Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

The Role of the Subsidiary in International Business pp 67–106Cite as

Determinants of Functional Responsibilities of Subsidiaries and Methodology of the Empirical Study

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 296 Accesses

Abstract

The chapter presents a model of the determinants of the functional responsibilities of subsidiaries. In particular, the chapter presents argumentation for the existence of a complex set of relationships between functional responsibilities of a subsidiary and the subsidiary’s pool of distinct capabilities, initiative, internal and external embeddedness, and supply environment. In sum, the proposed model sets out what we believe are the drivers of a subsidiary’s functional responsibilities in the multinational enterprises’s value network. The model is deliberately eclectic, in that no single theory can adequately capture the whole phenomenon. Furthermore, the chapter delineates measures used in the empirical part of the book (Chap. 5), and presents the data-gathering process and the sample characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    While Birkinshaw (2000) directly refers to the charter of the subsidiary, it is worth highlighting that the charter of a subsidiary includes some of the aspects of a subsidiary’s functional responsibilities. The charter of a subsidiary encompasses the business, or elements of the business, in which the subsidiary participates, and for which it is recognized to have responsibility within the MNE (Galunic and Eisenhardt 1996). Birkinshaw (2000) refers to the subsidiary’s charter in terms of markets served, products manufactured, technologies held, functional areas covered, or any combination thereof.

  2. 2.

    We purposefully differentiate between input and output competitiveness. In case of the factors used to achieve specific competitive results we talk about input competitiveness (Andreosso-O’Callaghan and Jacobson 1996).

  3. 3.

    Both aspects were accounted for on the same screen in reference to one function. The set of questions was repeated for each of the performed value chain functions.

  4. 4.

    In the questionnaire we have also collected information concerning other value chain functions. However, they are not used in this study.

  5. 5.

    The literature provides other examples of competence grouping. For example, Asmussen et al. (2009) make a distinction between supply competence, technical competence, and market competence, while Andersson et al. (2014) distinguish between business competencies and technological competencies.

  6. 6.

    Available information on the size structure of the population refers to the number of employees (small subsidiaries employing from 10 to 49 people, medium-sized from 50 to 249, and large 250 and above). We used the same measure for our sample.

  7. 7.

    Tests conducted for the years 2010–2011 and 2013–2015 also indicate no statistically significant differences. Data for the year 2016 were not available for the entire population.

  8. 8.

    Tests conducted for the years 2010–2011 and 2013–2016 also indicate no statistically significant differences (t ∈<−0.0199; 0.7378>). Data for the year 2016 were gathered after primary data collection.

