I'm a Professor of Strategy at BI Norwegian Business School. I have a doctorate from NHH Norwegian School of Economics and a Siviløkonom/Masters degree from the BI Norwegian Business School. Before joining BI, I had research and teaching positions at Copenhagen Business School, Østfold University College, and at the Norwegian Fund for Market and Distribution Research. I have been guest professor at Copenhagen Business School (2018), visiting fellow at Henley Business School/University of Reading (2015-2018), visiting professor at Copenhagen Business School (2003-2005), and at University of Valencia (2002-2003), and a visiting scholar at University of Melbourne (1998).
Research areas
My research has particularly dealt with foreign direct investment, the structure and behavior of multinational enterprises and their foreign subsidiaries, and foreign operation methods. I was Head of the Globalization Project, a research program dealing with a variety of issues related to globalization and its impact on small countries such as Norway, and funded over the years 2000-2004 by the Norwegian Research Council.
Teaching areas
I have taught a wide range of subjects within the business field, especially in international business and strategy, at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. I was the Dean of Doctoral Studies at BI Norwegian Business School (2011-2014), and prior to that also been in charge of several graduate programs, including Associate Dean for the PhD program in Strategic Management, and program director of the MSc program in International Business at BI (1997-2001). I was the national coordinator for Norway in Nord-IB, a Nordic cooperative effort on doctoral education in International Business Studies, from 2000 to 2003.
Latin American countries exhibit significant levels of informal economic activity and a low degree of trade openness. Yet, little is known about the effect of these institutional characteristics on the performance of SMEs when venturing abroad to explore international markets. Based on an institutional voids approach, we explore the effects of unfair competition, particularly related to informality, on export intensity of SMEs conditioned by tariffs, trade regulations, and taxes in Latin America. Multilevel modeling is applied to a sample of 5781 Latin American firms. We hypothesize and find that SMEs increase their exports when they compete against informal firms. Higher tariffs and trade regulations reinforce such unfair competition and thus the decision to focus on international markets.
Andersson, Ulf; Benito, Gabriel R G, Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2025)
Why some are less willing to share: Competitive domains and knowledge transfer in multi-unit organizations
Does de-globalization imply de-internationalization?
, s. 127- 147.
De-globalization is for real and has profound, but differentiated, effects on international business and companies with cross-border activities. Yet, companies do not de-globalize, as the overwhelming majority of companies were never truly global by any measure in the first place. However, many companies de-internationalize, partly or fully. They do so by reducing their international engagement, and by reconfiguring their international footprint, some by exiting foreign markets altogether, and some of these companies also resume international activities after a time-out period. In this essay, the author discusses companies’ strategies, including their de-internationalization actions, as ways of coping with the challenges and opportunities arising from key aspects of de-globalization phenomena, and concludes that de-internationalization considerations are an integral part of sound strategies for companies’ internationalization.
Petersen, Bent & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2024)
Making Switches: Key Strategic Decisions When Moving From a Local, Independent Operator to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary
Entering a foreign market entails making the important mode decision of how to operate there. But the initial mode choice is not always forever and may be reassessed as business circumstances change. The mode shifting process—that is, how switches from one mode to another unfold—has scarcely been described, so we lack a systematic outline of this process. In this article, we take a first step toward such an outline. Adopting the established distinction between the formation and implementation phases of strategy making and execution, we describe the critical strategic decisions managers need to make about how to carry out a mode switch. Regarding the formation phases, we discuss the identification and consideration of entry mode switches as viable options, and whether companies plan or not for such shifts. Regarding the implementation phases, we differentiate between the integrating and collaborating decisions that define the type of switches made by companies.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Meyer, Klaus E. (2024)
Industrial policy, green challenges, and international business
Nation states are designing their industry policies increasingly to not only enhance national competitiveness, but to simultaneously address “Green Challenges”, concerns about the natural environment that require concerted action among different actors in society, including domestic and foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs). This blending of global and national policy objectives is leading to a new wave of industrial policies in advanced economies that are informed by scholarly discourses in evolutionary economics, innovation systems and wicked problems. We discuss the implications of these sustainability-oriented industrial policies for MNEs. They operate in increasingly diverse local ecosystems shaped by local actors and local policies as we illustrate for two such ecosystems in Nordic countries: Circular economy and energy transition. Many MNEs face a tension between capabilities they could use to help nations achieve their sustainability goals and incentives to protect existing rents and business models. They may thus engage pro-actively or reactively in both market and nonmarket realms in each country in which they operate. We discuss the interactions between MNEs, governments and other actors in host countries pursuing both sustainability and competitiveness objectives, and outline how ensuing tensions create new challenges and opportunities for international business scholarship.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Petersen, Bent (2024)
Reijo Luostarinen’s approach to value chain activity in firm internationalization: a key contribution to entry mode research
Purpose:
The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to investigate when the effect of R&D investment on New Product Development (NPD) performance peaks – the sweet spot and (2) to analyze the influence of firms’ export activities on where that spot is. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we argue that export intensity and export experience lead to differential effects on how R&D investments are converted into new products.
Design/methodology/approach:
We test our conceptual framework using time lagged data and optimal-level analysis. The dataset consists of an unbalanced panel of 608,891 observations and 333,516 firms.
Findings:
The results support the expected inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D investment and NPD performance. They also show moderating effects of export intensity and experience. Export intensity enhances innovation processes by enabling firms to stretch the points at which R&D investments eventually taper off. In contrast, export experience improves firms’ ability to convert R&D investments into NPD performance. Our results demonstrate that, all else equal, firms with relatively higher export experience can spend less on R&D and still achieve higher levels of NPD performance.
Originality/value:
We contribute to the literature by investigating how export activities provide a valuable context for understanding the theoretical mechanisms that help explain the inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D investment and innovation. We show the effects of exporting activities on the precise points where the R&D investment–NPD performance relationship peaks, thereby identifying the optimal point within this nonlinear relationship.
