Leland Entrekin

Networking has been established as an important source of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) business expansion in many developed economies. Often, it provides the necessary intelligence leading to internationalization. The question this study addresses is "What are the roles and sources of networking of SMEs internationalization in emerging economies?" This study responds to this query through a dyadic study involving expert-opinion survey of SME development professionals and case studies of SMEs internationalization. The convergent views identified three interconnected sources of networking for SMEs internationalization, which are government institutions, business associates, and personal relations. The results affirmed that accomplishment of internationalization requires cohesion among the myriads of networking sources and operating agencies. A systems approach towards supporting the creation and management of networking linkages for internationalization combines systems thinking perspective with institutional view. It emphasizes integration of coordination, facilitation, and monitoring functions. Thus, suggesting institutional support and systems thinking are important constructs in the theory of international entrepreneurship. Policy makers and entrepreneurs of SMEs gain actionable points to ensure effectiveness of institutional support mechanism and to enhance their business internationalization, respectively.

Factors influencing small-to-medium enterprises (SME) internationalization have been discussed in developed countries, yet developing counties are still struggling for empirical evidence. This article seeks to investigate the influential factors and identify the most influential aspects that drive Malaysian SMEs to internationalize. This exploratory study applied a Delphi technique through telephone interviews and e-mails. A panel of 32 experts including academicians, policymakers, government agencies, the Chamber of Commerce and research institute participated in this study. The Expert Panel was identified from the internet and through personal contacts. The experts were selected based on their positions, qualifications, affiliations, age and length of working experience. The findings found that the influential factors are firm characteristics, industry factor, external influence, and motivational aspects. Interestingly, this study revealed that the most influential factor is networking. Therefore, a Malaysian model of the factors influencing SME internationalization is derived. In particular, this study provides some insights into SMEs internationalization process and identifies suggestions for future research.

As organisations battle to get the most from their existing people in an environment characterised by skill shortages, the role of human resource practices in fostering employee engagement and commitment is paramount. This paper reports the findings of an Australian study, which examined the current relationship between human resource management practices and the retention of core (critical) employees working in nine organisations. This research specifically, reports on the conditional nature of the relationship between organisational and human resource practices, and commitment. The findings of the study have important implications for human resource academics and practioners.

Despite considerable interest in assessing work dimensions and managerial practices that may enhance organizational vitality, seldom have these features been examined in Build Operate Transfer (BOT) arrange ments which have been frequently used in large-scale infrastructure and development in emerging economies. This study examined job design dimensions and management practice in regional divisions of TELKOM Indonesia, four operating under foreign-partnered BOT arrangements and two operating under the Indo nesian public sector. Surveys were administered to employees at management, functional and lower levels in the telecommunications divisions. Analysis of variance was used to compare private BOT and public sector divisions for staff training, perceived job dimensions and productivity. The results show that BOT divisions with a centralized, pyramidal structure and autocratic management style achieved the greatest infrastructure development and revenue. This was particularly evident in the French BOT division that was associated with the greatest job scope, reasonable investment in training and the highest rates of productivity. The host nation, Indonesia used training and autonomy in work design and reported the greatest spending on human resources and the fewest service complaints. Implications are discussed in terms of executive development and management practices in developing countries.

Employee retention is one of the challenges facing many business organisations today. Many industries are afflicted with high demand for specialised employees and are also suffering high levels of turnover. We have moved into a knowledge-based society where human capital is considered a key resource and a competitive business advantage. The high attrition rate of critical (core) employees is costly to corporations. Loss of these high talent employees results in the stripping of valuable human capital, critical skills and institutional memory. Consequently, companies are giving increased attention to ways of retaining their high performing employees rather than relying on costly replacement and retraining. New paradigm companies recognise that an important element in business management practices is the need to successfully motivate and retain employees who survive organisational restructuring, downsizing, consolidation, reorganising or re-engineering initiatives. This paper examines the current human resource practices on the retention of core employees in twelve Australian organisations. It explores the relationship between human resource (HR) practices and retention and further identifies the elements of HR practices, which strongly influence the decision for core employees to stay. It is part of a three phased study and the methodologies discussed in this paper consist of a) a Delphi survey of expert opinions and b) an in-depth interview of HR Managers of organisations. Results from this study will assist in the development of an effective HRM retention program for organisations. Businesses can successfully keep critical employees with a total retention strategy and HR programs to support it.

The effectiveness of using team learning to improve team performance has been well documented in the literature, and this notion makes intuitive sense. However, little empirical research has been dedicated to the relationship between team learning and team performance, probably owing to the lack of a widely acceptable instrument for assessing team learning. In this study, a psychometric (validity and reliability) examination of Edmondson's Team Learning Survey (TLS) is undertaken. This instrument was then used to examine the effects of internal and external team learning on team performance. Implications and limitations of the study findings are discussed.

Despite the continuing interest in a concern for relationships between culture, management values and economic activity, there is a lack of empirical evidence about these relationships during the unprecedented economic transformations in Asian nations in the 1990s. This study evaluated variations in values that tapped concerns fundamental to the Chinese world view during the period of the Asian financial crisis of 1997. Data were provided by ethnic Chinese managers from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore prior to and after the meltdown. The study findings demonstrate a number of the values changed significantly, which questions assumptions of the longevity of these values, which were identified in earlier periods of relative economic stability. These findings suggest the emergence of distinct managerial styles in each country, rather than the continuance of more common "Asian" or a Chinese way of doing business.

This study examines the attitudes of three groups of managers in Hong Kong, namely, Hong Kong Chinese managers in local Chinese firms (HK/HK), Hong Kong Chinese managers in US firms (HK/US) and American managers in US firms (US/US), towards supervisory, peer, subordinate and multi-source appraisal of executive performance. The more recent perspective of crossvergence, within the convergence-divergence debate, provides the theoretical foundation for formulating the hypotheses. The findings indicate support for this new perspective of crossvergence. There is also evidence of the coexistence of all the three perspectives of convergence, divergence and crossvergence. The study found that the practice of supervisory appraisal is supported more by HK/US and US/US managers than by HK/HK managers. Furthermore, both HK/US and US/US managers are more supportive of subordinate evaluation than peer evaluation. Overall, the findings indicate that the traditional Chinese values may be more congruent with the notion of supervisory appraisal than with peer and subordinate evaluation. The study thus points out the importance of the compatibility of norms and beliefs regarding a management practice such as performance appraisal with the local national cultures in determining the acceptance and hence the transferability of that practice across countries.

An important debate in the field of cross-cultural management research has been the universality of managerial values. One view is that exposure to a capitalistic system, technology and industrialization will shape a common set of managerial values, while another is that underlying values and beliefs, which are moulded by cultural-social factors, will ensure the development of diverse expectations and work attitudes. In this paper are reported values indigenous to Chinese culture of 444 managers who were employed in Hong Kong, Malaysian and Singaporean organizations. The findings demonstrate that within a business ideology, which was influenced by political intervention, unique sets of managerial values were espoused. Implications for human resources management practices in the aftermath of the Asian financial meltdown are discussed.