Schulte Jr., W D (1999) The effect of international corporate strategies and information and communication technologies on competitive advantage and firm performance: An exploratory study of the international engineering, procurement and construction (IEPC) industry. PhD thesis, George Washington University, USA.
Abstract
Global information and communication technologies, especially the Internet, have changed the way that firms expand internationally. Many scholars have proposed that firms can enhance competitive advantage by ensuring that their global information and communication technology strategies are congruent with their international corporate strategies. In addition, scholars have begun to integrate research from strategic management, international business and information technology to explore the management of global information technology. The primary goal of this study is to measure the effects of international corporate strategies and global information and communication technologies on competitive advantage and firm performance in the International Engineering, Procurement and Construction (IEPC) Industry. Despite the limitations of the study the following four conclusions can be proposed: (1) international corporate strategy does indirectly affect firm performance but it depends on global information technology and the type of performance measures used in the analysis; (2) Increases in global information technology will increase the Efficient, Functional and Sustainable forms of competitive advantage provided by information technology applications (CAPITA); (3) global information technology has a positive significant relationship with the international expansion of IEPC firms with a multifocal strategy type; and (4) IEPC firms with a Multifocal strategy and a global information technology focus have a stronger effect on firm performance than firms with any other international corporate strategy. Managerial implications include project and value chain management, procurement efficiencies, client responsiveness, corporate entrepreneurship and strategic alliances. In addition, this exploratory study provides direction for more global information technology research. Suggestions for future research include replications in other globalizing service industries, refinement of the GI/LR framework, exploration of global information technology strategy alignment, extensions involving other predictor variables and path analysis of different views of the research model. Finally, this study calls for more interdisciplinary research integrating insight from strategic management, international business and information technology.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Starik, M |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | competitive advantage; communication; corporate strategy; entrepreneurship; information and communication technology; information technology; international business; strategic management; technology strategy; client; strategic alliance |
| Index terms: | international expansion, information and communication technology, information technology strategy, performance measure, strategy, interdisciplinary research, exploratory study, exploration, strategic management, procurement efficiency, information technology, technology strategy, competitive advantage, international business, value chain, corporate strategy, firm performance, strategic alliance, entrepreneurship, internet, path analysis |
| Subjects: | statistical analysis, procurement strategy, partnership management, market analysis, data management, value chain strategy, research methods, business analysis, management, performance measurement, environmental resource management, computing systems, business, strategic management |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Business Strategy, Procurement, Sustainability, Governance, Stakeholder Management, Quality Management, Supply Chain Management, International Construction, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here