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2023)
Subsidiary Capital Structure in Multinational Enterprises: A New Internalization Theory Perspective
We study subsidiary capital structure as a mechanism of intra-MNE (multinational enterprise) governance from the perspective of “new internalization theory”. We build on the argument from transaction cost theory that equity and debt are not just financial instruments but also alternative governance structures, with equity useful for financing specific assets that do not serve well as collateral, especially when external uncertainty is high. Inside an MNE, debt represents a partial reintroduction of market mechanisms that can limit governance costs and strengthen subsidiary manager incentives. However, debt financing may be inappropriate if subsidiaries possess specific assets that are lost if debt contracts are enforced. Using subsidiary-level panel data from Norwegian MNEs, we argue that patents registered in the subsidiary represent MNE-specific non-location bound knowledge assets, while subsidiary R&D income represents location-bound and subsidiary-specific assets. We predict MNE-specific assets to be negatively related to external debt, and subsidiary-specific assets to be negatively related to all debt, under conditions of external uncertainty. We find only partial support for our hypotheses. Patents are negatively related to external debt when external uncertainty in the form of political risk is high. However, we do not find similar significant results for location-bound and subsidiary-specific assets, measured by subsidiary R&D income. For both measures, there is evidence that debt financing is viable in low-risk contexts. Further analysis indicates different effects for joint ventures as compared to wholly owned subsidiaries. We build on the partly unexpected results to propose an expanded internalization perspective on subsidiary capital structure
The dominant narrative about the rise of international business (IB) focuses on early research and the institutionalization of a new academic field. In this study, we explore the role of case writing in the field’s formative period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Based on an analysis of teaching cases on IB topics, we demonstrate that case-based teaching, including the writing of cases, was an innovative pedagogical method that made a strong impact on the formation of the new academic field. Analyzing the cases and the background and affiliation of their authors offers new insights into the linkages to other disciplines from which the new academic field emerged. The analysis of the cases also provides new insight into how the case authors connected to the new practical experiences from an increasing number of multinational enterprises, particularly from the US, and conceptualized the experiences into a pedagogical language. The investigation covers 489 cases written by scholars located in 18 countries from the early 1950s to 1963, as well as archival studies of the business schools and institutions that initiated the production of cases.
Zilja, Flladina; Benito, Gabriel R G, Boustanifar, Hamid & Zhang, Dan (2023)
This study examines the role of chief executive officers’ (CEOs) wealth in explaining the cross-border acquisition (CBA) activity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). CBAs require substantial financial resources and expose the firm to additional risks. Within a micro-foundations framework, we integrate insights from the resource-based view and the upper echelons theory and argue that CEO wealth plays a dual role in the CBA activity of SMEs by alleviating financial constraints and increasing willingness to take risks. Using Norwegian census data for the period 2000–2013, we find consistent evidence that CEO wealth has a positive effect on the number, the geographic scope, and the likelihood of engaging in CBAs in high political risk countries.
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
The international business (IB) literature on political risk mitigation has assigned explanatory preeminence to the organizational capabilities of multinational corporations (MNCs). The literature has assumed that political risk is avoidable for MNCs with specific political capabilities. We argue that political risk is inevitable. We posit that even if MNCs have political capabilities, host countries' political risk and its associated costs will not simply disappear. Extending the literature on political risk mitigation, we highlight the role of institutional-based tools in curbing political risk costs. Specifically, we posit that MNCs can reduce political risk costs through (i) international investment agreements, (ii) investment contracts with host governments, (iii) political risk insurance, and (iv) guarantees with binding enforcement mechanisms in unison with relying on political capabilities, thereby dampening the negative effect of uncontrollable host country political risk. We leverage the political-institutional approach to political risk and draw on relevant literature from law and IB to develop a framework to describe the conditions under which MNCs may use these institutional-based tools.
Koval, Mariia; Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2023)
The interplay of international alliance and subsidiary portfolios: Implications for firms’ innovation and financial performance
The benefits of having an internationally diverse alliance portfolio are well known. However, the challenges remain overlooked, especially the potential to curb firms’ international expansion beyond such alliances. Building on global connectivity literature, we study how firms’ international footprint through their foreign subsidiaries is affected by the geographical spread of their international alliances. Using data on a sample of U.S. high-tech firms, we find that this relationship follows a U-shaped pattern and is contingent on alliance portfolio geographic distance and firms’ absorptive capacity for internationalization. Deviations from the optimal international footprint lower firms’ innovation and financial performance.
Larsen, Marcus Møller; Birkinshaw, Julian, Zhou, Yue Maggie & Benito, Gabriel R G (2023)
Research Summary The multinational corporation (MNC) is a typical example of a complex organization. In this essay, we employ an established body of literature on complexity in organizations to explore and discuss the nature and consequences of complexity for global strategy and MNCs. On that basis, we develop a simple organizing framework for complexity in global strategies emphasizing the source (external and internal complexity) and type (process and structural complexity) of complexity. We use this framework to structure and discuss the six research contributions in this Special Issue. We conclude by suggesting additional avenues of research on the interface between global strategy and complexity. Managerial Summary Firms internationalize because they recognize business opportunities abroad and devise strategies to successfully exploit them. At the same time, managers face increasing complexity as MNCs expand internationally and engage in more unknown and dispersed operations. Not only do MNCs face considerable complexity by operating in diverse and uncertain environments, but also by managing and coordinating organizational tasks and activities spanning multiple countries. This essay discusses these challenges and corresponding strategies for MNC managers. It also provides an overview of the six research articles included in this Special Issue about complexity and MNCs.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro, Mudambi, Ram, Pedersen, Torben & Tallman, Steve (2022)
Global strategy, that is, the analysis of strategy in an international context, has co-evolved with the dramatic changes in the global economy in the 21st century. Research advances have enabled a more sophisticated understanding of how firms develop strategies in an increasingly turbulent global environment in which societal expectations, technological advances, and political decisions are all in a state of continuous change. In this article, we reflect and provide suggestions for how the field may evolve on five key themes of global strategy: cooperation, coordination, governance, politics, and innovation. We also outline suggestions for future research on global issues that are gaining increasing centrality in business decisions: climate change, artificial intelligence, and geopolitics.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Fehlner, Corina (2022)
Multinational enterprises and the circular economy
In this chapter, we explore the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the circular economy (CE). MNEs play a key role in reshaping business systems as they orchestrate a significant part of value activities in various locations across the globe. We argue that MNEs’ adoption of CE opportunities differs due to corporate and contextual influences. In particular, we suggest that MNEs’ corporate strategies regarding value activity integration, product diversification, and location choices influence how they approach CE. Industry and location factors also play roles in facilitating or impeding CE advancement. Regarding the international business ramifications of CE, we discuss the impact of MNEs’ geographical scope in terms of a local, multi-local/regional, or global focus and show how formal and informal institutional contexts influence the design and implementation of CE. Our analysis demonstrates that established conceptualizations in the international business field of MNEs and the business systems in which they operate are useful for understanding CE, but further international business research is needed about how MNEs can help implement the transition towards CE.
