外来者劣势:理论拓展与实证分析

Liabilities of Foreignness: Theoretical Extension and Empirical Examination

传统理论认为,新兴市场企业进入国际市场前,与本国市场中的外国跨国公司进行合作的内向国际化有利于企业的跨国经营。但是,研究者逐步认识到事实可能并非如此。尽管与外国跨国公司的合作有助于获得国际经验和知识,但企业也会在合作过程中感知到劣势,并因此影响企业的国际化进程。鉴于此,通过加入时间和空间维度,本文对现有外来者劣势理论进行了拓展,提出了新兴市场的中小民营企业在进入国际市场前的内向国际化过程中存在"前发外来者劣势"(pre-entry perceived foreignness,PEPF),探讨了内向国际化经验对PEPF及PEPF对进入模式的影响关系,并检验了PEPF在内向国际化经验和进入模式间的中介作用。通过对144家中国中小民营企业的分析以及稳健性检验,本文得出如下结论:与外国跨国公司的合作时间会导致企业前发外来者劣势感知的升高;合作时间越长,企业越倾向选择出口、设立代表处等低控制型进入模式;前发外来者劣势完全中介了合作时间与进入模式的关系。本文因此提出了内向国际化中被忽略的劣势感知问题,并为内向和外向国际化的关系提供了新的观点。本文结果不仅有助于中国企业更好地认识前发外来者劣势及其发生机制,对企业及早采取应对措施,降低不必要的、消极的劣势感知,提高外向国际化水平具有管理启示;而且,对政府制定提高中国企业内向国际化合作水平的扶持政策以及强化国际自信具有一定的实践意义。

According to traditional theories, the inward internationalization, i.e. emerging markets firms(EMFs) collaborate with foreign MNCs in home countries before entering overseas markets, is beneficial to EMFs' following international expansion. However, researchers gradually realize that it is not always the case. Although the collaboration with foreign MNCs contributes to the accumulation of international experience and knowledge for EMFs, EMFs can also suffer from liabilities in this process, which in turn will affect the level of outward internationalization. In view of this, by distinguishing the dimensions of time and space, this paper tries to extend the theory of liabilities of foreignness, and put forward the concept, pre-entry perceived foreignness(PEPF), which happens in the process of inward internationalization before emerging market small-sized and medium-sized enterprises(EM SMEs) enter overseas markets. This paper then investigates the relationship between inward international experience, PEPF and entry mode, as well as the mediating effects of PEPF between inward international experience and entry mode. By empirical examination on 144 China's SMEs, it is concluded that: First, collaborative time has positive effects on PEPF; Second, the longer the collaborative time is, the lower the entry mode SMEs will choose; Third, PEPF wholly mediates the relationship between collaborative time and entry mode. This paper therefore emphasizes the ignored problems of PEPF in inward internationalization and provides a new perspective for the relationship between inward and outward internationalization. The results will not only help China's firms better understand the PEPF and its generative mechanisms, so as to take steps earlier to reduce the unnecessary and negative liabilities, but also have practical significance for China's government to formulate support policies for the inward collaboration by China's firms and strengthen international confidence.