Internalization theory for the digital economy

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Banalieva, Elitsa R.; Dhanaraj, Charles
• 署名单位: Northeastern University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-019-00243-7
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 1372-1387
• 关键词: INTERNALIZATION THEORY; digitalization; firm-specific assets; governance choices; digital SMNCs; network advantage; human capital FSA; core and peripheral technologies; generic and advanced skills

摘要

We study the internationalization of digital service multinational enterprises (SMNCs), focusing on how digitalization alters internalization theory's assumptions about the nature of firm-specific assets (FSAs) and the theory's predictions about governance choices in cross-border transactions. We invoke Simon's (Proc Am Philos Soc 106(6):467-482, 1962) near-decomposability concept to explain how digitalization enables two distinct types of FSAs - technology and human capital. Applying the ideas of modularity and skill complexity, we further distinguish between core versus peripheral technology FSAs and between generic versus advanced human capital FSAs. Building on the transferability and appropriability of these strategic assets, we theorize on the FSAs' internalization propensity in the digital age. We propose that with rising digitalization, the network plays a dual role - as a governance mode and as a strategic resource. Integrating insights from network economics, particularly increasing returns to scale, we propose that network advantages (O-n) emerge as a distinct strategic resource that merits separate investigation from the traditional asset-based (O-a) and transaction-based (O-t) advantages.