Rygh, Asmund; Torgersen, Kristine & Benito, Gabriel R G (2022)
Institutions and inward foreign direct investment in the primary sectors
Purpose
Well-functioning institutions are repeatedly claimed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) by reducing the costs and uncertainty of economic activity. Nonetheless, it has been argued that institutions may matter less for FDI in the primary sector. This study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the role of institutions for attracting FDI in agricultural and in extractive activities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses worldwide country and sector-level data on inward FDI for the period 1996–2007. The key independent variables, property rights protection, corruption and democracy, are measured using World Bank Governance Indicators and Polity IV as data sources. Fixed effect panel regression, Tobit regression and generalized method of moments are used for data analysis.
Findings
The authors corroborate the importance of institutions for aggregate FDI. Disaggregating by primary subsector, the authors find that agricultural FDI, like aggregate FDI, is attracted by institutional features such as rule of law and property rights protection and democracy, whereas extractive FDI is not. The authors also find some evidence that corruption deters FDI in both primary subsectors.
Originality/value
The authors take a first step toward linking the largely empirical institutions-FDI literature more closely with the economics-based theoretical discussions of FDI risk grounded on a property rights approach, to discuss issues such as effective control rights over investments, which may vary between sectors. The authors also explore a novel idea that extractive activities may be less sensitive to institutions because the time horizon is limited by the depletion of the resource, resulting in an inherently relatively short-term commitment to a host-country location.
Amdam, Rolv Petter Storvik & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2022)
Temporality and the first foreign direct investment
This study examines the timing of the first foreign direct investment (FDI). It explores how the conceptualization and, hence, the understanding of time affects our insights into major internationalization decisions in organizations; specifically, that of navigating into the unknown waters associated with making a first FDI. We introduce a multitemporal approach by drawing on the different temporalities prevalent in history and in business and management to build a platform for analysis that provides a suitable combination of richness and contrast. By examining the process toward making a major internationalization decision in terms of clock, event, stages, and cyclical concepts of time, we gain valuable but also varied insights about a complex process. We conclude that to understand any organization's process of international strategy formation at a certain point (or period) in time, its particularities need to be appreciated in some detail. While the details in this study are unique to the case of Harvard Business School's decision in 1971 to make its first FDI, we argue that the main features of the process are common to conceptualizing the internationalization decision process. As such, the findings should apply more generally.
Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (2021)
Foreign operation mode flexibility: tradeoffs and managerial responses
Firms’ ability to change foreign operation modes appears highly desirable in an increasingly volatile and unpredictable global environment. We propose and discuss mode flexibility as a management capability, with the aim at curbing the potential downsides of flexibility; in particular, the extra costs of coordination and contracting as well as revenue losses due to diminished partner commitment. We model the balancing and shifting of essential tradeoffs in relation to the two dimensions of mode flexibility – multiplicity and switchability – and highlight modularization and reciprocal use of real options as examples of tradeoff-shifting mechanisms that may improve the cost-benefit balance of mode flexibility.
Raziq, Muhammad Mustafa; Benito, Gabriel R G & Ahmad, Mansoor (2021)
Institutional distance and MNE-subsidiary initiative collaboration: The role of dual embeddedness
Entrepreneurial initiatives by subsidiaries are greeted as well as contested. We examine the effect of institutional distance between the host country of a subsidiary and the home country of its parent multinational enterprise (MNE) on the resource support a subsidiary receives from the MNE for its entrepreneurial initiatives. Drawing on social exchange theory, and resource dependence theory, we argue that while informal institutional distance inhibits MNE resource support for initiatives, and formal institutional distance further exacerbates the subsidiaries' options, external embeddedness and reverse knowledge transfers may help subsidiaries bypass the negative effects of institutional distance and encourage MNE involvement in subsidiary initiatives. Using survey data from 429 foreign subsidiaries in New Zealand, and secondary data on formal institutional distance from the Worldwide Governance Indicators, the results from structural equation modeling provide support to our hypotheses. This study extends institutional distance, embeddedness, and subsidiary initiative research. Importantly, it contributes by demonstrating how contingencies such as dual embeddedness and (low) formal institutional distance can counterbalance the negative effects of informal institutional distance on subsidiary initiatives and MNE-subsidiary initiative collaboration.
Békes, Gabor; Benito, Gabriel R G, Castellani, Davide & Muraközy, Balazs (2021)
Into the unknown: The extent and boldness of firms' international footprint
Firms make footprints as they internationalize. Going beyond simple measures of firms' internationalization, we conceptualize and measure the extent of a firm's international footprint as the number of location-mode combinations it is active in, whereas the boldness of the footprint shows how widespread (across modes and locations) firms' international activities are, compared to other firms with similar extent. Extent describes the complexity of international activities, and boldness captures the risk-taking associated with operating in less know contexts. Consistent with a microfoundations lens on global strategy, we find that boldness correlates with managerial risk-taking attributes, while the extent of internationalization strongly correlates with capabilities conducive to managing more complex operations. These measures offer a highly suitable tool for analyzing the relationship between internationalization and performance.
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2021)
Governmental goals and the international strategies of state-owned multinational enterprises: A conceptual discussion
State owned multinational enterprises (SOMNEs) have received extensive attention in recent research in international business and corporate governance, which demonstrates effects of state ownership on a range of international strategic decisions such as the degree of internationalization, foreign entry modes, and host country location choices. Such effects are explained by factors such as SOMNEs’ non-financial goals, corporate governance, and institutional pressures. However, results are mixed and context-dependent, and overall we still have an incomplete understanding of what governments aim to achieve through SOMNEs, and how these goals in turn lead to different international strategies. This conceptual article aims to explore how specific government goals may affect international strategies. We provide a more fine-grained view on SOMNE financial and non-financial goals and link them to key international strategic decisions such as the degree of internationalization, entry and establishment modes, and host country location choice. We review and extend previous literature and identify novel theoretical arguments, leading to an extensive set of propositions. We also sketch ideas for empirical studies of SOMNE objectives.
Amdam, Rolv Petter Storvik & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2021)
Opening the black box of international strategy formation: How Harvard Business School became a multinational enterprise
This article addresses the question of why some business schools internationalize by establishing units abroad. We study their internationalization by examining the process that led to Harvard Business School’s first international strategy and its first foreign direct investment. The study elaborates how internationalization theories are applicable to research on the internationalization of business schools by exploring the role of environment and agency. The analysis shows that in an academic organization characterized as a loosely coupled system, individuals may influence the collective cognition in a strategy process by using new theoretical insights to conceptualize experiences and legitimize decisions. This demonstrates that agency is a multifaceted concept and its function depends on who has agency and how it is used. By exploring how a new academic discipline, international business, contributed both to the conceptualization and the legitimization of a new strategy, the study provides new insight into the process that leads to the formation of an international strategy.
Raziq, Muhammad Mustafa; Benito, Gabriel R G & Kang, Yuanfei (2021)
Multinational enterprise organizational structures and subsidiary role and capability development: The moderating role of establishment mode
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) develop structural configurations for managing their geographically dispersed and disaggregated activities. These structures can be classified as (a) simple headquarters configurations (involves corporate, regional, divisional headquarters and mandated units) involving few direct reporting relationships; (b) network organizations involving no direct reporting relationships; and (c) matrix configurations involving multiple reporting relationships. While these structures are built for handling various complexities and purposes, it is unclear how they influence subsidiary role and capability development. We hypothesize how these structures influence subsidiary development and propose a moderating role of MNE establishment mode on the direct structure-subsidiary development relationship. Based on data from 429 foreign subsidiaries in New Zealand, our results show that subsidiary development varies across the structures such that simple headquarters configurations experience the least opportunities to develop. While the matrix and network structures as complex configurations offer distinct paths to subsidiary development, subsidiaries managed under the former are more likely to follow the developmental path of networking and interunit learning, and the subsidiaries managed under the latter are more likely to follow the path of autonomy and innovation. Furthermore, the positive association of network structure with subsidiary initiatives and autonomy is stronger for greenfield subsidiaries, whereas the positive association of matrix structure with subsidiary mandates is stronger for acquired subsidiaries
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S. (2021)
Dynamics of Operation Modes: Switches and Additions.
This chapter takes stock of fifty years of research on mode dynamics—that is, the decisions to switch and add operation modes in a foreign country—as a central international business strategy phenomenon. Numerous studies have advanced knowledge about the various forms of mode dynamics and their underlying drivers, especially regarding mode switches. However, this review of the research also reveals that understanding of the phenomenon of mode additions needs further development. The chapter proposes a theoretical framework for understanding mode additions and provides the example of modularization as an illustration of a mechanism that may help improve the cost–benefit balance of mode switches and additions.
Surdu, Irina; Greve, Henrich R. & Benito, Gabriel R G (2020)
Back to basics: Behavioral theory and internationalization
International business (IB) scholars’ over-reliance on a select few theories leaves our understanding of firm internationalization incomplete. The behavioral theory of the firm (BTF) can offer new insights and can be used to model a broad range of firm actions. We focus on the three basic BTF components: problemistic search, learning by doing, and vicarious learning. These components help us understand why firm behaviors are more dynamic and heterogeneous than other theories allow. BTF, with its emphasis on how firms assess performance according to aspiration levels, selectively learn and update routines, and selectively incorporate the learning of others, is better suited to examine the diversity and change increasingly observed in internationalization decisions. We explain why scholars should move beyond “dynamizing” static theories and show BTF’s applicability to behaviors involving change such as multi-mode market entries and market re-entries. BTF also helps examine the decision to internationalize in the first place, nascent firm internationalization, location choices, international market adaptation, and headquarter–subsidiary relationships. We encourage IB scholars to use theories that can handle the complexity increasingly associated with modern firm growth, and propose BTF as a promising starting point.
Raziq, Muhammad Mustafa; Benito, Gabriel R G & Igoe, Josephine (2020)
Subsidiary country managers and subsidiary development: Upper echelons and resource-based perspectives
This article examines the relationship between subsidiary country manager-level factors and subsidiary development. As existing research on subsidiaries in multinational enterprises has focused on the organizational level, thus overlooking the individual level, it offers little insight regarding the role and importance of country managers for subsidiaries. Drawing upon upper echelons theory, resource-dependence theory, and the resource-based view, we argue that subsidiary development is contingent on country manager characteristics, and that country manager assignments are less likely when the host country is perceived as being of limited strategic importance to the multinational enterprise. Survey data from 429 foreign-owned subsidiaries in New Zealand provide support for our hypotheses. We derive some theoretical and managerial implications based on the findings.
Aguzzoli, Roberta; Lengler, Jorge, Sousa, Carlos M.P. & Benito, Gabriel R G (2020)
Here we go again : a case study on re-entering a foreign market
Globalization has motivated firms to expand into foreign markets, but internationalization is inherently dynamic. Many firms have exited foreign markets for various reasons, but some later decide to re‐enter those same markets. Based on a case study of a Brazilian multinational's activities in Mexico, this study contributes to the literature on re‐entry decisions of multinational enterprises and their outcomes, focusing on the roles of institutional voids and the experiences of decision‐makers during such processes. The findings suggest that companies learn from their mistakes and reconsider how they approach re‐entry and the resources that may need to be mobilized. However, the learning process is not straightforward as it is clouded by international knowledge myopia. This study highlights how multiple actors and considerations influence re‐entry events.
Benito, Gabriel R G (2020)
De-Internationalization: The Other Side of Internationalization
In a research note in this issue, Strange and Humphrey discuss how a global value chain (GVC) approach serves to usefully move internalization theory towards a better understanding of the increasingly important ‘middle ground’ between markets and hierarchies in the contemporary highly globalized international business scene. After a brief recount of their main arguments, we argue that their discussion needs to the extended, as it does not adequately recognize important differences between internalization theory and the GVC approach. Specifically, the approaches differ on the notions of efficiency, opportunism, and level of analysis. We then argue that internalization theory can benefit from the systemic view implied in the GVC approach, and discuss the role of trust as a coordinating mechanism in international business. This leads to a more general discussion of internalization theory and the difficulty of encompassing dynamic considerations such as learning and foreign operation mode combinations and flexibility within value chain interdependencies. We conclude with a research agenda that flows from our discussion.
Raziq, Muhammad Mustafa; Benito, Gabriel R G, Toulson, Paul, Malik, Omer & Ahmad, Mansoor (2019)
Roles and strategies of foreign MNE subsidiaries in New Zealand
This study examines the roles and strategies of foreign-owned subsidiaries in New Zealand, with the aim to develop an improved classification of subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNE). Previous research has proposed a range of subsidiary classifications indicating various ways in which subsidiaries can be distinguished. There are, however, still concerns that critical contingencies, such as the subsidiary development capacity and its own strategy, remain ignored. This study addresses these gaps by drawing on network theory to develop a novel and overarching subsidiary classification framework. Based on the framework, it empirically derives a three-part subsidiary classification: entrepreneurial, constrained autonomous, and constrained. The empirical classification is based on data from 429 foreign subsidiaries in New Zealand. Implications for theory, public policy, and management practice are made.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (2019)
Voyages of a Scholar: Navigating Companies, Channels, and Clusters
Grøgaard, Birgitte; Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Bringing corporate governance into internalization theory: State ownership and foreign entry strategies
We use internalization theory to analyze the establishment and entry mode decisions of state-owned (SOE) and privately owned (POE) enterprises. We enrich internalization theory by building on insights from economic theory of corporate governance and taking into account particular characteristics of SOEs such as non-economic motivations, long-term orientation, and different risk preferences. We examine foreign entries over a 10-year period in the Canadian oil and gas industry. This single-country and single-industry context features foreign SOEs and POEs from a wide range of home countries, allowing a focused study of the combined influence of state ownership and home-country factors. Compared to POEs, SOEs tend to prefer acquiring stand-alone assets rather than firms, and to take lower ownership shares. We also find that differences between SOEs and POEs diminish when home countries are characterized by high government quality and market orientation and identify differences between types of SOEs, with partially owned SOEs exhibiting behaviors more similar to POEs than fully owned SOEs. We demonstrate how our enrichment of internalization theory strengthens its predictive and explanatory capacity. Our results also show that SOEs from strong and market-oriented institutional environments are similar to POEs and can be studied using the traditional internalization theory.
