One career, two audiences
Most of my work sits at the point where academic rigor has to survive contact with a real balance sheet.
I'm currently Professor of Strategy at BI Norwegian Business School, where I lead the development of BI's flagship Master of Management program. Before Oslo, I was Professor of International Business and Director of the IB PhD Program at Aalto University in Helsinki, and Dean of Nottingham University Business School China — the first and largest Sino-foreign business school, where I grew the faculty from around 40 to 95+ scholars from 28 countries and increased top-tier research output by roughly 240%.
"Author of the most highly cited article in international human-resource management of the past fifty years." — Journal of World Business bibliometric analysis, 2021
None of that research stayed in a journal. In parallel, I've run my own consulting firm, Direction International, since 1997, and spent several years as a senior consultant at Ward Howell International — advising firms on foreign market entry, post-merger integration, and organizational effectiveness across Russia, China, and the CIS. I currently serve as a Visiting Scholar at the Boao Forum for Asia — often described as Asia's World Economic Forum — and was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard in 2026.
- Based inOslo, Norway
- RoleProfessor of Strategy, BI Norwegian Business School
- AlsoVisiting Scholar, Boao Forum for Asia (2023–present)
- EducationPh.D., Richard Ivey School of Business, Western Ontario (1997); B.S. Physics, Bates College (1991)
- Editorial rolesEditorial Review Board, Journal of International Business Studies; former Deputy & Senior Editor, Management and Organization Review
- RecognitionFellow, Academy of International Business — one of ~125 Fellows worldwide
- MediaRegular commentator on CGTN / CCTV on China, trade, and global business
- NationalityAmerican and Swedish
69 journal articles, 1994–2026
My complete list of academic journal publications, most recent first.
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2026
Building Compositional Capability to Enhance SME Export Performance: The Role of Government Support Programs
Shahzad, K., Fan, D., Fey, C.F., Kim, D., and Liu, W. — Forthcoming, Journal of International Business Studies. -
2026
Environmental enforcement and green innovation: Answering the call for sustainability”
Zeng, Xianju., Jiang X., Fey, C.F. Qudeer, A. — Forthcoming, Business Strategy and the Environment.Past scholarship on institutional theory has increasingly recognized the effect of institutional agents (e.g., regulators) and their potential impacts on environmental behaviors. However, limited attention has been paid to how firms respond to the government's environmental enforcement by engaging in green innovation. The current study extends institutional theory by investigating how environmental enforcement affects firms' green behaviors, an important phenomenon that has been overlooked by most previous studies. Airborne officials — officials with experience in the central government who are appointed to local government positions — also play a significant role. The results from Poisson regression analysis of Chinese listed firms show that firms operating in regions with higher environmental enforcement engage more actively in green innovation. This empirical finding was reinforced by showing that green innovation subsidies and firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) engagement serve as mechanisms through which regulatory enforcement cultivates an environment that encourages firms to participate more actively in green innovation activities. The findings also indicate that these firms respond more proactively when the officials are airborne. However, they engage less actively in green innovation when these officials have a longer tenure or they hold hometown ties. These findings contribute to institutional theory by exploring how national institutional arrangements affect firms' green innovation.
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2026
Digital-driven sustainability: The role of digitalization in mitigating environmental misconduct in emerging economies
Ali, A., Yang, Q., Jiang, X., Fey, C.F., and Ali, A. — IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, forthcoming.Despite increasing scholarly interest in digitalization for enhancing corporate performance and sustainability, theoretical and empirical research on its potential to deter firms' environmental misconduct remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs dynamic capability theory to examine the impact of digitalization on reducing environmental misconduct, along with the moderating effects of returnee directors and market competition. Leveraging a longitudinal dataset of 4,234 Chinese-listed firms (2009–2022), we reveal a robust negative association between digitalization and environmental misconduct. In addition, returnee directors and intense market competition amplify this deterrence effect, underscoring the interplay between technological capabilities and institutional governance. The findings remain robust across various alternative measures and endogeneity tests, including the Heckman two-stage model, PSM, and a two-year lagged approach. Overall, this study extends digitalization and corporate governance literature in the environmental management context by offering fresh insights into the relationship between digitalization and environmental misconduct in emerging economies
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2025
Unfolding and developing disseminative capacity of subsidiaries via structural integration in MNCS
Yildiz, H. E., Zhou, A. J., & Fey, C. F. — Journal of International Management, 31: Article 101238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2025.101238Despite its critical role in knowledge transfer and the development of multinational corporations (MNCs), disseminative capacity has received limited attention compared to the mirror concept of absorptive capacity. Drawing from the knowledge-based view and adopting the perspective of subsidiaries as knowledge senders, this paper proposes and conceptualizes four sequential dimensions of disseminative capacity - identification, articulation, association, and support - which constitute potential and realized disseminative capacities. Furthermore, we explore how structural integration mechanisms could influence the development of disseminative capacity in subsidiaries of MNCs. Our fine-grained approach recognizes the multidimensionality and the dynamic nature of disseminative capacity. We also provide theoretical and practical implications for enhancing the disseminative capacity of MNC subsidiaries, thereby facilitating knowledge transfer within MNCs.
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2025
Government R&D Support’s Effects on Export Performance via Innovation: An Analysis of Organizational Motivators as Moderators
Tinits, P., Yi, J., Fey, C.F., Shuang, M. — International Business Review, 34(1): Article 102345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2024.102345How and under what conditions does government R&D support lead to innovation and in turn increased export activities? We bridge these two relationships which are normally explored separately by creating a linking evolutionary economics based framework which uses variation and selection. We examine the relationship between government R&D support and export intensity, mediated by innovation, in a balanced panel of 289 innovative exporters in China. Leveraging the knowledge-based view, we also explore the roles of financial bonus incentives (an extrinsic motivator) and employee suggestions (an intrinsic motivator) as moderators to contribute to the debate on what type of motivators work best. This study contributes to the export and innovation literatures by showing that government support for R&D facilitates innovation and that innovation in turn facilitates exports. Further, the study shows that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators moderate the staged relationships, but they affect different stages with bonuses moderating the R&D support – innovation relationship and suggestions moderating the innovation – export relationship.
