Since the opening of formerly closed markets in Eastern Europe and China in the early 1990s, numerous firms have sought to capture the growth opportunities prevailing in the virgin but institutionally distant business networks in these countries. I claim that the entry process into an institutionally distant business network has been realised when the entering firm has reached an insidership position in the network. To advance this idea, the thesis introduces the overlooked medium-sized multinational exporter (MME) and answers the following overarching research questions: (I) how do MMEs establish insidership positions in institutionally distant business networks, and (II) what critical abilities are developed by MMEs in the process of entering an institutionally distant business network? To answer these questions, qualitative and quantitative methods have sequentially been mixed to first give an in-depth understanding of the empirical field, and second to verify and generalise some of the most central tentative findings. Empirically, the study reports from a case study of eight firms in the Baltic Sea Region and from an on-site survey of 203 Swedish firms with experience of entries in Eastern Europe and/or China. Five individual essays are presented—all designed to reflect different aspects of the institutionally distant network entry process. The findings are condensed in the cover of the thesis, where it is claimed that an insidership position is reached through three main phases: the Scouting phase, the Qualifying phase and the Shielding phase. Furthermore, it is found that that the most critical abilities developed through the institutionally distant network entry process is local experience-based knowledge of high specificity. It is shown that previous experiences, generated in different business networks in mature markets, are not useful in the network entry process in immature markets. As a consequence, there is reason to believe that the entering firm needs to develop unlearning abilities to replace obsolete or misleading experience.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 rachel_chang_vrevisada.pdf: 1950619 bytes, checksum: 4bc508abe541c6864ab36cc62bbfde90 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-12 / Internationalization speed of multinational enterprises through foreign subsidiaries is a relevant topic on the international management literature. Its definition, however, presents conceptual differences. Some authors conceptualize internationalization speed with a onedimensional perspective, considering the difference between the year of the multinational's first performance abroad and its year of foundation. Others add to this view the subsequent entries after the first internationalization in a particular country or region. The question of how to measure the internationalization speed also does not present a consensus among different authors, as it can be related to new subsidiaries (commitment speed) and to the countries abroad (dispersion speed). Moreover, extrinsic and intrinsic aspects related to subsidiaries can influence the pace of their international expansion. This study aims to analyze the influence of institutional distances, dismembered on its regulatory, normative and cultural-cognitive pillars and experiential knowledge, subdivided into regional and global experience, into the speed of commitment and dispersion of multinational enterprises through foreign subsidiaries. For this purpose, a secondary base was used with 492 operations within electronics industries established in 46 countries. The hypotheses raised were analyzed with the use of correlations and multiple linear regressions. The results presented suggest three contributions to the academic literature. First, it is important to differentiate the speed of internationalization in terms of commitment and dispersion. Secondly, it is observed that the experiential knowledge positively moderates the relation between commitment and dispersion speed and the institutional distance. Finally, high regulatory and normative distances can be positive for the commitment speed through subsidiaries when the multinational enterprise has little international experience. Thus, this study suggests that other aspects can positively contribute to stimulate international expansion and, therefore, opens up opportunities for future contributions to the theme of internationalization speed. / A velocidade de internacionalização de empresas multinacionais por meio de subsidiárias no exterior constitui um relevante tópico na literatura de gestão internacional. Sua definição, entretanto, apresenta diferenças conceituais. Há autores que abordam a velocidade de internacionalização sob uma perspectiva unidimensional, considerando a diferença entre o ano da primeira atuação no exterior com o estabelecimento da subsidiária no país anfitrião e o ano de fundação da multinacional. Outros acrescentam a essa visão as entradas subsequentes à primeira internacionalização em um determinado país ou em uma região. A questão de como mensurar a velocidade de internacionalização também não apresenta um consenso entre os autores, podendo se relacionar às novas subsidiárias (velocidade de comprometimento) e aos países para atuação no exterior (velocidade de dispersão). Adicionalmente, aspectos extrínsecos e intrínsecos às subsidiárias podem influenciar o ritmo de sua expansão internacional. Este estudo objetiva analisar a influência das distâncias institucionais, desmembrada em seus pilares regulatório, normativo e cultural-cognitivo e o conhecimento experiencial, subdivido em experiência regional e global, na velocidade de comprometimento e de dispersão de multinacionais por meio de subsidiárias estrangeiras. Para isso, utilizou-se uma base secundária de empresas com 492 operações do setor eletroeletrônico, estabelecidas em 46 países. As hipóteses levantadas foram analisadas com o uso de correlações e regressões lineares múltiplas. Os resultados apresentados sugerem três contribuições à literatura acadêmica. Primeiramente, é importante diferenciar a velocidade de internacionalização no que tange o comprometimento e a dispersão. Em segundo lugar, observa-se que o conhecimento experiencial modera de forma positiva a relação da velocidade de comprometimento e de dispersão com a distância institucional. Finalmente, uma alta distância regulatória e normativa pode ser positiva para a velocidade de comprometimento por meio de subsidiárias quando a multinacional possui pouca experiência internacional. Dessa forma, o estudo apresenta indícios de que outros aspectos podem contribuir positivamente para estimular a expansão internacional e, portanto, abre oportunidade para futuras contribuições ao tema velocidade de internacionalização.