Lunnan, Randi; Tomassen, Sverre, Andersson, Ulf & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Dealing with headquarters in the multinational corporation: a subsidiary perspective on organizing costs
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.
Paul, Justin & Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
A Review of Research on Outward Foreign Direct Investment from Emerging Countries, Including China: What Do We Know, How Do We Know and Where Should We Be Heading?
Using the Antecedents, Decisions and Outcomes (ADO) format as an organizing framework, this article gives an overview of the literature on different dimensions and characteristics of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by firms from emerging countries. Based on an extensive coverage of studies published over a period of nearly 25 years between 1993 and 2017, we review extant research on this phenomenon from mainly China, as well as other emerging countries. We identify advances and analytical areas of OFDI research and pinpoint the key theories, methodologies, observed characteristics and the variables that have been examined in this growing research literature. Many areas of the above research themes remain underexplored, despite recent significant advancements, and may provide directions for future research
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
Change in domestic network centrality, uncertainty, and the foreign divestment decisions of firms
Transaction cost theory (TCT) plays a major role in theorizing about the boundaries of the multinational enterprise (MNE), and is increasingly being applied to intra-MNE governance. We apply TCT to capital structure decisions for MNE subsidiaries. According to TCT, equity and debt are not just financial instruments, but alternative governance structures. Equity is useful for projects involving specific assets that do not serve well as collateral, and for knowledge intensive activities where information asymmetry and public good issues make external financing more costly. We study under what conditions MNE headquarters may wish to partially re-introduce market mechanisms inside the MNE through the use of external or internal debt to finance subsidiaries. This can allow economizing on governance costs and strengthen subsidiary manager incentives, but may be inappropriate if subsidiary assets are MNE-specific or subsidiary-specific. Empirically testable propositions are developed.
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
Domestic Alliance Networks and Regional Strategies of MNEs: A Structural Embeddedness Perspective
We draw on a social network perspective to explain multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) propensity to distribute their operations unevenly across various regions of the world. We focus on how the positioning of MNEs in their domestic network of strategic alliances affects their geographic scope, i.e., whether they concentrate on their home region or expand beyond it. We theorize that embeddedness in alliance networks constitutes a double-edged sword to the geographic scope of MNEs. Strong embeddedness in domestic alliance networks drives the development of location-bound firm-specific advantages (FSAs), which may narrow down MNEs’ geographic scope. In contrast, moderate embeddedness leads to more non-location-bound FSAs, which reduce liability of foreignness, and hence motivate MNEs to widen their geographical scope. We thus predict a non-linear relationship between domestic alliance network embeddedness and MNE geographic scope. Furthermore, the impact of the domestic alliance network on MNE geographic scope hinges on the organizational ability to efficiently and effectively absorb resources stemming from the network. We test our hypotheses using FDI data from 302 US MNEs in the information and communication technology industry for the period of 2001–2008, and generally find robust support for the hypothesized relationships.
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
Domestic Alliance Formation and the Foreign Divestment Decisions of Firms
We discuss the concept of corporate headquarters and outline a simple model of where MNEs locate their corporate headquarters. In line with substantial empirical evidence, this model emphasizes the inertial forces that tie MNEs to the location where they have historically first been established. We then aggregate our analysis to the national level to identify the determinants of the number of MNE headquarters in a given country. On that basis, we offer a critique of the study by Coeurderoy and Verbeke [this issue], and outline directions for future research.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Rygh, Asmund & Lunnan, Randi (2016)
The Benefits of Internationalization for State-Owned Enterprises
Purpose – The article provides a discussion of the relevance of motives for companies’ internationalization. Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual discussion building on established classifications of motives of internationalization, which distinguish between market-seeking, efficiency-seeking, resource-seeking and strategic asset-seeking motives. Findings – The analysis demonstrates that important issues in companies’ internationalization differ systematically across different types of motives, which implicates that motives remain relevant when analyzing various aspects of the internationalization of the firm. Motives are also useful elements for theory building in international business. Research limitations/implications – The analysis is purely conceptual and is not further substantiated by empirical evidence. Practical implications – The classification of motives is a useful tool for companies to analyze their strategic alternatives and actions, especially with regard to performance measurement. Social implications – A clear classification of the various motives for companies’ foreign activities is essential for formulation of sound policies about attraction/stimulation and regulation of companies’ inbound and outbound internationalization. Originality/value – The article demonstrates the importance of retaining a clear classification of motives as a basis for further development of a theory of firms’ internationalization behavior.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2014)
The virtue of in-between pragmatism-a balancing act between responsiveness and integration in a multinational company
Research on companies’ internationalization has mainly focused on firm-level and country-level factors in order to explain firms’ cross-border activities. With the exception of a limited number of studies emphasizing rivalistic behavior in oligopolistic industries, industry factors have been neglected as potential determinants of companies’ internationalization. We argue that differences across industries with regard to concentration, research intensity, tangibility of the products, and the existence of clusters should influence the impetus and opportunities to internationalize. This study examines the role of such factors using panel data covering the internationalization patterns of the 100 largest non-financial Norwegian companies over the period 1990 to 2000. We find that even for firms in a small population advanced economy where the limited market size in itself motivates firms to internationalize, industry factors still contribute significantly to explaining the internationalization of these companies. Furthermore, the effects of industry factors remain strong when firm-level characteristics are taken into account.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Dovgan, Olesya, Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S. (2013)
Offshore outsourcing: A dynamic, operation mode perspective
Based on a case study of the Danish company SimCorp and the development of its operations in Kiev, Ukraine, we analyse offshore outsourcing in a broader, longitudinal foreign operation mode context, and how it may contribute to mode change in the host country over a certain span of time. SimCorp had outsourced part of its software development work to two Ukrainian companies. The case study approach allowed us to explore the dynamic processes in depth. The study shows that involvement in the foreign market generates learning in various forms that provide a foundation for eventual mode development or change – beyond outsourcing specific learning. At the same time, restrictions on 3rd parties’, that is, independent vendors’ access to confidential client data, as well as protection of specific investments in human assets, may eventually become a driver for mode change, as in the SimCorp case, to ensure more effective control of the foreign operation. Finally, the case study shows how outsourcing can be used proactively as a springboard to deeper and changed operation mode activities in a foreign market.