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2023
Why should we care about effect size and how to measure and communicate it in management research
Fey, C.F., Hu., T., and Delios, A. — Management and Organization Review, 19(1): 176-197.The measurement and communication of the effect size of an independent variable on a dependent variable is critical to effective statistical analysis in the Social Sciences. We develop ideas about how to extend traditional methods of evaluating relationships in multivariate models to explain and illustrate the statistical power of a focal independent variable. Even with a growing acceptance of the need to report effect sizes, scholars in the management community have few well-established protocols or guidelines for reporting effect sizes. In this editorial essay, we: (1) review the necessity of reporting effect sizes; (2) discuss commonly used measures of effect size and accepted cut-offs for large, medium, and small effect sizes; (3) recommend standards for reporting effect sizes via verbal descriptions and graphical presentations; and (4) present best practice examples of reporting and discussing effect size. In summary, we provide guidance for authors on how to report and interpret effect sizes, advocating for rigor and completeness in statistical analysis.
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2023
Strategies for adapting agile to virtual work
Reunamäki, R. and Fey, C.F. — Forthcming, Business Horizons. Doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.10.003In response to the increasing uncertainty and rapid change around them, firms are looking to implement new management methods to become more flexible and less hierarchical. One of the most popular of these methods is agile, which aims for reactiveness, collaboration, decentralized decision-making, and increased autonomy. However, agile was designed to work best with teams where members are co-located, whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic and likely in the post-COVID world, many employees are working remotely from home at least part of the time. We explore how to adapt agile to remote work, drawing from an in-depth case study of OP Financial Group, the largest bank in Finland. We highlight five problems and solutions to implementing agile in a remote setting and discuss the situations and types of teams in which the different aspects of remote agile are likely to work and not work. Our findings provide guidance for companies looking to become agile in “the new normal.”
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2022
The 2020 AIB Curriculum Survey: The State of Internationalizing Students, Faculty, and Programs
Kwok, C.C.Y., Grosse, R., Fey, C.F., and Lyles, M.A. — Journal of International Business Studies, 53(6): 1856-1879. Doi.org/10.1057/s41267-022-00547-1Twenty years after the prior survey, the seventh international business curriculum survey was conducted in 2020 under the sponsorship of the Academy of International Business (AIB) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This paper reports the survey’s findings and makes relevant comparisons with the results of the two previous curriculum surveys. This study is not only an update but also explores new directions of international business (IB) integration into the business schools’ programs. Although the percentage of matrix structures and separate IB departments is higher in the 2020 survey than earlier, the majority of IB faculty are still scattered across functional departments without IB recognition. Essentially, with few exceptions, we found that European schools are consistently more international than their counterparts elsewhere. Business school deans also consider experiential learning very effective in equipping students with IB knowledge and are generally quite satisfied with the overall progress of their internationalization efforts. The survey findings contribute to understanding how IB is integrated into business schools and offer insights for identifying future opportunities.
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2022
A Perspective on the Potential of Chinese Business Schools: A Call For Greater Attention to Context, Differentiation, and Developing an Indigenous Model
Fey, C.F. — Management Organization Review, 18(5): 982-999. Doi.org/10-1017/mor.2022.19Chinese business schools have made impressive progress in improving their quality, but there is still room for improvement. However, they have improved largely by copying the traditional American model of business education at a time when this model is coming under increasing critique for good reasons, including placing great effort on producing much rigorously conducted research, which makes little practical impact. Thus, having learned much from foreign business schools, the time has come for Chinese business schools to be bold and pursue their own model. Such a model should focus more on research that pays increased attention to context, including indigenous research, and is of greater practical relevance. Furthermore, given ongoing change inside Chinese business schools and in their external environment, it may be easier to make needed changes in China. Regarding teaching, business schools are encouraged to move beyond a focus on teaching content well to teaching content in ways that it can be readily applied; do more to develop understanding of how to leverage modern technologies like AI, big data, internet of things, and digitalization; focus more on adjusting teaching to the local context; and focus more on developing innovation/creativity and analytical ability, rather than memorization of facts.
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2022
The effects of timing and order of government support mechanisms for SME exports
Tinits, P. and Fey, C. — Management International Review, 62(2), 285–323. Doi.org/10.1007/s11575-022-00465-2When small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter export markets, they face liabilities of smallness and foreignness. Their chances of success increase if they receive some support. Thus, many governments provide some export support for SMEs having realized that success in exports helps firm success and creates positive spillovers. We test the efficacy of three such support mechanisms: support for strategic export planning, support for trade fair participation and participation in ministerial visits and compare their relative results in various “time dimensions” (Jones & Coviello, J Int Bus Stud 36(3):284–303, 2005). Unlike past studies, we go beyond testing the effect of one support mechanism and compare the effect of the above different support mechanisms. We also show the importance of considering different dimensions of time – chronological “clock” time, “stopwatch” reference time, time sequence, and effect length time. We found evidence for the benefit of receiving multiple support mechanisms and we explored the sequence of receiving multiple support mechanisms. More specifically, our results suggest that exports are best facilitated by first receiving support to attend a trade fair, then developing an export plan; and then participating a ministerial visit abroad. Also, our study suggests that effect length is an important, previously ignored, dimension of time to consider. Empirically, hypotheses are tested on a longitudinal data set of Estonian SMEs receiving different types of government export support during 2009–2017. The data set was constructed from registry data covering the entire population of Estonian firms.