ABSTRACT   Date: [2023-05-30] Level:  Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr  Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University  Authors:  Naiymie Binta Arman   Miriam Lini       (00/02/27)    (02/05/06) Title:    Navigating the Challenges of International Business: An Analysis of     Factors Influencing the Exit of Multinational Corporations. Supervisor:    Edward Gillmore  Keywords:    Multinational Enterprises, Market Exit, Transaction Cost Theory,      Institutional Theory, Isomorphism, Legitimacy, Entry modes      (internationalization), Exit modes, Institutional distance, Institutional &     Infrastructural hassle factors  Research question:   What are the internal and external characteristics that drive market exit?  Purpose:    The aim of this study is to investigate the internal and external factors that contribute to the exit of MNEs from foreign markets, and to provide insights for firms operating in foreign markets. Problematization:   The scarcity of research on the predominant factors influencing the exit of     MNEs from established foreign markets highlights the need to understand effective strategies for minimizing financial losses and preserving reputation. Method:   Qualitative research paper; Thematic analysis using semi-structured interviews and secondary data.  Conclusion:    The researchers aimed to explore the factors driving market exit for     Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). They identified internal factors such as financial performance, lack of proper financial guidance, and inadequate resource allocation as key drivers for Company X's market exit. External factors included economic differences, high competition, and regulatory constraints in the Swedish market, leading to contract termination for     Company X.

The high economic growth of formerly closed markets such as China, Russia, Poland, and the Baltic states has created vast business and growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although this international business expansion of SMEs occurs in highly dissimilar business contexts and fierce international competition, it remains overlooked by research. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to contribute to an enhanced understanding of internationalization processes of SMEs by studying the overarching research question: What are the main features of internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context? Three sub-problems are researched with regard to SMEs entering and taking off from emerging markets, as well as differences and similarities between these processes, in order to identify what features characterize them. Empirically, two surveys of 116 and 203 Swedish SMEs, respectively, with experiences of entry into emerging markets were conducted through standardized questionnaires via mail and on-site visits. In addition, case studies were conducted through interviews and observations of five internationalizing Chinese SMEs and four Chinese wholesale and retail market platforms. Five essays are compiled within the thesis and major findings and conclusions provide theoretical and empirical contributions to research on the internationalization processes of SMEs. With regard to the overlooked internationally experienced manufacturing SMEs from mature markets such as Sweden, theoretical advancements are made identifying the main concepts of their entry into emerging markets: entry node (the establishment point into the foreign business network); market-specific experiential knowledge; and perceived institutional distance. With regard to the internationally novel Chinese SMEs, these were seen to diverge from traditional internationalization paths. Indications were found of a parallel expansion abroad and at home, even using foreign markets as a springboard for further growth at home. The take-off node concerns the departure from an emerging home market, where a paradox of knowledge was found: the use of indirect export via a domestic intermediary facilitates the take off, but hinders further international expansion since no international experience or relationships are built up. Moreover, institutional distance was reduced due to collective internationalization through co-locating abroad. Generally, degree of maturity of the home market; as well as degree of internationalization and type of firm; are the main features behind differences between internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context.