Papers by Margaret Fletcher
European Management Journal, 2021
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
International Business in Times of Crisis: Tribute Volume to Geoffrey Jones, 2022
Venture Capital, 2008
Building on the literatures on asymmetric information and risk-taking, this paper applies conjoin... more Building on the literatures on asymmetric information and risk-taking, this paper applies conjoint experiments to investigate lending officers' probabilities of supporting credit to established or existing SMEs. Using a sample of 114 Swedish lending officers, we test hypotheses concerning how information on the borrowers ability to repay the loan; alignment of risk preferences; and risk sharing affect their willingness to grant credit. Results suggest that features that reduce the risk to the bank and shift the risk to the borrower have the largest impact. The paper highlights the interaction between factors that influence the credit decision. Implications for SMEs, banks and research are discussed.
Journal of International Marketing, 2013
The acquisition of relevant knowledge plays a critical role in the internationalization process. ... more The acquisition of relevant knowledge plays a critical role in the internationalization process. Yet a complete understanding of internationalization knowledge (IK) remains largely unexplored in the international marketing literature. The authors develop a framework that distinguishes three categories of IK necessary for internationalizing firms to gain market entry, localize strategies, and organize international enterprise procedures. Employing a longitudinal qualitative analysis of ten internationalizing firms, this study examines (1) why firms need these IK categories, (2) where they source them, and (3) at what stage of international growth they are needed. The authors conclude by addressing implications for practice and recommend that managers should source the specific IK needed before it becomes critical.
With its focus on locational context, International Business (IB) is a prime candidate for the ap... more With its focus on locational context, International Business (IB) is a prime candidate for the application of Case Study (CS) methodology. Yet many IB scholars still have doubts about CSs, possibly because strategies for their selection and disclosure procedures may lack rigor. The purpose of this article is to document and discuss CS selection in IB research, make suggestions for improvement, and thus raise the standard and status of CS research. Using qualitative content analysis, this paper examines CS selection strategies in four IB journals (1995-2014), relating them to chosen theoretical purposes and logics employed. Our results indicate that 12% of the 333 investigated CS articles lacked a section on methodology, and 41% of papers reported no indication of how CSs were selected. Drawing insights from the dataset, we propose and distinguish between theory-driven and phenomenon-driven CS selection approaches. In light of our evidence, best-practice papers are identified and app...
International Business Review, 2018
With its focus on locational context, International Business (IB) is a prime candidate for the ap... more With its focus on locational context, International Business (IB) is a prime candidate for the application of Case Study (CS) methodology. Yet many IB scholars still have doubts about CSs, possibly because strategies for their selection and disclosure procedures may lack rigor. The purpose of this article is to document and discuss CS selection in IB research, make suggestions for improvement, and thus raise the standard and status of CS research. Using qualitative content analysis, this paper examines CS selection strategies in four IB journals (1995-2014), relating them to chosen theoretical purposes and logics employed. Our results indicate that 12% of the 333 investigated CS articles lacked a section on methodology, and 41% of papers reported no indication of how CSs were selected. Drawing insights from the dataset, we propose and distinguish between theory-driven and phenomenon-driven CS selection approaches. In light of our evidence, best-practice papers are identified and apportioned to coherent pathways connecting theoretical purpose, logic and CS selection strategies. In doing so, we address the link between case selection and theorizing in CSs and advocate greater methodological sophistication and transparency of CS selection reporting in IB research.
Journal of World Business, 2021
This paper contributes theoretical understanding to the learning processes adopted by firms for s... more This paper contributes theoretical understanding to the learning processes adopted by firms for successful internationalization. Drawing from the internationalization process and organizational learning research, our longitudinal case study examines a firm's learning processes as it grows internationally. In different phases and in different areas the firm learned at different paces, gradual and steep, and by responding retrospectively to past failings, and prospectively to anticipated challenges. From case data we identify and develop four constructs of internationalization learning: Gradual Retrospective, Steep Retrospective, Gradual Prospective, and Steep Prospective learning. The appropriateness of each depends on the urgency towards addressing challenges, and the firm's learning capabilities. Firms can develop and steepen retrospective learning capability, enabling rapid identification and response to internationalization problems. Firms can also employ prospective learning to plan the development of knowledge capabilities ahead of future internationalization activity, to accelerate their learning, and increase the speed and effectiveness of internationalization.
