Public institutions, governance capability, and platform internationalization: institutional substitution at home and abroad

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Zhou, Nan
• 署名单位: Renmin University of China
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-026-00894-3
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: AIDED TEXT ANALYSIS; strategies; COMPETITION; reputation; variables; networks; distance; MARKETS; ECONOMY; FIRMS

摘要

Digital platforms often expand internationally faster than public institutions can evolve, raising the question of how they sustain operations in weak institutional environments. I theorize governance capability, defined as the firm-level ability to design, implement, and enforce rules regulating participant behavior, as a dual institutional substitute. When home-country institutions are weak, platforms develop governance capability to fill domestic institutional voids (substitution at home), establishing order and trust where public enforcement is limited. Once developed, this capability becomes transferable across borders, enabling platforms to navigate weak host-country institutions during internationalization (substitution abroad). Its effect is conditional: it is stronger when home country institutions are stronger than those of the host country, and for broker platforms whose governance routines can be replicated globally at lower cost. Using a longitudinal sample of 50 digital platforms from China and the United States entering 61 host countries between 1996 and 2023, I find support for these predictions. These results position governance capability as a portable institutional infrastructure, offering a capability-based alternative to structural responses such as diversification in institutionally weak contexts, and highlighting its role as a supply-side driver of platform internationalization that complements demand-side forces such as network effects. Les plateformes num & eacute;riques s'& eacute;tendent souvent & agrave; l'international plus rapidement que les institutions publiques ne sont capables d'& eacute;voluer, ce qui soul & egrave;ve la question de savoir comment elles parviennent & agrave; maintenir leurs op & eacute;rations dans des environnements institutionnels faibles ou contest & eacute;s. Je th & eacute;orise la notion de capacit & eacute; de gouvernance, d & eacute;finie comme la capacit & eacute;, au niveau de l'entreprise, & agrave; concevoir, mettre en oe uvre et faire respecter des r & egrave;gles r & eacute;gulant le comportement des participants, en tant que substitut institutionnel dual. Lorsque les institutions du pays d'origine sont faibles, les plateformes d & eacute;veloppent une capacit & eacute; de gouvernance pour combler les vides institutionnels domestiques (substitution dans le pays d'origine), & eacute;tablissant ainsi l'ordre et la confiance l & agrave; o & ugrave; l'action des pouvoirs publics est limit & eacute;e. Une fois d & eacute;velopp & eacute;e, cette capacit & eacute; devient transf & eacute;rable au-del & agrave; des fronti & egrave;res, permettant aux plateformes de naviguer dans des institutions faibles des pays h & ocirc;tes pendant leur processus d'internationalisation (substitution & agrave; l'& eacute;tranger). Son effet est conditionnel : il est plus fort lorsque les institutions du pays d'origine sont plus solides que celles du pays d'accueil, et pour les plateformes de courtage dont les pratiques de gouvernance peuvent & ecirc;tre reproduites & agrave; l'& eacute;chelle mondiale & agrave; moindre co & ucirc;t. M'appuyant sur un & eacute;chantillon longitudinal de 50 plateformes num & eacute;riques chinoises et am & eacute;ricaines qui se sont implant & eacute;es dans 61 pays d'accueil entre 1996 et 2023, je confirme empiriquement ces arguments. Ces r & eacute;sultats positionnent la capacit & eacute; de gouvernance comme une infrastructure institutionnelle transf & eacute;rable, offrant une alternative fond & eacute;e sur les capacit & eacute;s aux r & eacute;ponses structurelles telles que la diversification dans des contextes institutionnels fragiles, et soulignent son r & ocirc;le en tant que moteur de l'internationalisation des plateformes du c & ocirc;t & eacute; de l'offre, qui vient compl & eacute;ter les forces du c & ocirc;t & eacute; de la demande telles que les effets de r & eacute;seau. Las plataformas digitales a menudo se expanden