Journal of International Marketing

This study describes operational experiences in 73 equity joint ventures (EJVs) in China. Key difficulties are identified in the areas of local sourcing, recruitment of skilled Chinese managers, and the clarity of laws and regulations. Although interesting and meaningful differences are identified across ventures, the analyses indicate that these three operational aspects are serious and problematic irrespective of geographic location of the EJV in China, its business scope, and the national culture of the foreign partner. Neither location, nor industry, nor ethnic relation among partners shields the EJV against the most problematic operational concerns. Given their structural and cultural origins, these operational difficulties are likely to remain a headache for foreign managers operating in China in the near future.

This study was designed to test empirically the linkages between control, conflict, and performance using a sample of U.S.-Chinese joint ventures established in China during the period of 1979–1989. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey among U.S. managers and personal interviews with both U.S. and Chinese general managers in the selected joint ventures. Results showed that dominant managerial control exercised by the foreign partner had a positive impact on the perceived joint venture performance. The study identified major areas in which conflict between joint venture partners occurred. Empirical evidence was found that conflict between joint venture partners significantly hindered joint venture performance.

Developing new products is an important activity for firms in the global, competitive marketplace. While marketing plays an important role in the process of developing new products, few studies have examined marketing's role in developing new products in East Asia. This research focuses on comparing marketing's contribution to the new product development process in South Korean and Taiwanese firms. South Korea and Taiwan have rapidly expanding economies that depend heavily on foreign exchange. In addition, these two countries have successfully transformed themselves from producing mainly low-value, labor-intensive goods to producing many high-value, high-technology products that require significant marketing savvy and proficiency. In this article, a model of the interrelationships among marketing resources, skills, activities, and new product performance is developed and tested using data on 372 recently developed South Korean new products and 306 recently developed Taiwanese new products. The results generally support the model, though some interesting differences were found between the two countries. It was found that merely possessing large quantities of marketing resources is not a key to new product success. Rather, the marketing skills derived from marketing resources and the proficiency in conducting marketing activities are important for successfully developing new products in South Korean and Taiwanese firms.

To compete successfully in world markets, firms from emerging market and newly industrialized economies need to develop strategies to participate more broadly in the transnational value chain. More specifically, they need to move beyond cost-oriented commodity approaches that rely on low-cost labor and other resources to value-creating strategies that capture a greater share of the transnational value chain. This article presents six generic strategies appropriate for emerging market firms: low cost commodity, component manufacturing, private label manufacturing, low-cost leader, first generation technology, and specialized niche. The advantages and limitations of each of these strategies are discussed, as well as general guidelines for extending the firm's participation in the transnational value chain.

Over the past 15 years the auto industry has shifted from a regional industry to a global industry. As a result of this shift the original equipment supplier base has been pulled in the same direction. The globalization process has paralleled the consolidation of the supplier base that has taken place. These two trends have brought new challenges and opportunities to the supplier community.