Top executives’ military experience and the firm internationalisation process: the moderating role of managerial discretion
ISSN: 1525-383X
Article publication date: 8 January 2025
Issue publication date: 14 February 2025
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the impact of top executives’ military experience on the internationalisation process of firms, as well as the boundary conditions of this impact.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses are tested using 8,759 imbalanced panel samples in 1,718 China’s A-share listed firms.
Findings
The findings show that the military experience of top executives has a positive impact on the internationalisation process (scope, speed and rhythm) of firms. The managerial discretion strengthens the influence of top executives’ military experience on the internationalisation scope and speed but weakens its influence on the internationalisation rhythm.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature by testing the relationships that among military experience of top executives, firm internationalisation process and managerial discretion. The authors also help practitioners to become aware of the importance that the military experience of top executives have on firm internationalisation process, and managerial discretion can exert contingent influence on this relationship.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study is supported by research grants (National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC): 72462009, 72062006, 71972056; General project of Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning of Guangdong Province in 2024, Grant/Award Number GD24CGL33;Guangxi higher education undergraduate teaching reform project General project A class, Grant/Award Number: 2024JGA123; Education Science Planning Project of Guangdong Province in 2024, Grant/Award Number 2024GXJK014; General Project of Humanities and Social Sciences Research of Ministry of Education, Grant/Award Number 22YJC630086; Guangxi Promotion Project of Basic Scientific Reasearch Ability for Young and Midlle-aged Teachers in Colleges and Universities, Grant/Award Number 2021KY0039; Scientific Research Funding Project of Guangxi Humanities and Social Sciences Development Research Center, Grant/Award Number WKZX2022002).
Citation
Ding, Z., Chen, Z. and Huang, S. (2025), "Top executives’ military experience and the firm internationalisation process: the moderating role of managerial discretion", Multinational Business Review, Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 122-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBR-12-2023-0196
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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