Skip to main content

Institutions and Diversification of International Markets: A Study of Clothing Manufacturers from Tanzania and Kenya

  • Chapter
Experiences of Emerging Economy Firms

Abstract

The influence of serving different geographical markets and the respective benefits of a diversification strategy are under-researched, particularly with regard to the internationalization of firms (Zeng, Xie, Tam and Wan, 2008; Cieślik, Kaciak and Welsh, 2012). Market diversification through exporting is a cheap way of internationalization that is more commonly used by smaller firms (Kwon and Kopa, 1993; Ang, 2007), such as those found in Africa. However, variation in national institutional environments enables and constrains different strategic choices such as geographic diversification (Peng and Delios, 2006). For example, the economic policy orientation of the state, including its international trade and investment policies, its impact on shaping the development of market institutions and its interaction with entrepreneurs influence the evolution of firms in emerging economies and their international operations (Yaprak and Karademir, 2010).

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

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
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

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ananthram, S., Pearson, C. and Chatterjee, S. (2010). Do organisational reform measures impact on global mindset intensity of managers? Empirical evidence from Indian and Chinese service industry managers. Journal of Chinese Economic and Foreign Trade Studies, 3(2): 146–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ang, H. S. (2007). International diversification: A “quick fix” for pressures in company performance? Business Review, 9(1): 16–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, B. D. and Madhavaram, S. (2012). Multinational enterprise competition: Grounding the eclectic paradigm of foreign production in resource — advantage theory. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 27(7): 572–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1): 99–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basu, A. (1998). The role of institutional support in Asian entrepreneurial expansion in Britain. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 5(4): 317–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, J. and Oliver, C. (1991). Institutional linkages and organizational mortality. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36: 187–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, C. and Ambrosini, V. (2003). How the resource-based and the dynamic capability views of the firm inform corporate — level strategy. British Journal of Management, 14: 289–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenton, P. and Hoppe, M. (2007). Clothing and export diversification: Still a route to growth for low — income countries? Policy Research Working Paper 4343, Washington: The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capar, N. and Kotabe, M. (2003). The relationship between international diversification and performance in service firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 34(4): 345–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Child, J. and Rodrigues, B. S. (2005). The internationalisation of Chinese firms: A case for theoretical extension. Management and Organization Review, 1(3): 381–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cieslik, J., Kaciak, E. and Welsh, B. H. D. (2012). The impact of geographic diversification on export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 10: 70–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crick, D., Bradshow, R. and Chaudhry, S. (2002). An investigation into the overseas market serving strategies of Queen’s award for export winners: Revisiting the concentration versus spreading debate. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 20(6): 370–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunning, J. H. and Lundan, S. M. (2008). Institutions and the OLI paradigm of the multinational enterprise. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 25(4): 573–593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eusebio, R., Andreu, L. J. and Belbeze, L. P. M. (2007). Internal key factors in export performance: A comparative analysis in the Italian and Spanish textile — clothing sector. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 11(1): 9–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, S. and Cavusgil, T. S. (2007). Toward a typology of commitment states among managers of born-global firms: A study of accelerated internationalisation. Journal of International Marketing, 15(4): 1–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guler, I. and Guillen, F. M. (2010). Institutions and the internationalisation of US venture capital firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(1): 185–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, F. J., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, M. C. and Mena, A. J. (2012). An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40: 414–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M. and Sarstedt, M. (2013). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitt, A. H., Tihanyi, L., Miller, T. and Connelly, B. (2006). International diversification: antecedents, outcomes, and moderators. Journal of Management, 32(6): 831–867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, C. -C. and Pereira, A. (2008). Internationalisation and performance: The moderating effects of organizational learning. The International Journal of Management Science, 36: 188–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. and Morgan, E. R. (2007). Deconstructing the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance at the embryonic stage of firm growth. Industrial Marketing Management, 36: 651–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Javalgi, G. R., Griffith, A. D. and White, S. D. (2003). Empirical examination of factors influencing the internationalisation of service firms. Journal of Services Marketing, 17(2): 185–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khanna, T., and Yafeh, Y. (2007). Business groups in emerging markets: Paragons or parasites? Journal of Economic Literature, 45(2): 331–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kropp, K. and Zolin, R. (2008). US Federal Government entrepreneurship: New enterprise structures. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 15(3): 595–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuuluvainen, A. (2011). Dynamic Capabilities in the International Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Firms, Turku: Turku School of Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, Y. -C. and Kopa, J. L. (1993). Impact of host country market characteristics on the choice of foreign market entry mode. International Marketing Review, 10(2): 60–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonidou, L. C., Katsikeas, C. S. and Coudounaris, D. N. (2010). Five decades of business research into exporting: A bibliographic analysis. Journal of International Management, 16(1): 78–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. L. L. (2000). Manufacturing capability development in a changing business environment. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 100(6): 261–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y. -H., Huang, J. -W. and Tsai, M. -T. (2009). Entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance: The role of knowledge creation process. Industrial Marketing Management, 38: 440–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lumpkin, G. T. and Dess, G. G. (1996). Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of Management Review, 21(1): 135–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mas, J. F., Nicolau, L. J. and Ruiz, F. (2006). Foreign diversification vs concentration strategies and firm performance: Moderating effects of the market, product and firm factors. International Marketing Review, 23(1): 54–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslen, R. and Plats, W. K. (1997). Manufacturing vision and competitiveness. Integrated Manufacturing Systems, 8(8): 313–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, E. R. and Katsikeas, S. C. (1997). Theories of international trade, foreign direct investment and firm internationalisation: A critique. Management Decision, 35(1): 68–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narula, R. and Guimon, J. (2010). The investment development path in a globalised world: Implications for Eastern Europe. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 1(2): 5–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2010). Economic Diversification in Africa: A Review of Selected Countries, A Joint Study by the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and the NEAD — OECD Africa Investment Initiative, Geneva: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguku, E. (2012). Analysis of Textile and Clothing Training Institutions in the East-Southern Africa. Nairobi: African Cotton and Textiles Industries Federation.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Olusoga, A. S. (1993). Market concentration versus market diversification and internationalisation: Implications for MNE performance. International Marketing Review, 10(2): 40–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pangarkar, N. (2008). Internationalisation and performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of World Business, 31(9): 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng, M. (2002). Towards an institution-based view of business strategy. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 19(2/3): 251–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, M. and Delios, A. (2006). What determines the scope of the firm over time and around the world? An Asia Pacific perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 23(4): 385–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, M. W., Wang, D. Y. L. and Jiang, Y. (2008). “An institution-based view of international business strategy: A focus on emerging economies”, Journal of International Business Studies, 39: 920–936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinho, M. R. C. J. (2011). Social capital and dynamic capabilities in international performanc of SMEs. Journal of Strategy and Management, 4(4): 404–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York, N.Y.: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rugman, A. and Verbeke, A. (2005). Towards a theory of regional multinationals: A transaction cost economics approach. Management International Review, 45(1): 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutashobya, L. and Jaensson, J.- E. (2004). Small firms’ internationalisation for development in Tanzania: Exploring the network phenomenon. International Journal of Social Economics, 31(1/2): 159–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmenner, W. R. and Vollmann, E. T. (1994). Performance measures: Gaps, false alarms, and the ‘usual aspects’. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 14(12): 58–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shahadan, F. (2001). Bumiputera commercial and industrial community in the food-processing industry: An analysis of institutional support. Humanomies, 17(1): 86–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teece J. D., Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7): 509–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thoburn, J. (2010). The Impact of World Recession on the Textile and Garment Industries of Asia, Working Paper 17/2009, Vienna: UNIDO.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, (UNCTAD). (2011). Development — led Globalization: Towards Sustainable Inclusive Development Paths, New York and Geneva: UNCTAD.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States International Trade Commission. (USITC). (2009). Sub-Saharan African Textile and Apparel Inputs: Potential for Competitive Production, USITC Publication 4078, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter, A., Auer, M. and Ritter, T. (2006). The impact of network capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation on university spin-off performance. Journal of Business Venturing, 21: 541–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaprak, A. and Karademir, B. (2010). The internationalisation of emerging market business groups: An integrated literature review. International Marketing Review, 27(2): 245–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeoh, P. -L. (2004). International learning: Antecedents and performance implications among newly internationalizing companies in an exporting context. International Marketing Review, 21(4/5): 511–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeung, H. W. (2002). Entrepreneurship and the Internationalisation of Asian Firms: An Institutional Perspective, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshino, Y. (2007). Domestic constraints, firm characteristics and geographical diversification on firm-level manufacturing exports in Africa. Paper presented at the African Economic Conference, 15–17 November, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, X. S., Xie, M. X., Tam, M. C. and Wan, W. T. (2008). Competitive priorities of manufacturing firms for internationalisation: An empirical research. Measuring Business Excellence, 12(3): 44–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2015 Deusdedit Rwehumbiza, Md. Noor Un Nabi and Utz Dornberger

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rwehumbiza, D., Nabi, M.N.U., Dornberger, U. (2015). Institutions and Diversification of International Markets: A Study of Clothing Manufacturers from Tanzania and Kenya. In: Marinov, M. (eds) Experiences of Emerging Economy Firms. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137472281_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics