Authors: Kao Pao; Martin Johahnson
In last 20 years, the network approach to internationalisation has emerged as a leading framework to describe and explain internationalisation. This paper proposes to understand the development of network theory from an analysis of published empirical articles, and aims to identify how network theory is employed, how network concepts are applied, and whether there is coherency and consistency within these studies. Forty-two articles are included in this review. A distinction is first made between network as theory or as variable, and whether it was described in general or in specific. We also identify three types of relationships: business, social and institutional, and three types of networks: integrated, foreign and home. We discover that a dominant structure view of network and position-related concepts are developed. We suggest there is not enough coherency and weak consistency in the current network studies, partially due to the lack of theoretical and empirical specificity in how networks and relationships are theorised, studied, and reported. We finish this review with suggestions for future studies into the impact of institutional relationships, and encourage network researchers to take on bigger challenges to bring in time and change dimensions that address the process view
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2012
Conference: Rome, Italy (2012)