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2022
We have performance appraisal every day and every hour”: Transferring performance management to Russia
Outila, V. and Fey, C.F. — Journal of International Management. 28(2): 1-17. Doi.org/10-1016/j-intman.2021.100901Performance management (PM) of employees is an important established practice in multinational corporations (MNC) and therefore one of the key practices to be transferred to subsidiaries. In this study, we use the concept of institutional logics to show how Russian employees experience PM practices that are based on the institutional logic of a Finnish MNC which is contradictory to the one prevailing in Russia where the subsidiaries operate. Our findings contribute to the practice transfer and PM literature by showing how the Russian subsidiaries responded to competing institutional logics by consciously selecting certain elements from each logic, demonstrating “institutional bricolage”, to address both the headquarter's (HQ) requirements and the fast pace of change and uncertainties in an emerging post-Soviet market. Our study also enhances the international business (IB) literature by using the concept of institutional logics in IB and international management (IM) research, where it has been infrequently used.
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2021
HR Ambidexterity and absorptive capacities: A Paradox-based approach to HRM capabilities and practice adoption in MNC subsidiaries
Beletskiy, A. and C. F. Fey. — Human Resource Management, 60(6): 863–883. Doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22039This article examines the relationship between the capabilities of HR departments and the level of adoption of corporate HRM practices in MNC subsidiaries. To explain this relationship, we leverage paradox theorizing, still rare but gaining increasing attention in HRM research, and integrate the studies of practice transfer, organizational ambidexterity, and absorptive capacity. First, we establish the conceptual linkages between the implementation and internalization dimensions of practice adoption and the potential and realized absorptive capacities of HR departments. Second, we re‐define the operational and strategic activities of HR departments in terms of the learning paradox of exploitation and exploration. Third, we introduce the concept of HR ambidexterity to describe HR departments that possess high levels of capabilities in both operational (exploitative) and strategic (explorative) task‐domains. Finally, we hypothesize that ambidextrous HR departments are more adept at adopting corporate HRM practices. An analysis of the survey data from 105 foreign subsidiaries of 12 MNCs supports this single hypothesis. The main contribution of this research is in leveraging paradox theorizing to explain the nature of HRM capabilities and their role in the adoption of HRM practices.
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2020
Informal Networks: Dark Sides, Bright Sides, and Unexplored Dimensions
Horak, S., Afiouni, F., Bian, Y., Ledeneva, A., Muratbekova-Touron, M. and Fey, C.F. — Management and Organization Review, 16(3): 511-542. Doi.org/10.1017/mor.2020.28Informal networking can be seen as a positive activity with beneficial outcomes for individuals, firms, and society as a whole, but informal networking can also lead to collusion, cliques, nepotism, and other forms of unethical or corrupt conduct – largely related to research on emerging markets. To date, the construction of informal networks and their cultural intertwinement and development have not been a focus of international management and organization studies, a gap that this special issue seeks to address. This special issue contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of informal networks and their ambivalence, in which the same networks have different modes of operation and have positive and negative sides intermittently or simultaneously. We demonstrate the context in which informal networks operate, highlight their complexity, and encourage dialogue among scholars studying informal networks in a variety of countries. Using a context-based and comparative perspective allows us to conceptualize informal networks in a more integrated and balanced way. Understanding the workings of informal networking – known variously as guanxi, yongo, jentinho, wasta, and blat – in culturally specific settings, places Western values, social structures, and ideals of behavior in perspective and tests Western-centered assumptions, narratives, and theories. Because informal networking is a conventional way of conducting business in many countries, as depicted in this special issue, defining the bright (positive) and the dark (negative) sides of informal networks is critical for responsible management and business success at multinational corporations.
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2020
Fostering integration through HRM Practices: An empirical examination of absorptive capacity and knowledge transfer in cross-border M&As
Zhou, A.Z., Fey, C.F., and Yildiz, H.E. — Journal of World Business, 55(2): 1-14. Doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2018.05.005Transfer of knowledge-based resources from acquirers to the acquired units has been ubiquitously emphasized as an important driver of post-acquisition integration. Equally emphasized is the importa ...
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2019
Entrepreneurial Orientation, Network Resource Acquisition, and Firm Performance: A Network Approach
Jiang, X, H. Liu, C. F. Fey, and G. Wang. — Journal of Business Research, 87(June): 46-57.This study applies a network approach to develop a model that highlights the role of resource acquisition through networks as an important mediating mechanism through which entrepreneurial orientation influences firm performance. This approach provides an alternative explanation for the divergent findings of the EO-performance relationship. We also investigate how business and political ties, differently and configurationally, shape the relationship between EO and network resource acquisition. Empirical findings from a study of 251 firms provide general support for the hypotheses, highlighting the unique value of leveraging a network approach to reconsider the performance-enhancing mechanism of entrepreneurial orientation.
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2018
When Same is (not) the Aim: A Treatise on Organizational Cultural Similarity, Fit and Knowledge Transfer
Morgoulis-Jakoushev, S, H.E. Yildiz, and Fey, C.F. — Journal of World Business, 53(2): 151-163.Multinationals (MNCs) need to find the balance between developing a globally standardized organizational culture and having multiple locally- adapted organizational cultures. Past literature embodies the bias that differences between MNC units, unless managed, would lead to adverse consequences. To counter this negative bias, we focus on cultural fit, which is the amount of difference yielding maximum benefit. We argue that depending on comparison criterion and desired outcome, fit could be achieved by establishing similarities or maintaining differences. Using evolutionary economics, we explore knowledge transfer within MNCs and test our hypotheses on fit using a unique dyadic dataset from 186 MNCs.
