Reputational judgments of foreign MNEs' societal impact in frontier markets: the role of compatible, crossed, and conflicting signals

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Makarius, Erin E.; Kahindi, Aloysius M.; Stevens, Charles E.; Hong, Emma Kyoungseo
• 署名单位: University System of Ohio; University of Akron; University of Victoria; Rutgers University System; Rutgers University New Brunswick; Rutgers University Newark
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-025-00795-x
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 901-920
• 关键词: signaling theory; AFRICA; Headquarters-subsidiary roles and relations; reputation; Societal Impact; qualitative

摘要

How do host country stakeholders evaluate foreign MNEs' local impact? Although MNEs' desire for a reputation for positive societal impact is well-established in the literature, much less is known about how to actually obtain one-especially in less developed frontier markets. In this inductive, qualitative study across seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa, we examine why host country stakeholders deem some foreign MNEs to have a better reputation for societal impact than others and how firms' actions and attributes influence these stakeholder perceptions. Leveraging signaling theory, we identify three distinct types of signals (compatible, crossed, and conflicting) and three critical factors (benefit diffusion, empowerment, and hybrid solutions) that shape MNEs' reputation for societal impact. We also shed light on the role of contextual factors at the country, industry, and community levels. In addition to these theoretical contributions, our study also yields practical implications for MNEs of including local stakeholders' perspectives when crafting market and nonmarket strategies, fostering constructive communication between headquarters and subsidiaries as well as between expatriate and local actors, and finding ways of going beyond 'fitting in' to instead 'stand out' in order to gain a reputation for providing tangible and intangible forms of societal impact in frontier markets. Comment les parties prenantes du pays d'accueil & eacute;valuent-elles l'impact local des entreprises multinationales (Multinational Enterprises - MNEs) & eacute;trang & egrave;res ? Bien que le d & eacute;sir des MNEs d'acqu & eacute;rir une r & eacute;putation d'impact soci & eacute;tal positif soit bien & eacute;tabli dans la litt & eacute;rature, on en sait beaucoup moins sur la mani & egrave;re d'y parvenir, notamment sur les march & eacute;s fronti & egrave;res moins d & eacute;velopp & eacute;s. Dans cette recherche qualitative inductive men & eacute;e dans sept pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, nous examinons pourquoi les parties prenantes du pays d'accueil estiment que certaines MNEs & eacute;trang & egrave;res ont une meilleure r & eacute;putation en mati & egrave;re d'impact soci & eacute;tal que d'autres, et comment les actions et les caract & eacute;ristiques des entreprises influencent ces perceptions. Nous appuyant sur la th & eacute;orie des signaux, nous identifions trois types distincts de signaux (compatibles, crois & eacute;s et contradictoires) et trois facteurs critiques (diffusion des b & eacute;n & eacute;fices, autonomisation et solutions hybrides) qui fa & ccedil;onnent la r & eacute;putation des MNEs en mati & egrave;re d'impact soci & eacute;tal. Nous mettons & eacute;galement en lumi & egrave;re le r & ocirc;le des facteurs contextuels aux niveaux du pays, de l'industrie et de la communaut & eacute;. Outre ces contributions th & eacute;oriques, notre recherche apporte & eacute;galement aux MNEs des implications pratiques en mati & egrave;re d'inclusion des perspectives des parties prenantes locales lors de l'& eacute;laboration des strat & eacute;gies commerciales et non marchandes, d'encouragement d'une communication constructive entre le si & egrave;ge social et les filiales ainsi qu'entre les acteurs expatri & eacute;s et locaux, et aussi en mati & egrave;re de d & eacute;veloppement des moyens d'aller au-del & agrave; de << l'int & eacute;gration >> pour << se d & eacute;marquer >> et acqu & eacute;rir ainsi une r & eacute;putation de producteur des formes tangibles et intangibles de l'impact soci & eacute;tal sur les march & eacute;s fronti & egrave;res. Aunque el deseo de las empresas multinacionales (MNEs por sus iniciales en ingl & eacute;s) de tener una reputaci & oacute;n de impacto social positivo est & aacute; bien establecido en la literatura, se sabe mucho menos sobre c & oacute;mo obtenerla realmente, especialmente en mercados frontera menos desarrollados. En este estudio inductivo y cualitativo realizado en siete pa & iacute;ses del & Aacute;frica subsahariana, examinamos por qu & eacute; los grupos de inter & eacute;s del pa & iacute;s anfitri & oacute;n consideran que algunas empresas multinacionales extranjeras tienen mejor reputaci & oacute;n de impacto social que otras, y c & oacute;mo las acciones y atributos de las empresas influyen en estas percepciones de los grupos de inter & eacute;s. Aprovechando la teor & iacute;a de se & ntilde;alizaci & oacute;n, identificamos tres tipos distintos de se & ntilde;ales (compatibles, cruzadas y conflictivas) y tres factores cr & iacute;ticos (difusi & oacute;n de beneficios, empoderamiento y soluciones h & iacute;bridas) que moldean la reputaci & oacute;n de las empresas multinacionales en cuanto al impacto social. Tambi & eacute;n arrojamos luz sobre el papel de los factores contextuales a nivel de pa & iacute;s, industria y comunidad. Adem & aacute;s de estas contribuciones te & oacute;ricas, nuestro estudio tambi & eacute;n genera implicaciones pr & aacute;cticas para las empresas multinacionales respecto a incluir las perspectivas de los grupos de inter & eacute;s locales al dise & ntilde;ar estrategias de mercado y no mercado, fomentar la comunicaci & oacute;n constructiva entre la casa matriz y las subsidiarias, as & iacute; como entre los actores expatriados y locales, y encontrar formas de ir m & aacute;s all & aacute; de simplemente encajar para en su lugar destacarse con el fin de ganar una reputaci & oacute;n por proporcionar formas tangibles e intangibles de impacto social en los mercados frontera. Como stakeholders de um pa & iacute;s anfitri & atilde;o avaliam o impacto local de empresas multinacionais (MNEs) estrangeiras? Embora o desejo de MNEs por uma reputa & ccedil;& atilde;o de impacto social positivo esteja bem documentado na literatura, sabe-se muito menos sobre como se Conquista tal reputa & ccedil;& atilde;o-especialmente em mercados fronteiri & ccedil;os menos desenvolvidos. Neste estudo qualitativo e indutivo conduzido em sete pa & iacute;ses da & Aacute;frica Subsaariana, examinamos porque stakeholders do pa & iacute;s anfitri & atilde;o consideram a reputa & ccedil;& atilde;o de impacto social de algumas MNEs estrangeiras melhores do que outras, e como a & ccedil;& otilde;es e caracter & iacute;sticas das empresas influenciam tais percep & ccedil;& otilde;es. Com base na teoria de sinais, identificamos tr & ecirc;s tipos distintos de sinais (compat & iacute;veis, cruzados e conflitantes) e tr & ecirc;s fatores cr & iacute;ticos (difus & atilde;o de benef & iacute;cios, empoderamento e solu & ccedil;& otilde;es h & iacute;bridas) que moldam a reputa & ccedil;& atilde;o de MNEs em rela & ccedil;& atilde;o ao impacto social. Tamb & eacute;m aclaramos o papel de fatores contextuais nos n & iacute;veis de pa & iacute;s, de setor e de comunidade. Al & eacute;m dessas contribui & ccedil;& otilde;es te & oacute;ricas, nosso estudo oferece implica & ccedil;& otilde;es pr & aacute;ticas para MNEs ao incluir perspectivas de stakeholders locais no desenvolvimento de estrat & eacute;gias de mercado e n & atilde;o-mercado, promover uma comunica & ccedil;& atilde;o construtiva entre matriz e subsidi & aacute;rias, bem como entre expatriados e atores locais, e buscar formas de ir al & eacute;m de apenas se adaptar para efetivamente se destacar, a fim de conquistar uma reputa & ccedil;& atilde;o por oferecer formas tang & iacute;veis e intang & iacute;veis de impacto social em mercados fronteiri & ccedil;os. 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