Tomassen, Sverre; Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (2012)
Governance costs in foreign direct investments: A MNC headquarters challenge
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.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2012)
Dynamics of foreign operation modes and their combinations: Insights for international strategic management
An enduring characteristic of extant literature on foreign operation modes is its discrete choice approach, where companies are assumed to choose one among a small number of distinctive alternatives. • In this paper, detailed information about the operations of six Norwegian companies in three key markets (China, UK and USA) is used as the basis for an exploration of the extent to which, and how and why, companies combine clearly different foreign operation modes. We examine their use of foreign operation mode combinations within given value activities as well as within given countries. • The study reveals that companies tend to combine modes of operation; thereby producing unique foreign operation mode “packages” for given activities and/or countries, and that the packages are liable to be modified over time – providing a potentially important optional path for international expansion. • The data show considerable variation across cases; ranging from extensive use of mode combinations to a singular focus on a specific mode of operation. The study contributes to a refinement of our understanding of the path of internationalisation, and throws up a number of awkward theoretical questions about the process.
Benito, Gabriel R G (2011)
Outward FDI and its policy context, 2010
, s. 170- 182.
Petersen, Bent; Welch, Lawrence S & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2010)
The Internationalization Patterns of Norwegian Firms: Does Industry Matter?
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Narula, Rajneesh (2007)
States and Firms on the Periphery: The Challenges of a Globalizing World
Benito, Gabriel R G & Greve, Henrich R. (2007)
Progress in International Business Research
Petersen, Bent; Pedersen, Torben & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2006)
The Termination Dilemma of Foreign Intermediaries: Performance, Anti-Shirking Measures and Hold-Up Safeguards
16, s. 317- 339.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2005)
Divestment and international business strategy
5(2) , s. 235- 251.
This paper deals with divestment, i.e., the closure or sell-off of units in foreign locations, or conversely units owned by foreign firms. Such actions are discussed from the perspective of the firms making such decisions, and divestment assessments are looked at through the lens of international business strategy. Based on the integration-responsiveness framework of international business strategy, it is argued that the divestment propensities of foreign subsidiaries depend on the type of strategy pursued by the corporation. Subsidiaries of transnational corporations are in general likely to display the highest divestment rates. Whereas subsidiaries forming part of international and multi-domestic strategies may have the lowest divestment likelihood initially, subsidiaries established as part of a global strategy are expected to be the least probable to be divested in the longer run.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Tomassen, Sverre (2005)
A transaction cost analysis of staffing decisions in internationaloperations
(Vol. 21, no. 1) , s. 101- 126.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, Torben & Petersen, Bent (2005)
Export Channel Dynamics: An Empirical Examination
26(3) , s. 159- 173.
Gripsrud, Geir & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2005)
Internationalization in Retailing: Modeling the Pattern of Foreign Market Entry
58(12) , s. 1672- 1680.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Tomassen, Sverre (2003)
The Micro-Mechanics of Foreign Operations’ Performance: An Analysis Based on the OLI Framework
, s. 174- 199.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Grøgaard, Birgitte & Narula, Rajneesh (2003)
Environmental influences on MNE subsidiary roles: economic integration and the Nordic countries
34, s. 443- 456.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Berger, Eivind, Forest, Morten de la & Shum, Jonas (2003)
A cluster analysis of the maritime sector in Norway
2(1) , s. 203- 215.
Karlsen, Tore; Silseth, Pål Rasmus, Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (2003)
Knowledge, internationalization of the firm, and inward-outward connections
32(5) , s. 385- 396.
Welch, Lawrence S; Benito, Gabriel R G, Silseth, Pål Rasmus & Karlsen, Tore (2002)
Exploring inward-outward linkages in firms’ internationalisation: A knowledge and network perspective
, s. 216- 231.
Pedersen, Torben; Petersen, B. & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2002)
Change of foreign operation method: Impetus and switching costs
11, s. 325- 345.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Larimo, Jorma, Rajneesh, Narula & Pedersen, Torben (2002)
Multinational enterprises from small economies: Internationalization patterns of large companies from Denmark, Finland and Norway
32(1) , s. 57- 78.
Gripsrud, Geir & Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2001)
Promotion of products from developing coutries : an overview and assessment of import promotion efforts
Benito, Gabriel R.G. (2000)
Industrial clusters and foreign companies' centres of excellence in Norway
, s. 97- 112.
Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Pedersen, Torben (2000)
Replacing the foreign intermediary: motivators and deterrents
32(1) , s. 57- 78.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Strøm, Øystein (2000)
Chain strategies and modes of foreign market penetration in agribusiness
11(2) , s. 1- 21.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Gripsrud, Geir (1999)
Promoting efforts from developing countries: An empirical test of the impact of import promotion offices
13(2) , s. 187- 209.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, Torben & Petersen, Bent (1999)
Foreign operation methods and switching costs: conceptual issues and possible effects
15, s. 213- 229.
Benito, Gabriel R.G. (1998)
Utviklingen av norske direkte utenlandske investeringer
, s. 122- 135.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, T., Petersen, B. & Larimo, J. (1998)
Change of foreign operation method: Impetus and switching costs
Tomassen, S.; Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Welch, L.S. (1998)
Norwegian companies in India: Operation mode choice
3(1) , s. 1- 19.
Benito, Gabriel R G (1997)
Divestment of foreign production operations
29(10) , s. 1365- 1377.
Benito, Gabriel R G (1997)
Why are foreign subsidiaries divested? A conceptual framework
, s. 309- 344.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (1997)
De-internationalization
37, s. 7- 25.
Benito, Gabriel R G (1996)
Konsekvenser av nasjonalt og utenlandsk eierskap i norsk industri
69(1) , s. 33- 45.
Benito, Gabriel R G (1996)
Utenlandsk eierskap i norsk næringsliv
, s. 103- 122.
Benito, Gabriel R G (1996)
Ownership structures of Norwegian foreign subsidiaries in manufacturing
10(2) , s. 157- 198.
