Consequently, foreign customers pull the company into new countries and the need for external search tools is low.

This study examined the impact of Westernization on Tongan cultural values (Collectivism I, Collectivism II, Power Distance, Future Orientation, and Uncertainty Avoidance) related to business. A Tongan version of the Project GLOBE Beta Questionnaire measuring cultural dimensions at the societal level was completed by 222 Tongans from the island groups of Vava’u, Ha’apai, and Niuatoputapu. One-way ANOVA and planned comparison results indicated significant differences for Collectivism II and Uncertainty Avoidance. Scores from Vava’u showed significantly less Collectivism II than Ha’apai, but not Niuatoputapu. Furthermore, scores from Vava’u showed significantly less Uncertainty Avoidance than Ha’apai and Niuatoputapu. No significant differences were found between Ha’apai and Niuatoputapu on any of the cultural dimensions in this study. The results of this study indicate the cultural dimension scores in one of Tonga’s more populated and technologically advanced island groups are beginning to reflect the values of Western culture. Implications for organizations planning to conduct business in Tonga are discussed.

Würzburg, Universität, Thesis (doctoral), 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. xxvi-liv).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985. / Photocopy from typescript.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Western Sydney, November 2003" Includes bibliography.