Abstract not available

Abstract not available

In recent years, the Australian government has opened the Australian economy to the global marketplace through tariff reductions and the establishment of free trade agreements with other countries. The ability of the Australian economy to benefit from these agreements is dependent on Australian businesses identifying international opportunities and exploiting their competitive advantage in the international marketplace. However, the family business literature suggests that complexities unique to family firms limit their ability take advantage of such opportunities and grow internationally. To date, the limited empirical testing of such claims has produced conflicting results. As a consequence, little is known about the international behaviour of family firms, what influences such behaviour and what effect internationalisation has on the owning family and the business. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a mixed research method design. Using the quantitative analysis of small - to - medium - sized family - owned enterprises ( SMFEs ) contained within the most recently available longitudinal database of Australian businesses and the qualitative analysis of eight SMFEs, the internationalisation process of SMFEs in the manufacturing sector was examined. The findings of this study suggest that, compared to their non - family counterparts, Australian SMFEs are less likely to venture into the international marketplace. Furthermore, those that do, do so to a lesser degree when compared to non - SMFEs. Although the internationalisation behaviour of most SMFEs was similar to that of traditional international firms, some exhibited ?born-again? global internationalisation behaviour as a result of critical events within the firm. These included succession to the next generation and the appointment of non - family managers with the requisite expertise. The internationalisation of SMFEs was dependent on their ability to configure their resources to create globally relevant capabilities, and their willingness to exploit those capabilities in the international marketplace. In addition to the family ' s commitment to internationalisation, the production capabilities, international network relationships and overcoming a ' production mindset ' to build the requisite managerial and marketing capabilities were all found to be critical to the international growth of SMFEs. An SMFE ' s financial and human resources were found to have a substantial influence over their ability to build the organisational capabilities and international network relationships required for internationalisation. Compared to solely focusing on the domestic marketplace, there were some financial benefits to be gained by SMFEs in venturing overseas. However the extent to which they did so had no observable effect on financial performance. Overall, the financial benefits gained from internationalisation were dependent on having a long - term commitment to, and possessing the managerial capabilities required for, internationalisation. The changes brought about by internationalisation improved the overall competitiveness of SMFEs, enabling them to successfully compete with their domestic and international competitors. However, internationalisation was found to place substantial strain on the family unit, particularly when the firm had limited managerial capabilities, and was often a trigger for conflict within the family and the business. The implications of this study ' s findings for SMFEs, policy and future research are explored in the thesis. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Adelaide Graduate School of Business, 2006.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2000. / A thesis submitted as part of the candidature requirement for the award of a Doctorate of Philosophy, November 2000, University of Western Sydney. Bibliography : leaves 204-215.

No description available.

"October 2008" / Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Dept. of Sociology 2009. / Bibliography: leaves 273-293. / Introduction -- Patterns of corporate activity as patterns of corporate dominance: legal, organisational, and economic features of corporations -- Representations of corporate dominance in insidious injuries -- The legal basis of corporate dominance: History of the corporation -- Legal individualism and corporate personhood -- Theories of the corporation -- The legal regulation of corporations - corporate liability laws -- Conclusion. / Corporations are no longer simply a type of business structure; they are dominant social institutions. As institutions, corporations are archetypes of contemporary complex social organisation and should, therefore, be a central concern for sociology. Yet with few notable exceptions, sociologists have failed to address their increasingly dominant position in contemporary societies. In this thesis I argue the importance of a renewed sociological interest in corporations. This must acknowledge, but go beyond, the political-economic outcomes of corporations to address the profound consequences of the legal foundations of the corporate form. Corporations are created and regulated by legal doctrine; it is only with a legal mandate that corporations are able to act as employers, suppliers and investors. On this basis, I claim that any understanding of corporate dominance and its effects must commence with an appreciation of the laws that enable the corporation to exist and operate. -- While contributing significantly to wealth creation, corporate dominance also increases the potential for harm to occur to individuals and communities who fall within a corporation's scope. The contemporary proliferation of industrial illnesses is a prime example of this and is examined through a case study of the operations of an Australian asbestos corporation, James Hardie. This case study is timely and unique in its specification of the link between corporate activity and law in contemporary society. -- I argue that corporate activity such as that in the case study is enhanced and legitimated by the legal description of the corporation that assigns to it the capacities of a human individual through corporate legal personhood. Corporate personhood is examined as an example of the legal individualism endorsed in liberal common law countries. By exploring accounts of corporate structure, decision-making and work processes, I explain how the individualised description of the corporation is at odds with its collective realities; the largest and most successful corporations are collectives of human and monetary resources. -- In light of this, I question the extent to which the effective regulation of corporations can be achieved within existing legal frameworks. Building upon research into workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom, the regulation of workplace deaths in Australia is examined to demonstrate the various approaches to regulating corporations and to identify their shortcomings. This is a striking example of the problems law faces in regulating corporations by virtue of its individualistic design. -- The thesis concludes with an affirmation that sociology needs to grapple with issues of corporate activity and that an understanding of the legal basis of the corporation is the foundation of such studies. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / 295 leaves

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