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2016
The critique of empirical social science: New Policies at Management and Organizaion Review
Lewin, A.Y., Chiu, C.-Y., Fey, C.F., Levine, S.S., McDermott, G., Murmann, P., and Tsang, E. — Management and Organization Review 12(4): 1-10.At the June 2016 meeting of the International Association for Chinese Management Research, MOR organized a symposium to discuss the mounting criticisms of empirical social science and subsequent changes, as part of ongoing discussions affecting journal reviewing policies. This article overviews the history of modern empirical social science as the foundation of management, organization, and strategy research and the criticism of social science research, which has reached the point that some critics refer to current publication norms as encouraging and enabling the publication of junk science. Most importantly, however, this article outlines MOR's strategy going forward and the new reviewing initiatives that MOR is implementing as of Volume 13 (2017).
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2016
Are the Extent and Effect of Psychic Distance Perceptions Symmetrical in Cross-border M&As? Evidence from China and Sweden
Yildiz, H.E. and Fey, C.F. — Journal of International Business Studies, 47(7): 830-857.The concept of psychic distance has several entrenched assumptions that have not been put to sufficient systematic scrutiny. We address this gap by investigating the assumptions of symmetry (i.e., whether psychic distance from Country A to Country B is the same as that from Country B to Country A) and discordance (i.e., whether differences in psychic distance between two countries always lead to lack of fit) of psychic distance in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. We propose a new framework, which differentiates between the extent (i.e., the degree to which two countries are perceived to be similar/different) and effects (i.e., the degree to which distance perceptions create favorable or unfavorable attitudes and responses) of psychic distance perceptions. We argue that relative status positions affect extent and effects of psychic distance. To test our predictions, we collected data through policy-capturing studies in Sweden and China. Our findings reveal that both the extent and the effects of psychic distance perceptions are asymmetric. We also found that psychic distance perceptions create unfavorable (favorable) attitudes among Swedish (Chinese) respondents toward Chinese (Swedish) acquirers. Our follow-up examination confirms that relative status positions are a key driver of these results.
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2016
Internationalization strategies of emerging market multinationals: A five M framework
Fey, C.F., Nayak, A.K.J.R., Wu, C., and Zhou, A. — Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 23(2):128-143.Traditionally, few companies were worried about Chinese, Indian, or Russian companies becoming important global players. Now companies from emerging market economies are starting to do just this and are emerging as significant global competitors. It is clearly time to pay attention to emerging market multinational corporations as serious competitors. This article seeks to help with this task by investigating the internationalization of firms from China, India, and Russia, and developing an understanding of what firms from transforming economies should do to increase their chances of success. The article also shows that they internationalize for different reasons using different entry mode ordering and by initially entering different countries than would their Western counterparts. This article develops a new framework called the Five M framework to guide managers and academics in their understanding of the internationalization of firms from transforming economies. With the help of illustrative examples from 18 mini case studies, this article investigates the motivations, markets, entry modes, methods, and management practices that have allowed these firms to be successful.
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2015
Social ties and indigenous innovation in China’s transition economy: The moderating effects of learning intent
Xie, Y., Gao, S. Jiang, X., and Fey, C.F. — Industry and Innovation, 22(2): 79–101.This study advances research on innovation by unfolding a particular innovation type, indigenous innovation, into three patterns (i.e., original innovation, integrative innovation and re-innovation). We examine how social network ties (business and institutional) influence indigenous innovation and the moderating effects of learning intent. Results from 270 Chinese firms indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between business network ties and each pattern of indigenous innovation. In contrast, institutional network ties affect original innovation in the shape of an inverted U, while they facilitate integrative innovation and re-innovation in a linear manner. Learning intent shows significant moderating effects on these main relationships.
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2014
A retrospective on: MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity and HRM
Minbaeva, D., Pedersen, T., Björkman, I., Fey, C. F. — Journal of International Business Studies, 45(1): 52–62.In this retrospective, we revisit the goals of the original paper, and we review the studies that have used our paper to discuss the "concept" and the "development" of absorptive capacity. We also propose directions for future research, stressing the need to develop thorough theoretical and empirical models of absorptive capacity as a multi-level and dynamic construct that is contingent on the context in which it is embedded.
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2012
The liability of foreignness reconsidered: New insights from the alternative research context of transforming economies
Yildiz, H.E. and Fey, C.F. — International Business Review, 21(2):269-280.Institutional theory has been increasingly used to decipher implications of the liability of being a foreign firm. Earlier studies have argued that multinational corporations bear social costs arising from lack of legitimacy and thus need to engage in isomorphism to increase their likelihood of survival. Drawing on insights gained from transforming economies, this study reconsiders the espoused relationships among legitimacy, local isomorphism, and overcoming the liability of foreignness. We argue that idiosyncrasies of transforming economies could engender (1) varying levels of need for gaining legitimacy of local constituents and (2) alternative ways other than local isomorphism for gaining legitimacy from local institutional actors.
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2012
The key commandments of leadership
Fey, C.F. — Zheshang. 148: 109. (in Chinese) -
2011
When collaborative HR practices may not work well: The moderating role of social capital in the Chinese life insurance industry
Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., and Fey, C.F. — International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(2): 433-456.In this study, we examine the main and interaction effects of insurance agent-focused collaborative HR practices and insurance agents' social capital on their sales performance. Data from 984 participants were collected in five subsidiaries of a large Chinese life insurance company. The results show a strong relationship between social capital and objective sales performance. More importantly, we found a negative interaction effect of collaborative HR practices and network size on individual performance and a positive interaction effect of collaborative HR practices and network range on objective sales performance. The study is unique in that it looks at the interaction between HR and social capital, investigates how HR practices affect individual performance and not firm performance as has been more commonly done, and focuses on one industry to be able to capture the unique aspects of HR practices in that industry. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and limitations are also discussed.
