The authors examine the effect of impact investments – investments made with the intent to generate social and environmental impact alongside financial returns – on emerging countries. The authors argue that impact investment is effective in fostering positive social and environmental outcomes through institutionalization in host countries. The authors assess their hypotheses on a sample of European impact investment firms in Africa, using a unique hand-collected dataset of investments from 2000 to 2019. The authors find empirical support for their hypotheses. This study extends the international business literature by answering the growing calls among scholars for greater attention to the role of social enterprises in addressing complex social and environmental challenges
Andersson, Ulf; Benito, Gabriel R G, Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2023)
Why Some are Less Willing to Share:Competitive Domains and Knowledge Transfer in Multi-Unit Organizations
This study examines how subsidiaries in multinational corporations (MNCs) experience interactions with corporate headquarters. We conceptualize such interactions in terms of organizing costs, focusing on two key types of costs: bargaining costs and information costs. Specifically, we examine how distance, coordination mechanisms, and atmosphere influence the level of organizing costs in the headquarter-subsidiary relationship. Using survey data collected among 104 subsidiary managers in two MNCs, we show that relationship atmosphere significantly reduces both types of organizing costs, whereas distance increases bargaining costs. We also find that centralization and formalization reduce information costs, whereas social integration, contrary to our hypothesis, increases bargaining costs.
Tomassen, Sverre (2017)
Liabilities of distance: Governance cost dynamics in MNE headquarters-subsidiary relationships
According to transaction cost and internalization theories of multinational enterprises, companies make foreign direct investments (FDI) when the combined costs of operations and governance are lower for FDI than for market or contract based options, such as exports and licensing. Yet, ex post governance costs remain a conjectural construct, which has evaded empirical scrutiny, and the lack of focus on the implications of these costs constitutes a challenge for management in multinational companies (MNCs). What effects does the ensuing establishment of subsidiaries abroad have in terms of governance costs? What factors drive these costs? We hypothesize that such costs are driven by external contingencies as well as factors that characterize a particular company headquarters-subsidiary relationship. Using survey data from Norwegian MNCs, this study investigates 159 MNC-subsidiary relationships. Overall, our framework is corroborated by the data.
Lunnan, Randi; Benito, Gabriel R G & Tomassen, Sverre (2011)
Moving Abroad: Factors that motivate foreign location of headquarter activities
The Effect of Institutional Distances and Government Assistance on Ownership Levels in Sub-Saharan African Countries
[Conference Lecture]. Event
We follow the prevalence of MNEs into Africa to examine the impact of institutional distance and governmental assistance on ownership levels across multiple home and host countries. Although recent studies have increasingly heightened the influence of institutional contextual factors on the ownership levels, we know very little about such decisions from the African context. This paper fills this gap by looking at ownership decisions within the uniqueness of the African context. We contribute to the international business literature by testing the theoretical boundaries of ownership decisions when MNEs expand into high risk areas. With 54 countries in our sample, this study throws light on the role of different institutional complexities on ownership decisions.
Tomassen, Sverre & Kvålshaugen, Ragnhild (2017)
The Effect of Coordination Mechanisms on Knowledge Adoption Across Types of Work in MNCs
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Tomassen, Sverre, Benito, Gabriel R G & Andersson, Ulf (2017)
The Darker Side of Social Integration: A Discussion of Bargaining Costs and Knowledge Transfer
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre; Lunnan, Randi, Andersson, Ulf & Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
The Dark Side of Social Integration: Knowledge Transfer, Bargaining, and Social Integration Mechanisms
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Tomassen, Sverre, Andersson, Ulf & Benito, Gabriel R G (2016)
Governance and the Roles of Distance, Coordination, and Relationship Atmosphere in the MNC: A View from the Periphery
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Tomassen, Sverre, Andersson, Ulf & Benito, Gabriel R G (2016)
A Subsidiary Perspective on Organizing Costs in Multinational Corporations: The Roles of Distance, Coordination and Relationship
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre (2015)
Elucidating the ‘Hidden Costs’ of Foreign Greenfields vs Foreign Acquisitions: Why should We Care?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Andersson, Ulf; Tomassen, Sverre & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Management Costs Incurred by Headquarters Choice of Foreign Operation Method
Fra operativ til strategisk internasjonalisering: En studie av store norske selskapers utflytting av divisjonshovedkontorer
[Report Research].
Forskningsrapporten presenterer funnene fra en undersøkelse av utflytting av hovedkontorer for divisjoner og forretningsområder for selskaper som er børsnotert i Norge. Mens den tradisjonelle internasjonaliseringen – knyttet til salg og produksjon i utlandet – er godt beskrevet og velforklart i litteraturen gjennom et etter hvert betydelig antall teoretiske og empiriske studier av selskapers grenseoverskridende aktiviteter, finnes det få studier av selskapers utflytting av strategiske enheter og funksjoner, så som deres hovedkontorer. Vi utvikler en forskningsmodell der tilbøyeligheten til å flytte divisjonshovedkontorer blir forklart gjennom selskapsfaktorer, eierskapsfaktorer, og bransjeaktorer. Den empiriske delen av undersøkelsen bygger på to casestudier så vel som et paneldatasett over 30 av de største børsnoterte selskapene i Norge gjennom perioden 2000-2006. Hovedkonklusjonene i studien er at både i absolutt og relativ betydning blir hovedkontorfunksjoner for norske selskaper i utlandet betydelig viktigere i løpet av disse årene, og eierskapsaktorene er samlet sett de som best predikerer hvorvidt utflytting skjer eller ikke. Statlig og konsentrert eierskap motvirker utflytting, men mot forventning finner vi at utenlandsk eierskap ikke fører til økt utflyttingstilbøyelighet.
Activity linkages in a service MNE: Control,coordination and location
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Lunnan, Randi, Tomassen, Sverre & Listra, Enn (2008)
Leaving the Periphery: The Location of Division Headquarters among Large Norwegian Companies, 2000-2006", International Business and the Catching-up Economies: Challenges and Opportunities
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre; Lunnan, Randi & Hydle, Katja Maria (2008)
Global Management in Service Firms - The Role of Linkages
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2008)
Leaving the Periphery: The Location of Division Headquarters among Large Norwegian Companies, 2000-2006
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2005)
The Costs of Governance in International Companies: A Study of their Effects on the Performance of Foreign Operations
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Bonache-Pérez, Jaime, Pla-Barber, José & Tomassen, Sverre (2003)
A Transaction Cost Analysis of Staffing Decisions in International Operations
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Academic Degrees
Year
Academic Department
Degree
2004
BI Norwegian Business School
Ph.D Dr. Oecon.
1996
BI Norwegian Business School
Master of Science
1992
BI Norwegian Business School
Bachelor
1982
Oslo Metropolitan University
Bachelor
Work Experience
Year
Employer
Job Title
2003 - Present
BI Norwegian Business School
Associate Professor, Department of Strategy and Logistics
2023 - 2024
Visiting Scholar, The University of Hong Kong
Associate Professor
2017 - 2017
The University of Hong Kong
Visiting Scholar
2011 - 2015
BI Norwegian Business School
Associate Dean Executive Master of Management
2014 - 2014
University of Hong Kong
Visiting Scholar
2008 - 2009
BI Norwegian Business School
Head of Department, Department of Strategy and Logistics
