Understanding the Internationalization of Chinese Firms

Professor JOHN CHILD, University of Birmingham

When:

29.Oct.2008 14.00 - 16.00

Where:

Leeds University Business School - Leeds

Chinese firms are increasingly internationalizing, as witnessed by a rising tide of outward foreign direct investment. As well as deserving attention as a growing phenomenon in international business, the internationalization of Chinese firms raises questions about their motives for going abroad as well as about the ways in which they are accomplishing this. Using secondary case study evidence, the seminar will address these issues and ask how well they can be accounted for by existing theories. An examination of Chinese firms suggests the need to extend present theorizing, especially to take account of the domestic institutional context, asset-seeking objectives, and variations in approach as between different host country locations.  While taking the paper published by Child and Rodrigues (2005) as its point of departure, the seminar will also consider subsequent discussions and evidence on the subject.

[Reference
Child, John and Suzana B. Rodrigues (2005). "The Internationalization of Chinese Firms: A Case for Theoretical Extension?"  Management and Organization Review, 1 (3): 381-410.]

Biography

John Child received his PhD and ScD from the University of Cambridge. He is Professor and Chair of Commerce at the University of Birmingham. After being a professor and then Dean of the Aston Business School, John became Dean and Director of the European Community’s management programme in China in 1989-1990. He was then appointed as the Diageo Professor of Management in the University of Cambridge, where he was also a Fellow of St. John’s College.

John’s research interests include the internationalization of firms from emerging economies, post-acquisition management, and new organizational forms. He has published 19 books and over 130 articles.  His recent books are Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice (Blackwell 2005), and Cooperative Strategy (with David Faulkner and Stephen Tallman, Oxford University Press 2005).  His latest book, co-authored with Suzana Rodrigues, is on Corporate Co-evolution and was published by Wiley in 2008.

John Child is a member of the Brazil-UK JECTCO, Joint Economic and Trade Committee, established by the UK and Brazilian governments to promote bilateral trade and investment. He is an active member of the Academy of International Business, a member of the board of LAEMOS – Latin American and European Studies Association, and of IAMCR – International Association of Chinese Management Research.

ALL WELCOME