A Multilevel Examination of the Drivers of Firm Multinationality: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Management, Forthcoming

29 Pages Posted: 7 Sep 2010

See all articles by Ahmet H. Kirca

Ahmet H. Kirca

Michigan State University - Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management

G. Tomas M. Hult

Michigan State University

Seyda Deligonul

St. John Fisher University

Morys Perryy

Michigan State University - The Eli Broad College of Business and The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management

S. Tamer Cavusgil

Georgia State University

Date Written: September 6, 2010

Abstract

Significant research has been devoted to studying the factors that affect firm multinationality. In this study, the authors organize the vast multinationality literature by levels of analysis using a multilevel framework based on the interaction paradigm and conduct a meta-analysis that aggregates the empirical findings from 154 independent samples reported in 145 studies. The cumulative evidence provides strong support for the upper echelons theory that emphasizes the central importance of executives’ characteristics as major determinants of firm multinationality. Moreover, the results indicate that the accumulation of the international experience embedded in human and relational capital is the most significant firm-level factor that affects firm multinationality. The meta-analytic results also reveal that the measurement and sample characteristics of original studies explain the inconsistent findings pertaining to the effects of firm size, firm age, and top management team size on multinationality. On the basis of the meta-analytic findings, several directions for future research are provided.

JEL Classification: F2, F1, L2, M1, M30

Suggested Citation

Kirca, Ahmet H. and Hult, G. Tomas M. and Deligonul, Seyda and Perryy, Morys and Cavusgil, S. Tamer, A Multilevel Examination of the Drivers of Firm Multinationality: A Meta-Analysis (September 6, 2010). Journal of Management, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1672975 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1672975

Ahmet H. Kirca

Michigan State University - Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management ( email )

East Lansing, MI
United States

G. Tomas M. Hult (Contact Author)

Michigan State University ( email )

East Lansing, MI 48824-1121
United States

Seyda Deligonul

St. John Fisher University ( email )

Morys Perryy

Michigan State University - The Eli Broad College of Business and The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management ( email )

East Lansing, MI 48824-1121
United States

S. Tamer Cavusgil

Georgia State University

35 Broad Street
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
United States

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