References

  • Allred, Brent B., and K. Scott Swan. 2004. Contextual influences on international subsidiaries’ product technology strategy. Journal of International Management 10 (2): 259–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambos, Tina C., Ulf Andersson, and Julian M. Birkinshaw. 2010. What are the consequences of initiative-taking in multinational subsidiaries? Journal of International Business Studies 41 (7): 1099–1118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf. 1999. Some notes on subsidiary network embeddedness and its effects on the multinational corporation. Department of Business Studies Uppsala University Working paper 1999/3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf, and Mats Forsgren. 1996. Subsidiary embeddedness and control in the multinational corporation. International Business Review 5 (5): 487–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf, Mats Forsgren, and Ulf Holm. 2001. Subsidiary embeddedness and competence development in MNCs – A multi-level analysis. Organization Studies 22 (6): 1013–1034.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2002. The strategic impact of external networks: Subsidiary performance and competence development in the multinational corporation. Strategic Management Journal 23 (11): 979–996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf, Ingmar Björkman, and Mats Forsgren. 2005. Managing subsidiary knowledge creation: The effect of control mechanisms on subsidiary local embeddedness. International Business Review 14 (5): 521–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf, Mats Forsgren, and Ulf Holm. 2007. Balancing subsidiary influence in the federative MNC: A business network view. Journal of International Business Studies 38 (5): 802–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, Ulf, Henrik Dellestrand, and Torben Pedersen. 2014. The contribution of local environments to competence creation in multinational enterprises. Long Range Planning 47 (1–2): 87–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andreosso-O’Callaghan, Bernadette, and David Jacobson. 1996. Industrial economics and organisation. London: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, Kenneth R. 1987. Concept of strategy. Homewood: Dow Jones-Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, J. Scott, and Terry S. Overton. 1977. Estimating non-response bias in mail surveys. Journal of Marketing Research 14 (3): 396–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asmussen, Christian G., Torben Pedersen, and Charles Dhanaraj. 2009. Host-country environment and subsidiary competence: Extending the diamond network model. Journal of International Business Studies 40 (1): 42–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Astley, Graham W., and Edward Zajac. 1990. Beyond dyadic exchange: Functional interdependence and sub-unit power. Organization Studies 11 (4): 481–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Axelsson, Björn, and Geoff Easton. 1991. Industrial networks: A new view of reality. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badowska, Sylwia. 2014. Współpraca przedsiębiorstw z jednostkami badawczo-rozwojowymi w tworzeniu i rozwoju innowacji produktowych w sektorze spożywczym w województwie pomorskim. Journal of Management and Finance 12 (2): 35–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, Christopher A., and Sumantra Ghoshal. 1986. Tap your subsidiaries for global reach. Harvard Business Review 64 (6): 87–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1989. Managing across borders. The transnational solution. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benito, Gabriel R.G., Brigitte Grøgaard, and Rajneesh Narula. 2003. Environmental influences on MNE subsidiary roles: Economic integration and the Nordic countries. Journal of International Business Studies 34 (5): 443–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M. 1995. Taking the initiative: Value-adding strategies for Canadian subsidiaries. Business Quarterly 59 (4): 97–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1996. How multinational subsidiary mandates are gained and lost. Journal of International Business Studies 27 (3): 467–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1997. Entrepreneurship in multinational corporations: The characteristics of subsidiary initiative. Strategic Management Journal 18 (3): 207–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1998. Corporate entrepreneurship in network organizations: How subsidiary initiative drives internal market efficiency. European Management Journal 16 (3): 355–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1999. The determinants and consequences of subsidiary initiative in MNC. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 24 (1): 9–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2000. Enterprise in the global firm. Enterprise and renewal. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2001. Multinational corporate strategy and organization: An internal market perspective. In Multinational corporate strategy and organization: An internal market perspective, ed. Neil Hood and Stephen Young, 55–79. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M., and Nick Fry. 1998. Subsidiary initiatives to develop new markets. Sloan Management Review 39 (3): 51–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M., and Neil Hood. 1997. An empirical study of development processes in foreign-owned subsidiaries in Canada and Scotland. Management International Review 37 (4): 339–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1998. Multinational subsidiary evolution: Capability and charter change in foreign-owned subsidiary companies. Academy of Management Review 23 (4): 773–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2000. Characteristics of foreign subsidiaries in industry clusters. Journal of International Business Studies 31 (1): 141–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M., and Allen J. Morrison. 