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2011
The key commandments of doing business in Russia
Fey, C.F. and Shekshnia, S. — Organizational Dynamics, 41(1): 57-66. -
2010
Compatibility and unlearning in knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions
Yildiz, H.E. and Fey, C.F. — Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4): 448-456.Despite wide recognition of the central role of knowledge and its transfer, extant research has focused much on some important aspects of knowledge transfer and paid little attention to others. We focus on two underexplored issues in the knowledge transfer literature, namely: (a) compatibility of new knowledge with recipients' needs, interpretations of its past experiences and its existing norms, and (b) organizational unlearning, which moderates the relationship between compatibility and extent of successful knowledge transfer. We examine different types and dimensions of knowledge compatibility and organizational unlearning within our proposed knowledge transfer process framework. We situate our discussion primarily within knowledge transfer in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Based on the proposed model, we also offer propositions future research can test.
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2010
How to Retain Employees
Fey, C.F., Kasperskaya, N., Kuznetsova, I., Sverdlov, D., and Shvakman, I. — Harvard Business Review Russia, (September): 61-70. -
2010
The key to doing Business in Russia
Fey, C.F. — First, 33-36. (a special issue to serve as the official publication of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum consisting of about 8 articles including an interview with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, an article by the UK ambassador to Russia, an article by the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and entrepreneurs, an article by the deputy CEO of Gasprom, and my article). -
2009
Opening the black box of the relationship between HRM practices and firm performance: A comparison of MNC subsidiaries in the USA, Finland, and Russia
Fey, C.F., Morgulis-Yakushev, S., Park, H.J., & Björkman, I. — Journal of International Business Studies, 40(4): 690-712. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2008.83This paper investigates the extent to which different human resource management (HRM) practices work better in different countries. We also try to open the black box between HRM and multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiary performance by considering mechanisms through which HRM practices affect MNE subsidiary performance. The study utilizes a unique data set consisting of subsidiaries of 241 MNEs operating in Russia, USA, and Finland. In the partial least-square analysis used to examine our hypotheses, we demonstrate that different HRM practices are preferable in different countries, and that motivation and ability are important mediating variables in the HRM–MNE subsidiary performance relationship.
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2008
Treatment for passivity: A recipe for Russia
Fey, C.F. — Harvard Business Review Russia, (Sep): 84-96 (in Russian). -
2008
Top management compensation and co-ordination mechanisms in multinational corporations as drivers of knowledge transfer: The case of China and Finland
Fey, C.F., & Furu, P. — Strategic Management Journal, 29(12): 1301-1323.Growing interest has emerged in viewing the multinational corporation as a knowledge creating and diffusing entity. The importance of sharing knowledge across organizational and national boundaries has been established in previous research. However, the question of which organizational policies lead to knowledge sharing between multinational units is still not fully understood. In particular, the link between compensation mechanisms and knowledge sharing has not received attention in previous studies. By studying 164 foreign‐owned subsidiaries located in Finland and China, this article attempts to identify the relationship between subsidiary bonus pay based on MNC‐wide performance and knowledge sharing between different units of the MNC. In line with the knowledge‐based perspective of the firm, the results suggest that incentive pay based on the collective performance of the MNC leads to greater knowledge sharing.
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2008
Overcoming a Leader’s Greatest Challenge: Involving Employees in Firms in Russia
Fey, C.F. — Organization Dynamics, 37(3): 254-265. -
2007
What can the Russian government do to facilitate Russian firms going abroad: Learnings from around the world
Fey, C. F. and Korchakova, N. — Vedimosti, August 13, 2007: A4. (In Russian). -
2007
Explaining choice of MNC subsidiary human resource management practices: Evidence from a three-country study
Björkman, I., Fey, C. F., & Park, H. J. — Journal of International Business Studies, 38(3): 330-446.This study sets out to explore human resource management (HRM) practices in multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries within an institutional theory framework. Based on a sample of 158 subsidiaries of MNCs operating in the United States, Russia and Finland, the paper examines factors hypothesised to influence the HRM practices adapted in US, Japanese and European MNC subsidiaries located in Russia, Finland and the US. The results indicate significant differences in HRM practices used across host countries. Both the status of the subsidiary human resource department and the degree to which the subsidiary was involved in knowledge transfer with other parts of the MNC had a significant impact on the selection of HRM practices.
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2007
What can the Russian government do to facilitate Russian firms going abroad: Learnings from around the world
Fey, C. and Korchakova, N. — Harvard Business Review Russia, August 17-20. (In Russian). -
2007
Russian competitiveness in the global economy
Mills, T., Dukeov, I., and Fey, C. — Journal of East-West Business, 13(4), 97-138.Using data on Russia's competitiveness collected by our research team as part of the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report (GCR), literature on competitiveness, in particular Michael Porter's theories on economic development and competitiveness, and benchmarking data from the global competitiveness project for other countries, this paper analyzes Russia's comparative strengths in its macro and microeconomic competitiveness. We investigate Russia's movement in ranks over a three-year period, discussing Russia's strengths in its macroeconomic climate and the weaknesses of its institutions. We illustrate the effects of these on three-key growth industries in Russia: oil, IT outsourcing, and the food sector.
