Network Embeddedness: Examining the Effect on Business Performance and Internationalization

by Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek

Overview

This book systematizes the concepts of business relationships and network embeddedness, taking a new approach to internationalization, relevant for the global economy. It reflects the growing importance of network internationalization theory and explores the impact of embeddedness in domestic and foreign relationships on a company’s performance. The author questions the validity of the distinction between domestic and foreign activity of companies and demonstrates that in the B2B market, there are actually no exclusively domestic companies which are not directly or indirectly connected with foreign entities. Chapters cover both small to medium sized enterprises and large multinational corporations, presenting a qualitative analysis of over 400 companies including case studies from the IT and furniture industries. This informative study will provide useful insight for academics and students of business and management, international business and organization studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319859323
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	05/13/2018
Series:	Palgrave Studies of Internationalization in Emerging Markets
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2017
Pages:	402
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek is Associate Professor at the Poznań University of Economics and Business, Poland. She is an Outstanding Young Scientist holder of the Minister of Science and Higher Education scholarships and member of the board of Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group. Her main areas of research include companies’ relationships and networks in international settings.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

1. The essence of the network approach

1.1. The idea of business network and the IMP network approach

1.2. The idea of a strategic network

1.3. The IMP network approach and the strategic approach to networks – differences in strategy development and relationship management

2. Relationships and interactions as the basis of a company’s activity

2.1. Relationships and interactions – dependencies and differences

2.2. Main determinants of relationship quality

2.3. Typology of companies’ relationships

3. The importance of embeddedness for companies’ activities – perspective of relationships and interactions

3.1. Societal embeddedness and the role of personal relationships

3.2. Interorganizational network embeddedness and the role of interorganizational relationships

3.3. The territorial approach to embeddedness and the role of location

3.4. Systematization and typology of embeddedness

4. The network theory of companies’ internationalization – the importance of relationships for international expansion

4.1. The network model of a company’s internationalization and the Revised Uppsala model 2009

4.2. Inward internationalization and inward relationships in the internationalization process

4.3. Main areas of research in the network theory of internationalization on the significance of relationships for internationalization

5. The importance of embeddedness for companies’ domestic and international activities

5.1. Network embeddedness of multinational enterprises

5.2. The outcomes of internal and external embeddedness – the context of a multinational enterprise

5.3. The importance and outcomes of companies’ embeddedness in domestic and international networks of relationships

6. Positive and negative outcomes of embeddedness for the domestic and international activity – results of case studies analysis

6.1. Methodology of the study

6.2. IKEA Industry Zbąszynek

6.3. Flow Company

6.4. Gridia – nSense Poland

6.5. Main conclusions

7. The importance of relationships and embeddedness for companies’ internationalization and performance – results of quantitative study

7.1. Methodology of the study and characteristics of the sample

7.2. Characteristics of companies’ embeddedness in domestic and international relationships

7.3. The role of embeddedness for companies’ internationalization

7.4. The importance of embeddedness in domestic and international relationships for companies’ performance

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Management Science lacks in methodological and ontological consistency for dealing with interactive phenomena characterizing the contemporary business landscape. This volume is a worthy contribution to the field [of management], bringing to the surface the impact of interactive business context on the financial performance, growth and international expansion of companies.” (Ivan Snehota, Professor Emeritus, Università della Svizzera italiana)

“In my eyes, this book should be mandatory reading for everyone interested in how networks influence companies’ domestic and international operations. Being embedded in such networks brings both problems and opportunities, and the author gives a deep understanding on how managers and companies can manage network embeddedness in order to achieve a high performance. It therefore makes an important contribution to both theory and practice.” (Martin Johanson, Professor, Uppsala University)

“The author takes a new and exciting approach to the traditional perspective that companies’ engagement in internationalization is something special. Instead, she highlights this phenomenon as a ‘degree of embeddedness’ in exchange networks which transcend national borders.” (Professor Alexandra Waluszewski, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University)