internacionalmente m & aacute;s r & aacute;pido de lo que las instituciones p & uacute;blicas pueden evolucionar, lo que plantea la pregunta de c & oacute;mo sostienen sus operaciones en entornos institucionales d & eacute;biles o disputados. Teorizo la capacidad de gobernanza, definida como la habilidad a nivel empresarial para dise & ntilde;ar, implementar y hacer cumplir reglas que regulen el comportamiento de los participantes, como un sustituto institucional dual. Cuando las instituciones del pa & iacute;s de origen son d & eacute;biles, las plataformas desarrollan la capacidad de gobernanza para llenar los vac & iacute;os institucionales dom & eacute;sticos (sustituci & oacute;n en el pa & iacute;s de origen), estableciendo orden y confianza donde la aplicaci & oacute;n p & uacute;blica es limitada. Una vez desarrollada, esta capacidad se vuelve transferible a trav & eacute;s m & aacute;s all & aacute; de las fronteras nacionales, permitiendo a las plataformas navegar por instituciones d & eacute;biles en los pa & iacute;ses anfitriones durante la internacionalizaci & oacute;n (sustituci & oacute;n en el extranjero). Su efecto es condicional: es m & aacute;s pronunciado cuando las instituciones del pa & iacute;s de origen son m & aacute;s s & oacute;lidas que las del pa & iacute;s anfitri & oacute;n, y en el caso de las plataformas de intermediaci & oacute;n cuyas rutinas de gobernanza pueden replicarse globalmente a un costo menor. Utilizando una muestra longitudinal de 50 plataformas digitales de China y Estados Unidos que ingresaron a 61 pa & iacute;ses anfitriones entre 1996 y 2023, encuentro apoyo para estas predicciones. Estos resultados posicionan la capacidad de gobernanza como una infraestructura institucional port & aacute;til, ofreciendo una alternativa basada en capacidades a las respuestas estructurales como la diversificaci & oacute;n en contextos institucionalmente d & eacute;biles, y destacando su papel como factor impulsor del lado de la oferta para la internacionalizaci & oacute;n de plataformas que complementa fuerzas del lado de la demanda como los efectos de red. As plataformas digitais frequentemente se expandem internacionalmente mais rapidamente do que as institui & ccedil;& otilde;es p & uacute;blicas conseguem evoluir, o que levanta a quest & atilde;o de como sustentam suas opera & ccedil;& otilde;es em ambientes institucionais fr & aacute;geis ou contestados. Teorizo a capacidade de governan & ccedil;a, definida como a habilidade, no n & iacute;vel da empresa, de projetar, implementar e aplicar regras que regulam o comportamento dos participantes, como um substituto institucional duplo. Quando as institui & ccedil;& otilde;es do pa & iacute;s de origem s & atilde;o fracas, as plataformas desenvolvem capacidade de governan & ccedil;a para preencher lacunas institucionais dom & eacute;sticas (substitui & ccedil;& atilde;o no pa & iacute;s de origem), estabelecendo ordem e confian & ccedil;a onde a aplica & ccedil;& atilde;o p & uacute;blica & eacute; limitada. Uma vez desenvolvida, essa capacidade torna-se transfer & iacute;vel al & eacute;m das fronteiras, permitindo que as plataformas naveguem por institui & ccedil;& otilde;es fr & aacute;geis nos pa & iacute;ses de destino durante o processo de internacionaliza & ccedil;& atilde;o (substitui & ccedil;& atilde;o no exterior). Seu efeito & eacute; condicional: & eacute; mais forte quando as institui & ccedil;& otilde;es do pa & iacute;s de origem s & atilde;o mais robustas do que aquelas do pa & iacute;s de destino, e para plataformas de intermedia & ccedil;& atilde;o cujas rotinas de governan & ccedil;a podem ser replicadas globalmente a um custo menor. Utilizando uma amostra longitudinal de 50 plataformas digitais da China e dos Estados Unidos que entraram em 61 pa & iacute;ses de destino entre 1996 e 2023, encontro suporte para essas previs & otilde;es. Esses resultados posicionam a capacidade de governan & ccedil;a como uma infraestrutura institucional port & aacute;til, oferecendo uma alternativa baseada em capacidades & agrave;s respostas estruturais, como a diversifica & ccedil;& atilde;o em contextos institucionalmente fr & aacute;geis, e destacando seu papel como um motor do lado da oferta na internacionaliza & ccedil;& atilde;o de plataformas, complementando for & ccedil;as do lado da demanda, como os efeitos de rede. 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