Gripsrud, Geir & Benito, Gabriel R G (1995)
Promoting imports from developing countries: A marketing perspective
32(2) , s. 141- 148.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Gripsrud, Geir (1995)
The internationalization process approach to the location of foreign direct investments: An empirical analysis
, s. 43- 58.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (1994)
Norwegian companies in Eastern Europe: Past involvement and reaction to recent changes
, s. 221- 234.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (1994)
Foreign market servicing: Beyond choice of entry mode
2(2) , s. 7- 27.
Benito, Gabriel R G; Solberg, Carl Arthur & Welch, Lawrence S (1993)
An exploration of the information behaviour of Norwegian exporters
13(4) , s. 274- 286.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Gripsrud, Geir (1992)
The expansion of foreign direct investments: Discrete rational location choices or a cultural learning process?
23(3) , s. 461- 476.
Benito, Gabriel R G & Biong, Harald (1991)
Handel med Øst-Europa: Norske bedrifters erfaringer
7(1) , s. 109- 117.
Mors, Marie Louise; Laursen, Keld & Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
Forskning skal være god for at være relevant
[Kronikk]
Benito, Gabriel R G & Mors, Marie Louise (2017)
Forskningen må være god for å være relevant.
[Kronikk]
Benito, Gabriel R G (2012)
Lønner det seg å internasjonalisere?
[Kronikk]
Benito, Gabriel R G (2011)
Selskap uten nasjon
[Kronikk]
Benito, Gabriel R G (2009)
Internasjonalisme i en krisetid
[Kronikk]
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Iurkov, Viacheslav (2024)
Divestment
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Iurkov, Viacheslav (red.). Divestment
The untold story: Teaching cases on multinational enterprises in US business schools and the rise of International Business as a new academic field, 1955-1963
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Andersson, Ulf; Benito, Gabriel R G, Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2020)
The Puzzling Effects of Social Integration on Knowledge Transfer
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Amdam, Rolv Petter Storvik & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Bringing temporality in organization theory and history to the study of strategy formation: Harvard Business School's first international strategy
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Objectives and international strategies of state-owned multinational enterprises: A theoretical perspective
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
The Internationalization of State-Owned Enterprises: How do Politically Stated Goals Matter
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2019)
Mode Flexibility: What Are the Tradeoffs and How to Deal with Them?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Adarkwah, Gilbert Kofi & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Dealing with high risk environments-Multinational firms in developing countries
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Adarkwah, Gilbert Kofi & Benito, Gabriel R G (2019)
Dealing with high risk environments: Multinational firms in developing countries
[Conference Lecture]. Event
We discuss why multinational firms continue to invest billions of dollars in host countries characterized by severe policy uncertainty and lack of market-supporting institutions, as evidenced by the increasing flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa. We argue that multinational firms that expand into developing countries replete with institutional voids do not have a special appetite for risk. Rather, they reduce risk through a variety of mechanisms that potentially alleviate and offset the risks of investing in developing countries. Specifically, we describe and discuss the following key types of arrangements: International Investment Agreements (IIAs) negotiated between the home country and the host country, home country backed International Investment Insurance (III), Investment Contracts (IC), and Portfolio Investment Guarantees (PIG).
Békes, Gabor; Benito, Gabriel R G, Castellani, Davide & Muraközy, Balazs (2019)
Into the unknown: Complexity and risk in firms’ international footprints
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
New directions in entry mode research
[Lecture]. Event
Zilja, Flladina; Benito, Gabriel R G, Boustanifar, Hamid & Zhang, Dan (2018)
CEO personal wealth and cross-border acquisitions
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Békes, Gabor; Benito, Gabriel R G, Castellani, Davide & Muraközy, Balazs (2018)
Managing in the unknown: How governance characteristics shape firms’ internationalization
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S. (2018)
Understanding mode dynamics and flexibility
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
IB theories and the digital economy: What should be on our research agenda?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S. (2018)
Can real options shift the commitment-flexibility tradeoff in international franchising?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Tomassen, Sverre, Andersson, Ulf & Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
The down side of social integration: A discussion of precarious HQ-subsidiary relations and knowledge transfer
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
Foreign divestment and other dynamics: Footloose corporations in an era of de-globalization?
[Lecture]. Event
Grøgaard, Birgitte; Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2018)
Bringing corporate governance into internalization theory: Foreign entry of state owned enterprises
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
When do Companies Locate their Corporate Headquarters Abroad?
[Popular Science Article]. (21) , s. 7- 9.
Amdam, Rolv Petter Storvik & Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
When do organizations internationalize? The development of Harvard Business School’s first international strategy 1950-1972
[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
Amdam, Rolv Petter Storvik & Benito, Gabriel R G (2017)
Timing and history. Harvard Business School and the development of a strategy for first international entry
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Békes, Gabor; Benito, Gabriel R G, Castellani, Davide & Muraközy, Balazs (2017)
Explaining the Complexity of Foreign Operations: The Role of Managerial and Governance Characteristics
[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
Raziq, Mustafa; Benito, Gabriel R G & Igoe, Josephine (2016)
The Role of the Country Manager for Subsidiary Development
[Conference Poster]. 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
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2016)
Domestic Alliance Networks and the Foreign Divestment Decisions of Firms
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2016)
Domestic Alliance Networks and the Foreign Divestment Decisions of Firms
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2016)
Domestic Alliance Networks and the Foreign Divestment Decisions of Firms
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Grøgaard, Birgitte; Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
SOE strategic behavior when entering competitive host markets
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Domestic alliance network structures, absorptive capacity, and regional strategies of MNEs (ISC Best Paper Award nominee, Honorable mention)
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Domestic alliance networks and regional strategies of MNEs: A structural embeddedness perspective (Finalist SMS Best Conference Paper and Best PhD Paper Prize)
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund; Torgersen, Kristine & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Competing for international investment: Institutional determinants of FDI inflows in the primary sectors
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Iurkov, Viacheslav & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Domestic alliance networks and regional strategies of MNEs: A structural embeddedness perspective
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Rygh, Asmund & Lunnan, Randi (2015)
Internationalization-performance relationship: The moderating roles of state and foreign ownership
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Andersson, Ulf; Tomassen, Sverre & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
Management Costs Incurred by Headquarters Choice of Foreign Operation Method
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
The Internationalization of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs): How do the Politically Stated Goals for SOEs Matter?