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2006
E-Commerce developments and strategies for value creation: The case of Russia
Doren, R. & Fey, C.F. — Journal of World Business, 41(4): 315-327.This inductive interview-based study aims to develop a model which describes the kinds of e-commerce business models that create value in Russia. We suggest that prior e-commerce research has not paid enough attention to the environment's role in determining how value is created by different e-commerce business models and thus explore how key factors in the environment impact the development and effectiveness of e-commerce. The study also identifies eight key drivers of e-commerce value creation in Russia (accessibility, ease of search, ease of use, trust, complementarities, novelty, lock-in, and efficiency). The interaction between these value drivers and characteristics of the external environment affect how value is created by e-commerce business models in Russia.
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2006
How similar is the world in the internet era: A comparison of eBusiness in China, Russia, and Sweden
Fey, C. F., DeKoning, A, & Delios, A. — Thunderbird International Business Review, 48(5): 727-748.Much has been written about how e‐business can serve as a strong homogenizing influence and essentially make the world into one market. Yet, little research has empirically investigated this question. This study seeks to describe e‐business activity in China, Sweden, and Russia to identify similarities and differences in the portfolios of e‐business applications in these countries. Our results indicate that different e‐business applications are emerging as more prevalent in different countries. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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2005
External sources of knowledge and performance in R& D organizations
Fey, C. F. & Birkinshaw, J. — Journal of Management,31(4): 597-615. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206304272346This article examines how the choice of governance mode for external R&D, along with openness to new ideas and codifiability of knowledge, affects R&D performance. Superior R&D performance is therefore viewed as arising through (a) the choice of approaches used by the firm to access knowledge from outside (university partnering, alliance partnering, and contracting), (b) the knowledge context of the firm (its openness to new ideas and the codifiability of its knowledge assets), and (c) the interactions between these two sets of factors. These arguments are tested, and mostly supported, using data on the R&D activities of 107 large firms based in the United Kingdom and Sweden.
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2005
Opening the black box of motivation: A cross-cultural comparison of Sweden and Russia
Fey, C. F. — International Business Review, 14(3): 345-367.Based on a sample of 82 Swedish managers and 86 Russian managers, this study investigates whether similar factors motivate middle managers in Sweden and Russia. Hypotheses are formulated using our understanding of national cultural differences and several popular theories of motivation: need theory, equity theory, goal-setting theory, and feedback theory. The study's results provide support for the fact that national culture plays an important role in determining what motivates people. In fact, totally different factors are shown to motivate Swedish and Russian middle managers. Russian managers, arguably at a lower level of the needs hierarchy, are best motivated by salary level and thus degree bonuses are appropriate. In contrast, Swedish managers, who have their basic needs met and are therefore further up in the needs hierarchy, are better motivated by having an enjoyable working environment. These results provide strong support for needs hierarchy theory. Swedish managers are also highly motivated by perceived equity with their peers. This equity appears to be less important for Russians who have been faced with much inequity in the past and thus have developed mechanisms to cope with inequity.
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2005
Organizational culture and effectiveness: Can American theory be applied in Russia?
Fey, C. F. & Denison, D. — Voprosy Ekonomiki (key economics/business journal of the Russian Academy of Science, in Russian). (April). (Translated into Russian and re-printed from my 2003 Organization Science article with permission.This paper examines the link between organizational culture and effectiveness for foreign-owned firms operating in Russia. Beginning with a model of organizational culture developed in the United States, the paper presents a multimethod analysis of culture and effectiveness in a transition economy. We argue that effectiveness in Russia relies more on adaptability and flexibility than it does in the United States. Furthermore, the legacy of the Communist era forces firms in Russia to deal with a workforce with a unique time perspective and a unique set of subcultures that often undermine attempts at coordination and integration. We first explore these ideas using survey data on 179 foreign-owned firms operating in Russia and compare the results to those obtained for firms in the United States. We then present four case studies designed to ground the results in the Russian context, and to document cultural dynamics not captured by the model.
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2004
Organizational culture and effectiveness: Can American theory be applied in Russia?
Fey, C.F. & Denison, D. R. — Russian Energy Journal, 2(6): 25-44. (re-printed in English from my 2003 Organization Science article with permission).This paper examines the link between organizational culture and effectiveness for foreign-owned firms operating in Russia. Beginning with a model of organizational culture developed in the United States, the paper presents a multimethod analysis of culture and effectiveness in a transition economy. We argue that effectiveness in Russia relies more on adaptability and flexibility than it does in the United States. Furthermore, the legacy of the Communist era forces firms in Russia to deal with a workforce with a unique time perspective and a unique set of subcultures that often undermine attempts at coordination and integration. We first explore these ideas using survey data on 179 foreign-owned firms operating in Russia and compare the results to those obtained for firms in the United States. We then present four case studies designed to ground the results in the Russian context, and to document cultural dynamics not captured by the model.
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2004
Does one shoe fit everyone? A comparison of human resource management in China, Russia, and Finland
Fey, C. F., Pavlovskaya, A, & Tang, J. — Organization Dynamics, 33(1): 79-97. -
2004
How universal are human resource management practices: A comparison of Russia, China, and Finland
Fey, C.F., Pavlovskaya, A, & Tang, N. — Russian Management Journal, (1): 53-70 (in Russian). -
2003
The effect of human resource management practices on Japanese MNC subsidiary performance – A partial mediating model
Park, H. J., Mitsuhashi, H., Fey, C. F., & Björkman, I. — International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(8): 1391-1406.The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between a bundle or system of human resource (HR) practices and firm performance and the processes through which these HR practices affect organizational outcomes. Using a sample of fifty-two Japanese multinational corporation subsidiaries operating in the United States and Russia, we examine the impact of HR systems on firm performance mediated by employee skills, attitudes and motivation in an attempt to shed light on the so-called 'black box' through which HR practices lead to firm performance. The results support the notion that employee skills, attitudes and behaviours play a mediating role between HR systems and firm outcomes in multinational corporations. These findings illustrate the varying impact of synergistic systems of HR practices and their generalizability in different national contexts.
