The future of international business research on corporate globalization that never was…

May combine two claims.

The principal limits on corporate globalization, when endogenous, generally stem from bounded rationality, bounded reliability, and failure to build an organizational setting that supports value creation; these worsen as geographic and product scope expands.

“The main constraints on corporate globalization have been documented in a large and wide-ranging literature, and to the extent that these constraints are endogenous, they can usually be reduced to challenges of bounded rationality, bounded reliability, and the inability to create an organizational context conducive to value creation in its entirety, all of which become exacerbated as the firm”

• cites Rugman & Verbeke, 2001 sourceNot checked yet

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• cites Verbeke & Kano, 2016Not checked yet

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• cites Narula & Verbeke, 2015 sourceNot checked yet

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Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Globalization tendencies have unfolded through non-linear processes, with drivers and impacts still debated.

“Business historians have shown that globalization tendencies, though deeply rooted in the history of various human civilizations, have unfolded through non-linear processes and with drivers and impacts that are still vigorously debated (Hopkins, 2002;O'Rourke & Williamson, 2002;Jones, 2005).”

• cites Hopkins, 2002Not checked yet

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• cites O'Rourke & Williamson, 2002Not checked yet

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• cites Jones, 2005Not checked yet

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Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Knowledge on corporate globalization is much more limited than is commonly assumed in the IB field and beyond.

“The immediate outcome of such ''accuracy-focused'' approach would undoubtedly be the recognition that knowledge on corporate globalization is much more limited that what is commonly assumed in the IB field and beyond.”

May combine two claims.

Chang, Kogut and Yang (2016) replicated Denis et al. (2002) using Compustat complemented with Orbis data, but data availability was equally restrictive, so they also used a dummy variable for corporate globalization.

“Recently, Chang, Kogut and Yang (2016) replicated Denis et al.'s (2002) article.They complemented the Compustat data, with data from another -more recent -database, namely Orbis, which includes companies from around the world.But data availability appeared equally restrictive and the authors faced the same constraints as before.They therefore also addressed corporate globalization through usage of”

• cites Chang et al., 2016Not checked yet

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In corporate globalization research, detailed studies must exclude many cases with missing data, whereas large-sample studies depend on flawed proxies.

“A third empirical caveat concerns sample selection.On the one hand, authors who try to engage in a fine-grained analysis of corporate globalization have little choice than to eliminate many cases lacking the requisite information.As a result, Hitt, Hoskisson and Kim (1997) built their analysis on 295 US firms from the Compustat database; Qian, Li and Rugman (2013) used 167 Canadian firms; Hashai (”

• cites Hitt, Hoskisson and Kim (1997)Not checked yet

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• cites Qian, Li and Rugman (2013)Not checked yet

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• cites Hashai (2011)Not checked yet

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May combine two claims.

Denis et al. (2002) used 44,288 firm-years from 7,520 firms and Chang et al. (2016) used 12,640 firm-years from 3,002 firms, indicating that many companies were eliminated even though corporate globalization was measured only by a dummy variable.

“In the first article, Denis et al. (2002) managed to build upon a sample of 44,288 firm-years associated with 7520 firms.In the second article, Chang et al. (2016) used a sample of 12,640 firm years associated with 3002 firms.Considering the very large size of these databases, one can only conclude that the authors felt compelled to eliminate a large number of companies, even though they used only”

• cites Denis et al., 2002Not checked yet

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• cites Chang et al., 2016Not checked yet

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May combine two claims.

Such indices are informative only at the extremes; at intermediate levels, where most internationally active firms sit, interpretation is difficult.

“The main weakness of this approach, unsurprisingly, is again, that this type of index can be meaningful at the extremes, but is more difficult to interpret when taking on intermediate scores (where most internationally operating firms are positioned).”

May combine two claims.

Both conceptual appraisal and empirical measurement of corporate globalization are difficult.

“Corporate globalization is not only difficult to appraise conceptually, but its actual measurement is equally challenging.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

The introduction of concepts such as born globals and global value chains has enriched IB debate on international entry and operations but has also muddled understanding of what corporate globalization implies.

“Here, the introduction of concepts such as born globals and global value chains may have enriched the debate in IB research on the various forms of international entry and operations, but it has also further muddled the waters on what corporate globalization actually implies.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Rugman and Verbeke (2004) set thresholds for global status: no less than 20% of sales in each broad triad region and below 50% in any single region.

“Rugman and Verbeke (2004) The future of international business research proposed the following thresholds: Global firms were defined as having sales of at least 20% in each of the three regions of the broad triad of North America, Europe and Asia, but with less than 50% in any one of these regions (especially the home region).”

• cites Rugman and Verbeke (2004) sourceNot checked yet

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Most data used in corporate globalization studies come from external sources and provide only limited information on MNEs' international activities.

“Most of the data used in corporate globalization studies come from external sources, and these provide only limited information on MNEs' international activities.”

• cites Denis et al., 2002Not checked yet

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Scholars studying born globals and global value chains, most of which are not global by any reasonable standard, have a better command of their data than scholars studying large MNEs, because born global data are often hand-collected and global value chain scholars emphasize understanding their data.

“The great paradox of corporate globalization research is that the scholars studying born globals and global value chains, most of which are not ''global'' by any reasonable standard, actually have a much better command of their data than the scholars studying large MNEs.The reason is that at least some information on the born globals studied is typically hand-collected, whereas the scholars”

May combine two claims.

Instead of building from firm-level data upward, researchers usually define regional units from macro-level data; arbitrary aggregation decisions then undermine comparability and reproducibility.

“The above suggests that researchers typically face two methodological challenges: Firstly, rather than starting with understanding and aggregating firm-level data from the bottom-up, and gaining insight into the reasons for actual geographic dispersion, they start from the macro-level to establish regional geographic units.Secondly, they make arbitrary choices in the aggregation process, thereby”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

Because Compustat does not specify individual countries in each segment, the number of global segments and the number of countries cannot be used as measures of global diversification.

“Given these limitations, the number of global segments in which a firm operates has limited meaning and we do not report it as a measure of global diversification.In addition, because the database does not specify the individual countries that are included in each segment, we are unable to use the number of countries as a measure of global diversification”

• cites Denis et al., 2002Not checked yet

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May combine two claims.

Sales data dominate measurement of corporate globalization; asset or employee dispersion appears in only a few published studies.

“It should also be noted that corporate globalization has been assessed almost exclusively on the basis of sales data.Only few published articles have included other parameters, such as asset or employee dispersion (Rugman & Verbeke, 2008).”

• cites Rugman & Verbeke, 2008Not checked yet

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Information from the world's largest companies on their business activities abroad is often missing, presented in idiosyncratic ways, and subject to firm-specific discretionary choices in data gathering and dissemination.

“What we can infer from these cases, representative of many other firms, is that information from the world's largest companies on their business activities abroad, is often missing.It is presented in idiosyncratic ways, and subject to firm-specific, discretionary choices as to intra-company data gathering and dissemination routines.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The four firm examples (Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Microsoft, Sinopec) are representative of many other large firms in their disclosure of international activities.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The described public reporting practices of Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Microsoft, and Sinopec accurately reflect their disclosure of international activities.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Without baseline corporate globalization data, IB researchers will struggle to participate meaningfully in public debates about the virtues and sins of internationally operating firms and their societal impacts.

“Absent such baseline information, IB researchers will find it difficult to participate meaningfully in the public debate on the ''virtues versus sins'' of internationally operating firms, and on these firms' broader societal impacts.”

May combine two claims.

Although Kim's (1989) methodology was seen as promising, it was rarely adopted because researchers could not get the necessary data.

“The problem is that best practice methodologies, such as the one proposed by Kim (1989), though having been recognized as very promising, did not develop further and ultimately have experienced little adoption, because researchers were not able to obtain the requisite data to apply the instrument.”

• cites Kim (1989)Not checked yet

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Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

A shift by MNEs toward gathering and disclosing better information on their international activities would benefit IB scholars and create a win-win-win situation by supporting more reliable knowledge development and benefiting strategy and public policy.

“IB scholars would benefit greatly from a shift in policy practices by MNEs in terms of these firms gathering and subsequently disclosing better information on their international activities.Such a shift would equate to a ''win-win-win'' situation: Better information would support more reliable knowledge development on the content, context and consequences of MNE behaviour, which could in turn”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Critics who argue that global firms are a malign presence in host countries and thrive on malevolent decision-making are battling imaginary enemies.

“Critics who argue that global firms are a malign presence in host countries and thrive on alleged malevolent decision-making processes are, in fact, battling imaginary enemies.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

The bulk of earlier IB work on corporate globalization seems to have aimed at the wrong target.

“At present, most past analyses of corporate globalization in IB research, simply appear to have ''missed the target.''”

May combine two claims.

A debate on regionalization versus globalization materialized and included substantive discussion on appropriate thresholds to assess globalization.

“A debate along the lines suggested above, did materialize in the realm of regionalization (versus globalization), and included substantive discussion on the choice of appropriate thresholds to assess globalization (see, e.g., Osegowitsch & Sammartino, 2008;Rugman & Verbeke, 2008).”

• cites Osegowitsch & Sammartino, 2008Not checked yet

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• cites Rugman & Verbeke, 2008Not checked yet

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Geographic segment information is typically requested in annual reporting, but sharing it is not compulsory and disclosure largely depends on each company's approach to data gathering and sharing.

“At this time, geographic segment information is typically requested, but sharing such information is not really compulsory and disclosure largely depends on each company's approach to data gathering and sharing of information on its international activities (as illustrated by the firm-level examples above; see also, as an illustration, the United States FASB requisite disclosures about ''segments”

• cites FASBNot checked yet

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Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

In the longer run, IB scholars cannot do serious work on corporate globalization unless they gain access to good baseline data on the firms they study and these firms become more than nameless black boxes.

“In the longer run, IB scholars cannot do serious work on corporate globalization, unless they gain access to good baseline data on the firms they are studying, and these firms become more than nameless black boxes about which little is known beyond some superficial internationalization characteristics and other quantitative information.”

May combine two claims.

A new venture's international footprint seldom warrants the global label; exceptions are luxury-goods or high-tech/IT niche firms that require little adaptation.

“Only in exceptional cases does a new firm's geographic reach actually fit the ''global'' label.Such cases include firms selling luxury goods, or operating in high-tech and IT niche markets, and requiring little adaptation or critical complementary resources at the downstream end.These firms may fit the born global mold (Hennart, 2014).”

• cites Hennart, 2014Not checked yet

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May combine two claims.

Compustat reallocates company-reported segments into seven geographic segments and then regroups them into four global segments, so a single segment may represent one country or a large multi-country region.

“It first re-allocates the segments reported by the companies themselves among seven geographical segments.Compustat then ''regroups'' these regions to obtain four global segments.This process implies that any single segment in the database might represent either one country or a very large geographic region with multiple countries.”

• cites Denis et al., 2002Not checked yet

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May combine two claims.

Studies on corporate globalization of large MNEs, including analyses of performance impacts of global diversification, are typically the weakest, with scholars lacking in-depth command of their data and knowledge of the firms, management teams, and business models in their samples.

“The studies on the corporate globalization of large MNEs, inter alia in the realm of analyzing the performance impacts of global diversification, are typically the weakest.Scholars appear to lack an indepth command of their data, in the sense that they do not really know the firms in their samples, nor the management teams leading these firms, nor the business models deployed by these firms, etc.”

May combine two claims.

Three key interrelated empirical challenges are crude proxies, aggregation/re-computation, and sample selection.

“Three key interrelated challenges would appear critical here.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

In research on born globals and global value chains, the 'global' label is often used as a teaser, creating a gap between authors' claims and what has actually been observed.

“For these emerging topics, the ''global'' label often appears to be leveraged as a teaser, so as to make the research look more interesting.But this approach typically creates a large gap between what authors claim, and what has actually been observed.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Novel resource combinations require intense and challenging processes of melding new resources with extant capabilities.

“But novel resource combinations entail intense and challenging processes of melding the new resources involved, with extant capabilities.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Corporate globalization studies will mostly demonstrate the vulnerability, rather than the ferociousness, of the few global firms, born globals, and truly global value chains currently in existence.

“These studies will mostly demonstrate the vulnerability, rather than the ferociousness, of the few global firms, the few born globals and the few truly global value chains, presently in existence.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Managerial practices for geographic expansion must balance maximizing net efficiency benefits and minimizing negative societal spillovers.

“It has become abundantly clear that these managerial practices must artfully balance the goals of maximizing net efficiency-benefits and minimizing what could subsequently be construed as being negative, societal spillovers.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Such entrepreneurial decisions must be guided by superior entrepreneurial judgment and accompanied by disciplined implementation of firm-specific managerial practices supporting geographic expansion.

“Such decisions are necessarily guided by superior entrepreneurial judgment, but must also be associated with the disciplined implementation of firmspecific, managerial practices in support of geographic expansion.”

May combine two claims.

National regimes that force foreign companies to share intellectual property in return for market access may be the single most important threat to further corporate and macro-level globalization, and such forced sharing jeopardizes efficiency benefits for society.

“Here, national regimes thriving on the ''forced sharing'' of intellectual property by foreign companies in return for market access, may well represent the single most important threat to further corporate and macro-level globalization.Such forced sharing of proprietary knowledge also jeopardizes the related efficiency-benefits accruing to society at large.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Successfully melding extant FSA reservoirs of internationally operating firms with complementary resources from multiple host environments requires a sequence of entrepreneurial decisions.

“Successfully melding the extant FSA reservoirs of internationally operating firms with the complementary resources provided by actors in multiple host environments, requires a sequence of entrepreneurial decisions.”