1995. Configurations of strategy and structure in subsidiaries of multinational corporations. Journal of International Business Studies 26 (4): 729–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M., and Jonas Ridderstråle. 1999. Fighting the corporate immune system: A process study of subsidiary initiatives in multinational corporations. International Business Review 8 (2): 149–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian M., Neil Hood, and Stefan Jonsson. 1998. Building firm-specific advantages in multinational corporations: The role of subsidiary initiative. Strategic Management Journal 19 (3): 221–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkinshaw, Julian, Neil Hood, and Stephen Young. 2005. Subsidiary entrepreneurship, internal and external competitive forces, and subsidiary performance. International Business Review 14 (2): 227–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, Paul, and Harold Crookell. 1986. Specialization in Canadian subsidiaries. In Canadian industry in transition, ed. Donald G. McFertridge, 305–385. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouquet, Cyril, and Julian M. Birkinshaw. 2008. Weight versus voice: How foreign subsidiaries gain attention from corporate headquarters. The Academy of Management Journal 51 (3): 577–601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, William K., and James M. Hulbert. 1977. Headquarters guidance in marketing strategy in the multinational subsidiary. Columbia Journal of World Business 12 (4): 7–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burger, Anže, Björn Jindra, Philipp Marek, and Matija Rojec. 2018. Functional upgrading and value capture of multinational subsidiaries. Journal of International Management 24 (2): 108–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, John A. 1991. The international agglomeration of technological activity. In Global research strategy and international competitiveness, ed. Mark C. Casson, 104–132. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, John. 2009. Location and the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies 40 (1): 35–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, John, and Ram Mudambi. 2005. MNE competence-creating subsidiary mandates. Strategic Management Journal 26 (12): 1109–1128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cerrato, Daniele. 2006. The multinational enterprise as an internal market system. International Business Review 15 (3): 253–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, Alfred D. 1963. Strategy and structure: Chapters in the history of industrial enterprise. Cambridge, MA: The M.I.T. Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, Sea-Jin, and Philip M. Rosenzweig. 2009. Subsidiary capability development in multinational enterprises: An empirical investigation. In Managing subsidiary dynamics: Headquarters role, capability development, and China strategy, Advances in international management, ed. Joseph L.C. Cheng, Elizabeth Maitland, and Stephen Nicholas, vol. 22, 93–121. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ciabuschi, Francesco, Ulf Holm, and Oscar Martín Martín. 2014. Dual embeddedness, influence and performance of innovating subsidiaries in the multinational corporation. International Business Review 23 (5): 897–909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, Arnold C. 2001. Networks, alliances and entrepreneurship. In Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new integrated mindset, ed. Michael A. Hitt, R. Duane Ireland, S. Michael Camp, and Donald L. Sexton, 203–222. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, Arnold C., and Cleyton G. Smith. 1992. How established firms respond to threatening technologies. The Executive 16 (2): 55–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, Eli P. 1980. The optimal number of response alternatives for a scale: A review. Journal of Marketing Research 17 (4): 407–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cray, David. 1984. Control and coordination in multinational corporations. Journal of International Business Studies 15 (2): 85–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crookell, Harold H. 1986. Specialization and international competitiveness. In Managing the multinational subsidiary, ed. Hamid Etemad and Louis Seguin-Delude, 102–111. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Czyżewska, Dorota. 2016. Cele i narzędzia współpracy nauka-biznes w dokumentach strategicznych Unii Europejskiej i Polski. Studia Ekonomiczne. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach 16 (271): 55–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Cruz, Joseph R. 1986. Strategic management of subsidiaries. In Managing the multinational subsidiary, ed. Hamid Etemad and Louis Seguin-Delude, 211–236. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, Lee N., and Klaus E. Meyer. 2004. Subsidiary research and development, and the local environment. International Business Review 13 (3): 359–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delany, Ed. 2000. Strategic development of the multinational subsidiary through subsidiary initiative-taking. Long Range Planning 33 (2): 220–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, Don A. 1991. Design and administration of mail surveys. Annual Review of Sociology 17 (1): 225–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2007. Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, Don A., Robert D. Tortora, and Dennis Bowker. 1999. Principles for constructing web surveys. Accessed online at: http://claudiaflowers.net/rsch8140/PrinciplesforConstructingWebSurveys.pdf