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2003
MNC knowledge transfer, subsidiary absorptive capacity and HRM
Minbaeva, D., Pedersen, T., Björkman, I., Fey, C. F., & Park, H. J. — Journal of International Business Studies, 34(6): 586-599. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400056Based on a sample of 169 subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in the USA, Russia, and Finland, this paper investigates the relationship between MNC subsidiary human resource management (HRM) practices, absorptive capacity, and knowledge transfer. First, we examine the relationship between the application of specific HRM practices and the level of the absorptive capacity. Second, we suggest that absorptive capacity should be conceptualized as being comprised of both employees' ability and motivation. Further, results indicate that both ability and motivation (absorptive capacity) are needed to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from other parts of the MNC.
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2003
Organizational culture and effectiveness: Can American theory be applied in Russia?
Fey, C. F. & Denison, D. — Organization Science, 14(6): 686-706. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.14.6.686.24868This paper examines the link between organizational culture and effectiveness for foreign-owned firms operating in Russia. Beginning with a model of organizational culture developed in the United States, the paper presents a multimethod analysis of culture and effectiveness in a transition economy. We argue that effectiveness in Russia relies more on adaptability and flexibility than it does in the United States. Furthermore, the legacy of the Communist era forces firms in Russia to deal with a workforce with a unique time perspective and a unique set of subcultures that often undermine attempts at coordination and integration. We first explore these ideas using survey data on 179 foreign-owned firms operating in Russia and compare the results to those obtained for firms in the United States. We then present four case studies designed to ground the results in the Russian context, and to document cultural dynamics not captured by the model.
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2003
Organization of research and development in large international firms
Birkinshaw, J. & Fey, C. F. — Management International Review, 43(3): 27-46.This paper examines how research and development is organized in large multinational firms. The paper identifies three key criteria which differentiate the different organizational systems firms use: doing R&D at the corporate level vs. divisions, the degree of geographic dispersion of R&D activities, and the degree of choice in where to conduct R&D. Results are tested on a sample of 107 firms based in the UK and Sweden.
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2002
The emergence of eBanking in Russia
Doern, R. & Fey, C.F. — European Business Forum, (8): 71-74. -
2001
Effective human resource practices in foreign firms in Russia
Fey, C.F., Libo, M., & Morgoulis-Jakoushev, S. — Personnel Mix, (5): 21-25. -
2001
Choice of human resource management practices in foreign firms in Russia
Fey, C.F., Engström, P. & Björkman, I. — Personnel Mix, (2): 83-88 (in Russian). -
2001
Managing conflict: The case of foreign firms in Russia
Fey, C.F. & Beamish, P. — Personnel Mix, (1): 87-93 (in Russian). -
2001
Developing a model of leadership styles: What works best in Russia
Fey, C. F., Adaeva, M., Vitkovskaya, A. — International Business Review, 10(6): 615-643.Choosing a leader with an appropriate leadership style is critical for a firm's success. Thus, it is important to understand which leadership styles are most effective. Furthermore, past research suggests that different leadership styles are effective in different national contexts. However, little research has focused on which leadership styles are most effective in Russia — the focus of this paper. This study has two parts. The first part investigates the leadership characteristics most commonly used to describe Russian leaders. Respondents from 90 firms identified task-orientated, relations-orientated, authoritarian, and democratic as the four most commonly chosen descriptors. These descriptors were then used to construct a model (a 2x2 matrix) which identified four different leadership styles (statesman, clergyman, politician, and military-man). In phase 2, middle managers from 101 firms in Russia then evaluated the effectiveness of these four leadership styles. Responses revealed that the statesman style (task-oriented democrat) and the clergyman style (relations-oriented democrat) were considered most effective.
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2001
The importance of organizational climate similarity between parent firms and the JV: The case of IJVs in Russia
Fey, C. F. & Beamish, P. W. — Organization Studies, 22(5):853-882.This study examines how organizational climate dissimilarity between parent firms and the joint venture organization (JVO) affects joint venture performance. Data were obtained from interviews with the general manager of 40 IJVs and questionnaires were completed by top-level managers from both parents and the JVO (6 people / IJV). Results indicate that to have the best chance of success, it is important for a firm starting a joint venture to select a partner with an organizational climate similar to its own. Results also indicate that it is important to create an organizational climate at the JVO that is similar to the foreign parent's organizational climate.
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2001
The effect of human resource management practices on MNC subsidiary performance in Russia
Fey, C. F. & Björkman, I. — Journal of International Business Studies, 32(1):59-76.This study investigates the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and the performance of 101 foreign-owned subsidiaries in Russia. The study's results provide support for the assertion that investments in HRM practices can substantially assist a firm in improving performance. Further, different HRM practices for managerial and non-managerial employees are found to be significantly related to firm performance. Only limited support, however, is obtained for the hypothesized relationship between efforts at aligning HRM practices with firm strategy and subsidiary performance.
