| Success Factors of Regional Strategies for Multinational Corporations | 3 |
|---|
| Appropriate Degrees of Management Autonomy and Product Adaptation | 3 |
| Abstract | 5 |
| Preface | 7 |
| Contents | 9 |
| List of Figures | 13 |
| List of Tables | 15 |
| Abbreviations | 17 |
| Part I: Theoretical Setting for Regional Strategies and Regional Success | 21 |
| Chapter 1: Introduction | 22 |
| 1.1 Introduction and Motivation | 22 |
| 1.2 Problem Set and Aim of Analysis | 23 |
| 1.3 Course of Analysis | 28 |
| Chapter 2: Theoretical Foundation and Literature Review | 31 |
| 2.1 Multinational Corporations and Regional Strategies | 31 |
| 2.1.1 Multinational Corporations and Their Regional Dimensions of Strategy and Organization | 33 |
| 2.1.2 Regional Strategies and Their Theoretical Foundation | 36 |
| 2.1.2.1 Overview of Strategy Models for Multinational Corporations | 36 |
| 2.1.2.2 The Stopford and Wells Structure-Stadium Model | 39 |
| 2.1.2.3 The Ohmae Triad Power | 42 |
| 2.1.2.4 The Bartlett and Ghoshal Integration-Responsiveness Framework | 46 |
| 2.2 The Rugman Regional Strategy Matrix | 51 |
| 2.2.1 The Development of the Regional Strategy Matrix | 51 |
| 2.2.2 Home-Regional Strategy | 55 |
| 2.2.3 Host-Regional Strategy | 56 |
| 2.2.4 Bi-regional Strategy | 57 |
| 2.2.5 Multi-regional (or Global) Strategy | 58 |
| 2.2.6 Further Regional Strategies | 58 |
| 2.2.7 Regional Management | 61 |
| 2.2.8 Regional Products/Services | 63 |
| 2.3 Contingency Approach | 68 |
| 2.3.1 Contingency Theory | 68 |
| 2.3.2 Contingency Variables | 71 |
| 2.3.2.1 Regional Orientation | 71 |
| 2.3.2.2 Inter-regional Distance | 72 |
| 2.4 Concept of Regional Corporate Success | 75 |
| 2.4.1 Success Factor Theory | 75 |
| 2.4.2 Regional Corporate Success | 78 |
| Part II: Development of a Regional Success Factor Model for the Analysis of the Regional Strategy-Success Relationship | 81 |
| Chapter 3: Structural Equation Methodology | 82 |
| 3.1 Foundations of Structural Equation Modeling | 82 |
| 3.1.1 Alternative SEM Techniques: LISREL Versus PLS | 85 |
| 3.2 The Partial Least Squares Approach to Structural Equation Modeling | 90 |
| 3.2.1 Structural Model | 90 |
| 3.2.2 Measurement Model | 92 |
| 3.2.2.1 Reflective Measurement Model | 92 |
| 3.2.2.2 Formative Measurement Model | 93 |
| 3.2.2.3 Differentiation Between Reflective and Formative Measurement Models | 95 |
| 3.2.3 Quality Criteria for Evaluating Structural Equation Models | 97 |
| 3.2.3.1 Quality Criteria for Evaluating Reflective Measurement Models | 97 |
| 3.2.3.2 Quality Criteria for Evaluating Formative Measurement Models | 102 |
| 3.2.3.3 Quality Criteria for Evaluating a Structural Model | 107 |
| Chapter 4: Regional Success Factor Model | 112 |
| 4.1 Model of Success Factors of Regional Strategies | 112 |
| 4.1.1 Regional Management Autonomy | 113 |
| 4.1.1.1 Regional Strategy Development | 114 |
| 4.1.1.2 Regional Market and Product/Service Development | 116 |
| 4.1.1.3 Regional Market Coordination | 117 |
| 4.1.1.4 Regional Operational Administration | 119 |
| 4.1.1.5 Rules of Correspondence and Research Hypothesis 1 | 120 |
| 4.1.2 Regional Product/Service Adaptation | 122 |
| 4.1.2.1 Regional Design | 123 |
| 4.1.2.2 Regional Functional Scope | 124 |
| 4.1.2.3 Regional Offering Portfolio | 126 |
| 4.1.2.4 Regional Brands | 127 |
| 4.1.2.5 Rules of Correspondence and Research Hypothesis 2 | 128 |
| 4.1.3 Contingency Variables | 131 |
| 4.1.3.1 Regional Orientation | 131 |
| 4.1.3.2 Rules of Correspondence and Research Hypotheses 3a/3b | 132 |
| 4.1.3.3 Inter-Regional Distance | 135 |
| 4.1.3.4 Rules of Correspondence and Research Hypotheses 4a/4b | 135 |
| 4.1.4 Regional Corporate Success | 138 |
| 4.1.5 Control Variables | 140 |
| 4.2 Summary: Regional Success Factor Model | 141 |
| Part III: Success Factors of Regional Strategies: A New Perspective on the Geographic Competitiveness of Multinational Corporations | 143 |
| Chapter 5: Research Design and Research Methodology | 144 |
| 5.1 Research Design | 144 |
| 5.1.1 Sample | 144 |
| 5.1.2 Database | 146 |
| 5.2 Research Methodology | 148 |
| 5.2.1 Methodology of Explorative Data Analysis | 148 |
| 5.2.2 Survey Methodology | 153 |
| 5.2.2.1 Survey Design | 153 |
| 5.2.2.2 Survey Implementation | 156 |
| 5.2.3 Modeling Methodology | 159 |
| Chapter 6: Empirical Results | 163 |
| 6.1 Descriptive Statistics | 163 |
| 6.2 Explorative Data Analysis | 166 |
| 6.2.1 Data Analysis over Time | 166 |
| 6.2.2 Further Data Observations | 169 |
| 6.3 Model Evaluation | 172 |
| Chapter 7: Discussion of Results and Implications | 181 |
| 7.1 Discussion of Theoretical Implications | 181 |
| 7.2 Discussion of Practical Implications | 197 |
| 7.2.1 Regional Management Autonomy as a Success Factor | 198 |
| 7.2.2 Regional Product/Service Adaptation as a Success Factor | 202 |
| 7.3 Limitations | 206 |
| Chapter 8: Conclusions | 211 |
| 8.1 Conclusion | 211 |
| 8.2 Recommendations for Further Research | 213 |
| Appendix | 215 |
| References | 281 |
