This programme consists of a number of loosely coupled projects or articles
that focus on research process issues in international research. Many projects
in this programme are also characterised by a critical evaluation of received
wisdom. Doing international research is more difficult than doing purely domestic
research. Partly because of this, little empirical research has been done in
several areas of International Business and Management and various myths have
been created. The first is the myth of high expatriate failure rates, created
by massive (mis)quotations (see my 1995 International
Journal of HRM article). A large-scale update of this issue (Journal
of Organizational Behavior, 2002), places this myth in the wider context
of how referencing errors undermine our academic credibility. The IJHRM article
has generated considerable interest and more than 40 ISI citations, while the
2002 JOB article is now included in many PhD courses and is starting to gather
citations. A final article in this series (with Claus Christensen) suggests abandoning
the concept of expatriate failure.
Another myth is the presumed homogeneity of Europe. Many researchers uncritically
generalise findings from domestic research as applying worldwide or generalise
about Europe from research in a single European country. Research in International
HRM & Staffing Policies and HQ-Subsidiary Relationships
in MNCs showed that large differences exist between European countries in
the area of staffing policies, control mechanisms, international strategy and
performance and even response rates to surveys.
In the area of entry mode studies the Kogut & Singh (1988) index of cultural
distance has reached an almost mythical status. A very
detailed and critical review of research in this area (published in Advances
in International Management) shows that there is little or no evidence for the
proposed relationship between cultural distance and entry mode choice. Research
in this field seems to be characterised by a reductionist approach to culture
and an almost complete disregard for both sample idiosyncrasies and research
conducted in related areas.
A major stream of research in this programme concerns the process of data
collection through international mail surveys. Two articles that draw lessons
about (response rates in) international mail surveys (1997
International Business Review and 2000 Industrial
Marketing Management) have been widely cited (a total of more than 70 ISI
citations) and used by researchers in the field. An important aspect of international
mail survey research that has been largely neglected so far is language.
I have led a project that involves collaborators
from more than 25 different countries, representing all major cultural clusters
in the world. The project investigated the impact of language on responses to
a questionnaire that included both questions on cultural values and other more "neutral" questions.
Several conference papers have been presented about this project and the
first journal article with a preliminary analysis for 7 countries was published
in Language
and Intercultural Communication, while the full results were published in
the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management and
showed that the use of English-language questionnaires may obscure national
differences. An article dealing with a comparison of pre- and post-September
11 data for our US sample (International Journal of
Cross-Cultural Management) and a paper on cross-national diferences in response
styles (International Journal of Cross-Cultural
Management) draw important conclusions for cross-national research. Based
on data collected in the project on Language in International
Business we compare ranking and rating as alternatives to study cross-cultural
differences.
(Excludes working papers; * indicates a refereed journal article or
research-based book chapter.)
* Harzing, A.W.K. and 26 collaborators (review) Ranking
or rating: what is the best way to reduce response
and language bias in cross-national research?, under review.
* Josiassen, A.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2008) Descending from
the ivory tower: Reflections on the relevance and future of country-of-origin
research, European Management Review, vol. 5, no. 4.
Harzing, A.W.K. and 26 collaborators (2007) Ranking and rating in native-language
versus English-language questionnaires: A methodological comparison, conference
proceedings of the EIBA annual meeting, 13-15 December, Catania, Italy.
Harzing, A.W.K. and 26 collaborators (2007) Ranking versus rating: What
is the best way to reduce response and language bias in cross-national
research?, conference
proceedings of the ANZIBA annual meeting, 8-10 November 2007, Newcastle,
Australia.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (2006) Response styles in cross-national mail survey
research: A 26-country study, The International Journal of Crosscultural
Management, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 243-266.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (with 32 country collaborators) (2005) The use of English
questionnaires in cross-national research: Does cultural accommodation obscure
national differences?, International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management,
vol. 5, no. 2, 213-224.
Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Response styles in cross-national mail survey
research: Are we comparing apples and oranges?, conference proceedings
of the ANZIBA annual meeting, November 5-6, Canberra, Australia.
Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Comparing work values across countries: The role
of response effects, paper presented at the 9th International Conference
of Work Values and Behavior, New Orleans, August 4-6.
* Olivas-Luján, M.R.; Harzing, A.W.K.; McCoy, S. (2004) September
11, 2001: The influence of threats on cultural values and cosmopolitanism, International
Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, vol. 4 (2), pp. 211-228.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (with country collaborators) (2004) - Does language
influence response styles? A test of the cultural accommodation hypothesis
in fourteen countries, in: Setiadi, B.N.; Supratikny, A.; Lonner, W.J.;
Poortinga, Y.H. Ongoing Themes in Psychology and Culture, International
Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (Selected and revised papers from
the 16th IACCP congress).
* Harzing, A.W.K. (2003) The role of culture in entry mode studies:
from negligence to myopia?, Advances in International Management,
vol. 15, pp. 75-127.
Olivas-Luján, M.R.; Harzing, A.W.K.; McCoy, S. (2003) September
11, 2001: Two quasi-experiments on the influence of threats on cultural values
and cosmopolitanism, paper presented at the 63rd Annual meeting of
the Academy of Management, Seattle, August 1-6.
* Harzing, A.W.K; Maznevski M. (with country collaborators) (2002) The
interaction between language and culture: A test of the cultural accommodation
hypothesis in seven countries, Language and Intercultural Communication,
vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 120-139.
Harzing, A.W.K (with country collaborators) (2002) The role of language
in cross-national mail survey research: A test of the cultural accommodation
hypothesis in fourteen countries, paper presented at the 62nd Annual
meeting of the Academy of Management, Denver, August 9-14.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (2002) Are our referencing errors undermining our
scholarship and credibility? The case of expatriate failure rates, Journal
of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, February, pp. 127-148.
Harzing, A.W.K (with country collaborators) (2002) Does language influence
response styles? A test of the cultural accommodation hypothesis in fourteen
countries, paper presented at the XVI Congress of the International
Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, July 15-19, 2002.
Harzing, A.W.K (with country collaborators) (2002) The interaction between
language and culture and its impact for cross-national mail survey research:
A seven country study, paper accepted for presentation at the ANZAM/IFSAM
VIth World Congress, 10-13 July.
Harzing, A.W.K; Maznevski M. (with country collaborators) (2001) Language
and Culture: How do they interact? A seven-country study, paper presented
at 27th EIBA conference, Paris, 13-15 December.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (2000) Cross-national industrial mail surveys: Why
do response rates differ between countries?, Industrial Marketing Management,
vol 29, No 3, May, pp. 243-254.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (1997) Response rates in international mail surveys:
Results of a 22 country study, International Business Review, vol.
6, no. 6, pp. 641-665.
Harzing, A.W.K. (1996) How to survive international mail surveys: An
inside story, conference proceedings of the 22nd EIBA conference,
Stockholm, 15-17 December, 1996, pp. 313-339.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) The persistent myth of high expatriate failure
rates, International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol.
6, May, pp. 457-475.
* Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) Research Note: an International Bibliography, European
Journal of Industrial Relations, vol 1 (3), pp. 405-412.