[Conference Poster]. Event
Grøgaard, Birgitte; Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2015)
SOE strategic behaviour when entering competitive host markets
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G & Rygh, Asmund (2015)
Foreign Direct Investment and Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of Firm Ownership
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2014)
An empirical examination of a transaction cost explanation of FDI capital structure
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2014)
An empirical examination of a transaction cost explanation of FDI capital structure
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2014)
An empirical examination of a transaction cost explanation of FDI capital structure
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Grøgaard, Birgitte; Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2014)
When in Rome? An empirical examination of SOE strategic behavior when entering a competitive host market
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Andersson, Ulf; Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (2014)
Costs and Performance Implications from HQs Intervention in Subsidiaries’ Affairs
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Rygh, Asmund & Lunnan, Randi (2013)
Ownership, internationalization and performance
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Lunnan, Randi & Tomassen, Sverre (2013)
The virtue of in-between pragmatism – A balancing act between responsiveness and integration in a multinational company
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Rygh, Asmund & Lunnan, Randi (2013)
Ownership, internationalization and performance
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S. (2013)
Foreign Operation Mode Flexibility and its Cost-Benefit Tradeoffs
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund; Torgersen, Kristine & Benito, Gabriel R G (2013)
Institutional determinants of FDI inflows in the primary sectors
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Rygh, Asmund & Lunnan, Randi (2013)
Ownership, internationalization and performance
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2013)
Capital structure of foreign direct investments: A transaction cost analysis
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2013)
Capital structure of foreign direct investments: A transaction cost analysis
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund; Torgersen, Kristine & Benito, Gabriel R G (2013)
Institutional determinants of FDI inflows in the primary sectors
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Dovgan, Olesya, Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2012)
Offshore Outsourcing: A Dynamic Operation Mode Perspective
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Rygh, Asmund & Benito, Gabriel R G (2012)
Capital structure of foreign direct investments: A transaction cost analysis
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R G & Welch, Lawrence S (2012)
The dark side of dynamic capabilities: On foreign operation mode flexibility and cost-benefit tradeoffs
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Dogvan, Olesya, Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2011)
Offshore outsourcing: A dynamic, operation mode perspective
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Benito, Gabriel R G & Tomassen, Sverre (2011)
Foreign location and relocation of headquarter activities over time
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2011)
Mode combinations and international operations: Theoretical issues and an empirical investigation
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre; Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (2011)
Governance costs in foreign establishment modes: A MNC headquarters puzzle
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre; Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (2011)
Governance costs in foreign establishment modes: A MNC headquarters puzzle
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G (2010)
Mode Combinations and International Operations: Theoretical Issues and an Empirical Investigation
[Report Research].
Benito, Gabriel R G (2010)
Norwegian Outward FDI and its Policy Context
[Report Research].
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2009)
Towards more Realistic Conceptualisations of Foreign Operation Methods: Challenges to Existing Treatments
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Lunnan, Randi; Benito, Gabriel R G & Tomassen, Sverre (2009)
Leaving the Periphery: The Location of Division Headquarters among Large Norwegian Companies, 2000-2006
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Tomassen, Sverre & Benito, Gabriel R G (2009)
Governance Costs in Headquarter-Subsidiary Relationships
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2008)
Managing the Internalisation Process – A Theoretical Perspective
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.
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
Benito, Gabriel R G; Petersen, Bent & Welch, Lawrence S (2008)
"Towards more Realistic Conceptualisations of Foreign Operation Methods: Challenges to Existing Treatments", International Business and the Catching-up Economies: Challenges and Opportunities
[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 & Lunnan, Randi (2008)
Leaving the Periphery: The Location of Division Headquarters among Large Norwegian Companies, 2000-2006
[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 & 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. & Grøgaard, Birgitte (2004)
The internationalization patterns of Norwegian firms: Does industry matter?
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, Torben & Petersen, B. (2004)
The termination dilemma of foreign intermediaries: Performance, anti.shirking measures and hold-up safeguards
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Grünfeld, Leo A.; Benito, Gabriel R G, Goldeng, Eskil le Bruyn & Weltzien, Åsmund (2004)
The Inferior Performance of State Owned Enterprises: Is it due to Ownership of Market Structure?
[Report Research].
We analyze differences in performance between private companies (PCs)
and state owned enterprises (SOEs), with an emphasis on the effects of market structure.
We use a panel covering all registered companies during the 1990s in Norway, a country
where SOEs play an important role in regular markets. Return on assets as well as costs
measures are used as measures of performance in models that investigate markets where
SOEs and PCs actually compete with each other. Although market shares and concentration
affect performance, ownership identity still explains most of the inferior performance
among SOEs.
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Petersen, B., Asmussen, C.G. & Welch, Lawrence S (2004)
From entry modes to foreign market configuration
[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
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Gripsrud, Geir (2002)
Internationalization in Retailing: Explaing The Pattern of Foreign Market Entry
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, T. & Petersen, B. (2000)
Export channel dynamics: An empirical analysis of changes in the organization of foreign distribution
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Berger, Eivind, Forest, Morten de la & Shum, Jonas (2000)
Den maritime sektor i Norge sett i et klyngeperspektiv
[Report Research].
Benito, Gabriel R.G.; Petersen, B. & Pedersen, T. (1998)
Replacing the foreign intermediary: Motivators and deterrents
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Benito, Gabriel R.G. & Strøm, Ø. (1998)
Chain strategies and modes of foreign market penetration in the food sector
[Conference Lecture]. Event
Akademisk grad
År
Akademisk institusjon
Grad
1995
Norwegian School of Economics, NHH
Ph.D Dr. Oecon.
1992
Norwegian School of Economics, NHH
Master Cand. Merc.
1985
BI Norwegian Business School
Master of Science in Business
Arbeidserfaring
År
Arbeidsgiver
Tittel
2018 - Present
BI Norwegian Business School
Research Professor
2024 - 2024
INCAE
Professor
2015 - 2018
Henley Business School, University of Reading
Visiting Fellow
1999 - 2018
BI Norwegian Business School
Professor
2007 - 2011
University of Agder
Adjunct Professor
2003 - 2005
Copenhagen Business School
Visiting Professor
2002 - 2003
University of Valencia
Visiting Professor
1997 - 1999
BI Norwegian Business School
Associate Professor
1998 - 1998
University of Melbourne
Visiting Research Scholar
1995 - 1996
Copenhagen Business School
Research Associate Professor
1994 - 1995
BI Norwegian Business School
Assistant Professor
1992 - 1994
Østfold University College
Assistant Professor
1989 - 1991
NIM Norwegian Institute for Research in Marketing
Research Fellow
1986 - 1988
FMD Norwegian Fund for Market and Distribution Research
Research Associate
1986 - 1986
Norwegian School of Economics, NHH
Teaching Assistant
1985 - 1986
NSD Norwegian Data Services for the Social Sciences