  • Dimitratos, Pavlos, Ioanna Liouka, and Stephen Young. 2014. A missing operationalization: Entrepreneurial competencies in multinational enterprise subsidiaries. Long Range Planning 47 (1–2): 64–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dörrenbächer, Christoph, and Mike Geppert. 2010. Subsidiary staffing and initiative-taking in multinational corporations—A socio-political perspective. Personnel Review 39 (5): 600–621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunning, John H. 1980. Toward an eclectic theory of international production: Some empirical tests. Journal of International Business Studies 11 (1): 9–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1981. International production and the multinational enterprise. London: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1988a. The eclectic paradigm of international production: A restatement and some possible extensions. Journal of International Business Studies 19 (1): 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1988b. Explaining international production. London: Unwin Hyman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dzikowska, Marlena, and Ulf Andersson. 2018. A dynamic framework of subsidiary strategic roles. Paper presented at the annual meeting for the European International Business Academy, Poznań, December 13–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enright, Michael J., and Venkat Subramanian. 2007. An organizing framework for MNC subsidiary typologies. Management International Review 47 (6): 895–924.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Figueiredo, Paulo N. 2011. The role of dual embeddedness in the innovative performance of MNE subsidiaries: Evidence from Brazil. Journal of Management Studies 48 (2): 417–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filippov, Sergey, and Geert Duysters. 2014. Exploring the drivers and elements of subsidiary evolution in several new EU member states. International Journal of Emerging Markets 9 (1): 120–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsgren, Mats, and Cecilia Pahlberg. 1992. Subsidiary influence and autonomy in international firms. International Business Review 1 (3): 41–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsgren, Mats, and Torben Pedersen. 1998. Centres of excellence in multinational companies: The case of Denmark. In Multinational corporate evolution and subsidiary development, ed. Julien M. Birkinshaw and Neil Hood, 141–161. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Forsgren, Mats, Ulf Holm, and Jan Johanson. 1995. Division headquarters go abroad: A step in the internationalization of the multinational corporation. Journal of Management Studies 32 (4): 475–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2005. Managing the embedded multinational. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fratocchi, Luciano, and Ulf Holm. 1998. Centres of excellence in the international firm. In Multinational corporate evolution and subsidiary development, ed. Julien M. Birkinshaw and Neil Hood, 189–209. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Frost, Tony C., Julien M. Birkinshaw, and Prescott C. Ensign. 2002. Centres of excellence in multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 23 (11): 997–1015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galunic, Charles D., and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt. 1996. The evolution of intracorporate domains: Divisional charter losses in high-technology, multidivisional corporations. Organization Science 7 (3): 255–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gammelgaard, Jens, and Torben Pedersen. 2010. Internal versus external knowledge sourcing of subsidiaries and the impact of headquarters control. In Managing the contemporary multinational—The role of headquarters, ed. Ulf Andersson and Ulf Holm, 211–230. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gammelgaard, Jens, Frank McDonald, Andreas Stephan, Heinz Tüselmann, and Christoph Dörrenbächer. 2012. The impact of increases in subsidiary autonomy and network relationships on performance. International Business Review 21 (6): 1158–1172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghemawat, Pankaj. 2007. Redefining global strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghoshal, Sumantra. 1986. The innovative multinational: A differentiated network of organizational roles and management processes. Boston: Harvard Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghoshal, Sumantra, and Christopher Bartlett. 1991. The multinational corporation as an interorganizational network. Academy of Management Review 15 (4): 603–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghoshal, Sumantra, and Nitin Nohria. 1989. Internal differentiation within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 10 (4): 323–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, Gene M., and Elhanan Helpman. 2005. Outsourcing in a global economy. Review of Economic Studies 72 (1): 135–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulati, Ranjay. 1998. Alliances and networks. Strategic Management Journal 19 (4): 293–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, Anil K., and Vijay Govindaraian. 1991. Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations. Academy of Management Review 16 (4): 768–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2000. Knowledge flows within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 21 (4): 473–496.

