Authors: ?ukasz Ma?ys; Krzysztof Fonfara; Mi?osz ?uczak
Purpose: Identifying the causes and ways of gaining a competitive advantage attracts a growing interest among those involved in theoretical considerations and empirical research. In particular, this is true of relationships between entities operating in many markets. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities and ways of determining the impact of business relationships on company performance in the internationalisation process. Methodology: Quantitative research, based on a questionnaire survey, was applied. A random sample of 10,000 companies was identified. The questionnaire was sent by regular mail to 1,900 companies and by e-mail to the remaining 8,100. A total of 278 valid responses were collected and used in the analysis. Findings: Nine characteristics and determinants of business relationships in the internationalisation process (components of company internationalisation maturity) were identified during the qualitative study (1) based on 10 case studies analyses [Fonfara, Ratajczak-Mrozek, Ma?ys 2015]. It has been followed by quantitative studies presented in the paper. The respondents considered all nine characteristics and determinants to be significant or very significant for building a competitive advantage in the process of internationalisation. What is more, the presence of the adopted characteristics and determinants in business relationships in foreign markets usually resulted in companies’ better performance than that of their rivals. Research limitations/implications: A quantitative study based on such a large sample involved developing a standardised questionnaire that included questions common to all types of company. For this reason, the results presented here may omit some nuances typical of certain entities. Therefore, further in-depth case studies have been planned – qualitative studies (2) – with the aim of supplementing the conclusions reached. Practical implications: In theory, it is indicated that both the development of strong and close relationships with entities in the business environment and foreign expansion may significantly improve company performance. In practice, however, the reverse can be observed. Many cooperation arrangements do not produce the expected results, leading to collaboration being broken off. Similarly, numerous companies achieve poorer results in foreign markets than locally and, as a result, ultimately withdraw from them. Identifying the characteristics and determinants of business relationships in the internationalisation process, as well as their impact on company performance, may become the basis for a better understanding of the mechanism of developing a competitive advantage in foreign markets in business practice. Originality/value: Most studies highlight so-called tangible factors affecting company performance. What is much less analysed is the influence of intangible factors such as a company’s relationships with other entities. The present paper focuses on the analysis of nine intangible characteristics and determinants of business relationships in the internationalisation process related to company performance.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2016
Conference: Poznan, Poland (2016)