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Does the International Diversification Discount Vary by Industry and/or Firm Characteristics?

Numerous studies have been undertaken on corporate and international diversification. While most early research indicates the existence of a diversification discount, later research reports mixed results (both premiums and discounts). Recent research has even found a U-shaped, an inverted U-shaped, or an S-shaped relationship between international diversification and performance. This paper suggests a major reason for these mixed results is that the success of international diversification is dependent on specific industry and/or firm characteristics. Therefore, by looking at all firms and industries in aggregate, past diversification studies have been undertaken at too aggregate a level to understand how firm and industry specific issues affect international diversification. This study hypothesizes that the success of international diversification is dependent upon industry and firm specific advantages such as tacit knowledge, information technology capability, marketing capability, and international experience. Industries/firms that possess a significant competitive advantage in one or more of these areas will likely have an international diversification premium, while those that do not will likely have an international diversification discount. The ability of firms to generate a competitive advantage in these areas varies significantly across industries. Therefore, firms in certain industries are likely to have an international diversification premium, while others will likely have an international diversification discount. The findings of this study do indicate that in the 30 industry sectors tested, 18 have an international diversification premium while 12 have an international diversification discount. This suggests that international diversification premiums/discounts by industry to exist. The firm specific advantages of tacit knowledge, information technology capability, and marketing capability were found to be positively correlated with firm performance for international firms, while the results of international experience with firm performance were not significant. / Business Administration/International Business Administration

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/916
Date January 2010
CreatorsCasper, Steven Jay
ContributorsKotabe, Masaaki, Choi, Jongmoo Jay, 1945-, Di Benedetto, C. Anthony, Kopecky, Kenneth J., Aaronson, William Edson
PublisherTemple University. Libraries
Source SetsTemple University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation, Text
Format165 pages
RightsIN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Relationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/898, Theses and Dissertations

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