    Google Scholar 

  • GUS. 2013 (2017). Działalność gospodarcza podmiotów z kapitałem zagranicznym (The economic activity of business units with foreign capital). Warsaw: Main Statistical Office Poland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagedoorn, John, and Geert Duysters. 2002. Learning in dynamic inter-firm networks: The efficacy of multiple contracts. Organization Studies 23 (4): 525–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Håkansson, Håkan, and Jan Johanson. 1993. The network as a governance structure: Interfirm cooperation beyond markets and hierarchies. In The embedded firm, ed. Gernot Grabher, 35–51. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harzing, Anne-Will. 1999. Managing the multinationals: An international study of control mechanism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harzing, Anne-Wil, and Niels G. Noorderhaven. 2006. Knowledge flows in MNCs: An empirical test and extension of Gupta & Govindarajan’s typology of subsidiary roles. International Business Review 15 (3): 195–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedlund, Gunnar. 1981. Autonomy of subsidiaries and formalization of headquarters-subsidiary relationship in Swedish MNCs. In The management of headquarters-subsidiary relationship in multinational corporations, ed. Lars Otterback, 25–78. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1986. The hypermodern MNC: A heterarchy? Human Resource Management 25 (1): 9–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hitt, Michael A., R. Duane Ireland, S. Michael Camp, and Donald L. Sexton. 2001. Strategic entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation. Strategic Management Journal 22 (6–7): 479–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, Richard C. 1994. Generic strategies for subsidiaries of multinational corporations. Journal of Managerial Issues 6 (1): 69–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogenbirk, Annelies E., and Hans L. van Kranenburg. 2006. Roles of foreign owned subsidiaries in a small economy. International Business Review 15 (1): 53–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holm, Ulf, and Torben Pedersen, eds. 2000. The emergence and impact of MNC centres of excellence. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm, Ulf, Anders Malmberg, and Örjan Sölvell. 2003. Subsidiary impact on host-country economies d the case of foreign-owned subsidiaries attracting investments into Sweden. Journal of Economic Geography 3 (4): 389–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmström, Christine. 2010. Managing the transfer of externally embedded subsidiary knowledge: The role of headquarters’ control mechanisms. In Managing the contemporary multinational—The role of headquarters, ed. Ulf Andersson and Ulf Holm, 231–253. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, Peter, and Torben Pedersen. 2011. The economic geography of offshoring: The fit between activities and local context. Journal of Management Studies 48 (2): 352–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jindra, Björn. 2005. A strategy view on knowledge in the MNE – Integrating subsidiary roles and knowledge flows. East-West Journal of Economics and Business 8 (1/2): 43–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jindra, Björn, Axèle Giroud, and Joanna Scott-Kenne. 2009. Subsidiary roles, vertical linkages and economic development: Lessons from transition economies. Journal of World Business 44 (2): 167–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerlinger, Fred N. 1986. Foundations of behavioral research. 3rd ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keupp, Marcus M. 2008. Subsidiary initiatives in international research and development. Saarbruecken: Suedwestdeutscher Verlag fuer Hochschulschriften.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, Bruce, and Harbir Singh. 1988. The effect of national culture on the choice of entry mode. Journal of International Business Studies 19 (3): 411–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, Bruce, and Sea-Jin Chang. 1991. Technological capabilities and Japanese foreign direct investment in the United States. Review of Economics and Statistics 73 (3): 401–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, Bruce, and Udo Zander. 1992. Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the replication of technology. Organization Science 3 (3): 383–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1993. Knowledge of the firm and the evolutionary theory of the multinational corporation. Journal of International Business Studies 24 (4): 625–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KPMG. 2013. Działalność badawczo-rozwojowa przedsiębiorstw w Polsce. Warszawa: KPMG.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan, Rishikesha T. 2006. Subsidiary initiative in Indian software subsidiaries of MNCs. Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers 31 (1): 61–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuemmerle, Walter. 2002. Home base and knowledge management in international ventures. Journal of Business Venturing 17 (2): 99–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Xiaoying, Xiaming Liu, and Howard Thomas. 2013. Market orientation, embeddedness and the autonomy and performance of multinational subsidiaries in an emerging economy. Management International Review 53 (6): 869–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, Marvin B., and David B. Montgomery. 1998. First-mover (dis)advantages: Retrospective and link with the resource-based view. Strategic Management Journal 19 (12): 1111–1125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madhok, Anoop. 1997. Cost, value and foreign market entry mode: The transaction and the firm. Strategic Management Journal 18 (1): 33–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahnke, Volker, Markus Venzin, and Shaker A. Zahra. 2007. Governing entrepreneurial opportunity recognition in MNEs: Aligning interests and cognition under uncertainty. Journal of Management Studies 44 (7): 1278–1298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malmberg, Anders, Örjan Sölvell, and Ivo Zander. 1996. Spatial clustering, local accumulation of knowledge and firm competitiveness. Human Geography 78 (2): 85–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manolopoulos, Dimitris, Pavios Dimitratos, Stephen Young, and Spyros Lioukas. 2009. Technology sourcing and performance of foreign subsidiaries in Greece: The impact of MNE and local environmental contexts. Management International Review 49 (1): 43–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McEvily, Bill, and Akbar Zaheer. 1999. Bridging ties: A source of firm heterogeneity in competitive capabilities. Strategic Management Journal 20 (12): 1133–1156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, Klaus E., Ram Mudambi, and Rajneesh Narula. 2011. Multinational enterprises and local contexts: The opportunities and challenges of multiple embeddedness. Journal of Management Studies 48 (2): 235–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mudambi, Ram, Torben Pedersen, and Ulf Andersson. 2014. How subsidiaries gain power in multinational corporations. Journal of World Business 49 (1): 101–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NBP. 2015. Kwartalny raport o rynku pracy w II kw. 2015 r. Warszawa: Narodowy Bank Polski.