Archives
East Asian Management Research in Industry, Innovation and Technology
A new theoretical approach to internationalisation strategies: First thoughts about a metastrategy
René Haak
Deputy Director; Head of Business and Economics Section, German Institute for Japanese Studies Tokyo, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
The internationalisation of the firm is one of the biggest strategic challenges facing management at the beginning of the 21st Century.
This paper is offering first thoughts about a new strategy level, the metastrategy. This new strategy level is developing against the background of discussion on centralised internationalisation strategies from a systematic, theoretical perspective. The metastrategy brings a new perspective to the interrelationship of the strategy levels (corporate, business and functional strategy).
As a superordinate strategy manifesting management thought and action patterns, it creates a frame of reference for the formulation of further strategies. How? The strategy integrates in various ways by performing different functions (identification, motivation and identity function) on the information relevant to the success and production of goods and services, that is distributed over the internal and the interorganisational network. More than other models, the metastrategy means a greater degree of cultural integration, in the form of shared values, visions, style and philosophies.
Keywords
strategy, internationalisation, networks, co-operation, competition, cultural integration, global metastrategy
References
Albach H (1981) Internationlae Betriebswirtscahftslehre. Ergänzungsheft 1/81 der Zeitschrift Betriebswirtschaftslehre.
Bartlett CA (1989) Aufbau und Management der transnationalen Unternehmung: Eine organisatorische Herausforderung. In Porter ME (ed) Globaler Wettbwerb. Wiesbaden: Gabler, pp.425-464.
Bartlett CA and Ghoshal S (1990) Internationale Unternehmensführung. Frankfurt and New York.
Bronder C and Pritzl R (1991) Strategische Allianzen zur Steigerung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Management Zeitschrift 60(5): 27-30.
Dülfer E (1997) Internationales Management in unterschiedlichen Kulturbereichen. München und Wien: R Oldenbourg Verlag.
Ghoshal S (1987) Global strategy: An organizing framwork. Strategic Management Journal 8(5): 425-440.
Ghoshal S and Bartlett CA (1990) The multinational corporation as an international network. Academy of Management Review 15(4): 603-625.
Haak R (2002a) Japanese Business Strategies towards China. A Theoretical Approach. In Hilpert HG and Haak R (eds) Japan and China. Cooperation, Competition and Conflict. Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave, pp.158-173.
Haak R (2003b) Japanese-German Business Collaboration in Third Markets - the Case of China. In Haak R and Hilpert HG (eds) Focus China - The New Challenge for Japanese Management. München: Iudicium Verlag (forthcoming).
Hilpert HG and Haak R (eds) (2002a) Japan and China. Cooperation, Competition and Conflict. Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave.
Haak R and Hilpert HG (eds) (2002b) Focus China. The New Challenge for Japanese Management. München: Iudicium (forthcoming).
Kreikebaum H (1998) Organisationsmanagement internationaler Unternehmen. Grundlagen und neue Strukturen. Wiesbaden: Gabler.
Lück W and Trommsdorff M (1982) Internationalisierung der Unternehmung als Problem desr Betriebswirtschaftslehre.
Macharzina K and Welge MK (1989) (eds) Handwörterbuch Export und internationale Unternehmung. Stuttgart.
Meffert H (1986) Marketing im Spannungsfeld von weltweitem Wettbewerb und nationalen Bedürfnissen. Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft 56: 689-712.
Ohmae K (1985) Die Macht der Triade. Wiesbaden: Gabler.
Ohmae K (1986) Japanische Strategien. Hamburg: McGraw-Hill Book.
Okumura H (1998) Japan und seine Unternehmen. München and Wien: Oldenbourg.
Pausenberger E (1981) (ed) Internationales Management. Stuttgart.
Perlitz M (1997) Internationales Management. Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius.
Porter ME (1989) (ed) Globaler Wettbewerb. Wiesbaden.
Staehle WH (1999) Management. München: Verlag Franz Vahlen.
Sydow J (1992) Strategische Netzwerke. Evolution und Organisaton. Wiesbaden: Gabler.
Sydow J (1993) Strategie und Organisation international tätiger Unternehmungen - Managementprozesse in Netzwerkstrukturen. In Ganter H-D and Schienstock G (eds) Management aus soziologischer Sicht. Wiesbaden: Gabler, pp.47-77.
Sydow J and Windeler A (1998) Organizing and evaluating interfirm networks: A structurationist perspective on network processes and effectiveness. Organization Science 9(3): 265-284.
Welge, M. K (1990) Globales Management. Stuttgart.
eContent Home