International Business Review, 2019
Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) exert significant influence on the internationalisation pote... more Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) exert significant influence on the internationalisation potential of domestic firms and improving the indigenous country's trade balance. However, TPOs' strategies to uphold their impact as to relationship visà-vis their stakeholders are largely unknown. This is an important gap in the literature considering that effective stakeholder management can enhance TPOs' performance and the value they develop for three primary stakeholder groups, namely home country government, domestic firms and foreign trade offices. In this study, we employ the stakeholder theory and draw upon in-depth case studies of 14 European TPOs to address this gap. We advance six related propositions on how funding sourcing, services to domestic firms and functions of foreign trade offices can be effectively associated with TPOs' relationship management towards these stakeholder groups. The contribution of the study lies on the application of stakeholder theory in trade promotion and the derivation of related sets of strategies.
Transnational Corporations, 2018
International Business Review, 2016
The ventures of Transnational Entrepreneurs (TEs) are a new business phenomenon, representing a f... more The ventures of Transnational Entrepreneurs (TEs) are a new business phenomenon, representing a fluid context in which established arrangements may be expected to change. In terms of one particular relationship, motivation has been found to be a key construct in International Entrepreneurship (IE) research, with two established features of motivation comprising entrepreneurial vision and its implementation. At the same time, nationality has been found to be a consistent influence on entrepreneurial orientation through the impact of culture. Employing qualitative case study methods, this paper investigates these relationships in the new context of the internationalisation of Chinese TEs socially embedded in their host and home countries. Subtle changes in established patterns of IE motivation are detected, and Chinese cultural influence may also be weakening to meet the environment of host countries.
Internationalization, Entrepreneurship and the Smaller Firm
This thesis investigates the learning processes of internationalising small and medium sized ente... more This thesis investigates the learning processes of internationalising small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on a framework of absorptive capacity the research explores and examines: i. types and sources of new knowledge acquired by firms, ii. assimilation of ...
International Business Review, 2012
Knowledge Acquisition for the Internationalization of the Smaller Firm: Content and Sources Inter... more Knowledge Acquisition for the Internationalization of the Smaller Firm: Content and Sources Internationalization process research emphasizes accumulated experience and networks as sources of knowledge for internationalization. Our understanding, however, as to what this knowledge is in practice for smaller firms, the challenges they face in acquiring it, and how they address those challenges is limited. Integrating organizational learning concepts with our theoretical understanding of the small firm internationalization process, we develop a new framework for understanding knowledge acquisition processes, which are examined with a case study of ten Scottish internationalizing firms. We find smaller firms may not have relevant experience or useful networks, and rely on sources rarely recognised before. Firms used recruitment, government advisors and consultants to acquire indirect experience. Recruitment is a source of market and technological knowledge and government advisors and consultants a source of internationalization knowledge. Accessing internal information is important for firms that have internationalized. Our integrated theoretical framework identifies knowledge content and sources that are critical for internationalization, but that may be absent.
The accumulation of knowledge and learning by firms has been identified as critical to their inte... more The accumulation of knowledge and learning by firms has been identified as critical to their internationalisation. This article explores knowledge assimilation processes of rapidly internationalising SMEs. Design: This is a qualitative enquiry in two stages. First, four case-studies were selected from firms that were participating on an internationalisation programme run by Scottish Enterprise, the regional development agency. Data collection involved semi structured interviews with CEOs and programme providers, and archival data. Second, two focus groups were held with six CEOs participating in the programme. Findings: Our findings indicate that knowledge sharing is important for rapidly internationalising SMEs and that firms adopted high levels of formality in assimilating knowledge. Two key aspects of formality were identified as important; formal planned events to share explicit and tacit knowledge and the codification of tacit to explicit knowledge. Knowledge may be assimilated less formally by the retention of tacit knowledge as tacit, while utilising elements of formality. We find that learning for internationalisation can be transferred to support domestic growth Practical implications: It is important for firms to develop appropriate knowledge assimilation processes within their management systems to support internationalisation. The CEO and management 1 team need to take the lead in marshalling commitment to learning processes and to cultivate an organisational culture that is supportive of learning. Originality: This research contributes to international entrepreneurship by providing insights into the knowledge assimilation processes employed by rapidly internationalising SME to manage the tensions between the need for greater formality to be efficient at learning, and informality to enable speedy decision-making.
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Papers by Margaret Fletcher