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, Richard R., and Sidney G. Winter. 1982. A theory of economic change. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nohria, Nitin, and Sumantra Ghoshal. 1994. Differentiated fit and shared values: Alternatives for managing headquarters-subsidiary relations. Strategic Management Journal 15 (6): 491–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P., and Diego Puga. 1999. Agglomeration in the global economy: A survey of the ‘new economic geography’. The World Economy 21 (6): 707–731.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PAP. 2017. Polski rynek pracy jest nieprzyjazny dla pracowników. Czas na reformy. Business Insider Polska, April 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, Robert. 1999. The evolution of technology in multinational enterprises: The role of creative subsidiaries. International Business Review 8 (2): 125–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, Mike W. 2004. Outside directors and firm performance during institutional transitions. Strategic Management Journal 25 (5): 453–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, Mike W., and Anne S. York. 2001. Behind intermediary performance in export trade: Transactions, agents, and resources. Journal of International Business Studies 32 (2): 327–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picard, Jaques. 1980. Organizational structures and integrative devices in European multinational corporations. Columbia Journal of World Business 15 (1): 30–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, Michael E. 1990. The competitive advantage of nations. New York: The Free Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Poznańska, Krystyna. 2016. Współpraca małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw z podmiotami zewnętrznymi w zakresie innowacyjności. Studia Ekonomiczne. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach 280: 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raţiu, Cătălin, and Rick Molz. 2010. Multinationals and corporate environmental strategies: Fostering subsidiary initiative. In The multinational enterprise in developing countries, ed. Cătălin Raţiu, Rick Moltz, and Ali Taleb, 179–193. Oxon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, George B. 1972. The organisation of industry. The Economic Journal 82 (327): 883–896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, William T., Claes Fornell, and Mary Sullivan. 1992. Are market pioneers intrinsically stronger than later entrants? Strategic Management Journal 13 (8): 609–624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, Kendall, and Allen J. Morrison. 1992. Implementing global strategy: Characteristics of global subsidiary mandates. Journal of International Business Studies 23 (4): 715–735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rugman, Alan M., and Alain Verbeke. 1992. A note on the transnational solution and the transaction cost theory of multinational strategic management. Journal of International Business Studies 23 (4): 761–772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2001. Subsidiary-specific advantages in multinational enterprises. Strategic Management Journal 22 (3): 237–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2003. Extending the theory of the multinational enterprise: Internalization and strategic management perspectives. Journal of International Business Studies 34 (2): 125–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rugman, Alan M., Alain Verbeke, and Wenlong Yuan. 2011. Re-conceptualizing Bartlett and Ghoshal’s classification of national subsidiary roles in the multinational enterprise. Journal of Management Studies 48 (2): 253–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, Paul, Majella Giblin, Ulf Andersson, and Johanna Clancy. 2018. Subsidiary knowledge creation in co-evolving contexts. International Business Review 27 (5): 915–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sargent, John, and Linda Matthews. 2006. The drivers of evolution/upgrading in Mexico’s maquiladoras: How important is subsidiary initiative? Journal of World Business 41 (3): 233–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, Stefan, and Andreas Schurig. 2003. The development of critical capabilities in foreign subsidiaries: Disentangling the role of the subsidiary’s business network. International Business Review 12 (4): 755–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott-Kennel, Joanna. 2001. The impact of foreign direct investment on New Zealand industry. Hamilton: University of Waikato.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shane, Scott, and Sankaran Venkatraman. 2000. The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review 25 (1): 217–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Short, Jeremy C., David J. Ketchen, and Timothy B. Palmer. 2002. The role of sampling in strategic management research on performance: A two study analysis. Journal of Management 28 (3): 363–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirmon, David G., Michael A. Hitt, and R. Duane Ireland. 2007. Managing firm resources in dynamic environments to create value: Looking inside the black box. Academy of Management Review 32 (1): 273–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sölvell, Örjan, and Ivo Zander. 1995. Organization of the dynamic multinational enterprise. International Studies of Management & Organization 25 (1-2): 17–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taggart, James, and Neil Hood. 1999. Determinants of autonomy in multinational corporation subsidiaries. European Management Journal 17 (2): 226–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verbeke, Alain, and Wenlong Yuan. 2013. The drivers of multinational enterprise subsidiary entrepreneurship in China: A new resource-based view perspective. Journal of Management Studies 50 (2): 236–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, Roderick E., and Thomas A. Poynter. 1984. Strategies for foreign-owned subsidiaries in Canada. Business Quarterly 49 (2): 59–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Development Indicators Database. https://databank.worldbank.org/data/source/world-development-indicators

  • Yamin, Mohammad, and Ulf Andersson. 2011. Subsidiary importance in the MNC: What role does internal embeddedness play? International Business Review 20 (2): 151–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Changhui, and Tony S. Frost. 2005. R&D Co-practice and ‘reverse’ knowledge integration in multinational firms. Journal of International Business Studies 36 (6): 676–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Competitiveness, Poznań University of Economics and Business, Poznań, Poland

    Marlena Dzikowska

Authors
  1. Marlena Dzikowska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dzikowska, M. (2019). Determinants of Functional Responsibilities of Subsidiaries and Methodology of the Empirical Study. In: The Role of the Subsidiary in International Business. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17527-6_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation