The Rise of the Asian Multinational Firm: Implications for Corporations, Governments and International Institutions
Leeds, UK - As the ‘new Asians' increasingly extend their operations into foreign markets, a number of implications for established companies, especially for European and Japanese MNEs, are becoming apparent. This event explores this and more.
The Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA) will hold its 24th Annual Conference from Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th November 2007 at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Jointly-hosted by the Centre for International Business University of Leeds (CIBUL), Leeds University Business School , and the Department of East Asian Studies, the special topic of this year's conference will be The Rise of the Asian Multinational Firm: Implications for Corporations, Governments and International Institutions . The EAMSA-24 committee will organize special sessions around this theme, with invited keynote speakers and discussion panels.
All members of EAMSA and those who would like to participate in the discussion are invited to submit papers for both competitive and workshop sessions and to suggest panels around the conference theme. EAMSA also wishes to encourage PhD candidates and young scholars to submit papers, which will be presented in special tracks. All papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Conference papers of high quality will be selected for publication either in the Asian Business & Management Journal or in a special volume edited by the Organizing Committee of the conference.
KEY THEME
As UNCTAD's most recent World Investment Report reveals, the bulk of the recent surge in foreign direct investment from developing and transition economies is accounted for by Asian firms. In 2004, East and South East Asia was home to seventy-seven of the top 100 developing country multinational enterprises (MNEs), five of which were ranked among the world's leading 100 MNEs. Of the major Asian source countries for FDI, the Newly Industrialized Economies (NIE) predominate, most notably Hong Kong SAR, but China and Malaysia are also steady performers. Further new sources of Asian FDI are emerging, especially Indian firms that are fast targeting Europe, North America and other developing countries as investment locations.
As the ‘new Asians' increasingly extend their operations into foreign markets, a number of implications for established companies, especially for European and Japanese MNEs, as well as for governments (both home and host) and international institutions, are becoming apparent. The following is an indicative list of research questions and themes on which we would welcome contributions:
1 Interactions between firms, environment and institutions (Track chair: Adam Cross)
What are the interactions between institutions, institutional change, national government policy and the internationalization of Asian firms? How do imperfections in domestic and international markets influence the growth of the Asian MNE? What is the relationship between inbound and outbound FDI? How do ethnicity/culture/institutional affinity, spillover effects, growth and productivity levels impact on the international strategies of these firms? To what extent do Asian firms pursue regional or global strategies and how does regional integration in Europe (especially in relation to economic and monetary union) and SE Asia influence strategy formulation and perceptions of business opportunities? How have established European and Japanese MNEs responded to the ‘new Asians'? And how has their investment portfolio evolved in response to emerging economies, most notably China and India ?
2 Ownership structure, corporate structure, strategy and internationalization (Track chair: Nicolas Forsans)
Does ownership matter? Do the strategies, performance and behaviour of publicly listed, family and privately-owned conglomerates differ to those of State-owned Asian firms? To what extent are the objectives of the State and its State-Owned Enterprises aligned? How do the internationalization processes of Asian firms differ by ownership type? What are the pressures for Asian conglomerates to reorganize and decentralize operations as markets become more efficient? How have established European MNEs contributed to this process? What are the sources of competitive advantage to Asian firms and to what extent can these be sustained in international markets? How important are relational assets to the internationalization of Asian firms? What influence do relationships and network effects, within and beyond the diaspora, have on the decision-taking of Asian firms?
3 Internationalization mode and theoretical issues (Track chair: Peter Buckley)
Acquisition has clearly offered Asian firms the opportunity to quickly augment ownership advantages and establish positions in foreign markets. However, how effective are Asian firms in integrating management structures post-acquisition? Can Asian FDI be modeled using the stages theory of internationalization and the eclectic theory of international production? How well do European models of the ‘born global' apply to equivalent Asian firms? What are the locational determinants of Asian FDI in Europe and do these differ by source country?
4 Cross-cultural and human resource management issues (Track chair: Sierk Horn)
What key cross-cultural management challenges arise when Asian and European human resources policies, brand management practices, corporate cultures, business models and production methods are combined? What have Asian and European MNEs learned from each other? Is there a “pan-Asian management” model? Do prior and current Japanese and Korean globalization strategies act as a role model here?
Papers are invited to address these and other relevant aspects of the internationalization strategies and behaviour of multinational firms from developing Asia or established MNEs, including any form of collaboration or interaction between them. Submissions may focus on any function of international business including, but not limited to, export and import strategies, international licensing, foreign direct investment, international strategic alliances, marketing, international corporate strategy and the cross-border management and transfer of processes and knowledge in relation to HRM, operations, sourcing, logistics, R&D and E-business. Submissions on other topics relevant to the ongoing research interests of EAMSA members are also welcome, but may receive a lower level of priority in the final paper selection process.
Both empirical and conceptual papers are welcome. In addition to plenary sessions, we have reserved ample time for discussions on papers or research in progress in panel sessions or workshops.