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2000
Knowledge dissemination in global R&D operations: An empirical study of multinationals in the high technology electronics industry
Teigland, R., Fey, C. F., & Birkinshaw, J. B. — Management International Review, 20(1): 49-77.This study is an empirical examination of I) the mechanisms that three multinationals used to disseminate knowledge within their globally dispersed R&D operations, 2) the impediments that these multinationals experienced when implementing these mechanisms, and 3) the means to overcome these impediments. Management focused considerably on implementing mechanisms that facilitated the flow of knowledge to top management for the coordination of globally dispersed R&D activities. However, little attention was placed on mechanisms to facilitate the flow of knowledge for use by engineers in problem-solving activities. Three types of impediments to knowledge flow were observed: I) opportunity cost of time, 2) knowledge is power, and 3) not-invented-here. Knowledge flow in an MNC appears to be facilitated by establishing a one-company culture through I) incorporating teamwork as a company value, 2) evaluating individual knowledge contribution and assimilation in performance appraisals, 3) implementing a goal that promotes overall company improvement, and 4) facilitating extensive personnel rotation.
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2000
A study of intra-IJV conflict: The case of IJVs in Russia
Fey, C. F. & Beamish, P. W. — International Business Review, 9(2): 139-162.This paper investigates the importance of firms forming joint ventures having similar organizational climates such that the chances of inter-party conflict arising will be minimized. The study is based on 40 Russian international joint ventures (IJVs) and has both qualitative and quantitative elements. Support was provided for inter-party IJV conflict being an important outcome of IJV activity to monitor (and try to minimize) when evaluating IJV success. Further, evidence was presented to show that similar firms forming an IJV are more likely to have less conflict than more dissimilar firms.
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2000
Increasing growth: Strategies Russian firms are using to respond to the 1998 financial crisis
Kusnarenko, L. & Fey, C. F. — Expert, (March): 34-38 (In Russian). -
2000
The effect of human resource management practices on firm performance in Russia
Fey, C. F., Björkman, I., & Pavlovskaya, A. — International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(1): 1-18.Based on 101 foreign firms operating in Russia, the effect of human resource management (HRM) on firm performance in Russia is investigated. This is accomplished by developing and testing a model including HR outcomes (motivation, retention development) as a mediating variable between HRM practices and firm performance. Our study provides some support for the use of HRM outcomes as a mediating variable between HRM practices and firm performance. The results also indicate that non-technical training and high salaries will have a positive impact on HR outcomes managers while job security is the most important predictor of HR outcomes for employees. Thus, our study provides support for the importance of including both managers and non-managers in the same study, but treating them separately. In addition, results indicate a direct positive relationship between managerial promotions based on merit and firm performance for managers and job security and performance non-managers.
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1999
The secret to success: Developing an understanding of what makes a foreign firm’s organizational culture effective in Russia
Fey, C. F., Nordahl, C., & Zättersrom, H. — Business Horizons, (November-December): 47-55. -
1999
Effective human resource management practices for foreign firms in Russia
Fey, C., Engström, P. & I. Björkman. — Organizational Dynamics, (4): 1-12. -
1999
Strategies for managing Russian international joint venture conflict
Fey, C. F. & Beamish, P. W. — European Management Journal, 17(1): 99-106.Based on an analysis of the experiences of 40 Russian IJVs, this study presents nine strategies for managing intra-IJV conflict such that it will have a minimal negative impact on IJV performance. Following the strategies suggested in this paper presents an opportunity for other Russian IJVs to learn from the experience of the IJVs in this study and thus avoid some of the problems that conflict can produce.
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1996
Key success factors for Russian-foreign joint ventures
Fey, C. F. — The International Executive, 38(3): 337-389.This article identifies key success factors (KSFs) for Russian‐foreign joint ventures. Based on case studies of two successful and two unsuccessful Russian‐foreign joint ventures, four KSFs are identified. The presence of the four KSFs is then assessed in a sample of 30 Russian‐foreign joint ventures. To assess the generalizability of the KSFs, discriminant analysis is then applied to the 30 joint ventures to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful joint ventures. The results show that the KSFs can explain 83.3 percent of the variance in the performance of joint ventures in the sample.
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1996
The experience of joint ventures in Russia
Fey, C.F. — Forum, (3):32-52. -
1995
Success Strategies for Russian-Foreign Joint Ventures
Fey, C. F. — Joint Venture Magazine, 12-14 (in Russian). -
1995
Important design characteristics for Russian-foreign joint ventures
Fey, C. F. — European Management Journal, 13(4): 405-415.This article investigates design characteristics important to the success of Russian-foreign joint ventures (R-FJVs). The article also presents the major reasons 20 R-FJVs general managers gave for being dissatisfied with their parent firms and for the performance of their IJVs. This information can help managers of firms interested in starting R-FJVs in the future to avoid some of the problems previously encountered. One of the strengths of this article is that it looks at the same twenty R-FJVs at two different points in time (two years apart).
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1995
Success strategies for Russian-foreign joint ventures
Fey, C. F. — Business Horizons, 38(6):49-54. -
1995
A theoretical examination of extent of control in joint ventures
Fey, C. F. — Mirovaya Ekonomika & Mezhdarodnie Otnosheniya (journal of Russian Academy of Sciences), 38(8): 129-33 (in Russian). -
1994
International joint ventures: An important topic for the 1990s and beyond
Fey, C. F. — Voprosy Ekonomiki (key economics/business journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences), 65(8): 134-159 (in Russian).
Books, book chapters, cases, conference proceedings, and work in progress are available on request.
A regular voice on CGTN and CCTV
Since 2012 I've made 97 television and radio appearances — mostly on CGTN and CCTV — explaining global trade, China's economy, and international business to a general audience. A recent selection:
An Assessment of China at the End of 2025
Insight into US Tariffs
Global Tariff War
Boao Forum for Asia 2025: Global Guests Discuss China's Opportunities
How Is Business Likely to Develop in China in 2025?
What Will International Business Look Like During a Trump Administration?
Understanding Chinese New Productive Forces and Innovation
The International Trade of Chinese EVs: Implications of Recent Tariffs
Full list of 97 TV and radio appearances since 2012 available in the CV on request.