This book makes a rare - but often advocated - contribution to research in entrepreneurship and international business by providing a richly contextualised longitudinal case study of the growth and internationalisation of a cluster of small firms over more than 20 years. Sara McGaughey presents a vivid, ethnographically-inspired narrative using creative forms of writing - including diary extracts, dramas, personal narratives and a cartoon - that draws the reader into the world experienced by the entrepreneurs, and conveys the unfolding context of the research process itself. The author interprets key events and activities such as export market choice, institutional entrepreneurship and portfolio activities in international new venturing through the lens of legitimacy and legitimation processes. The rich empirical and methodological contextualisation invites all readers to reinterpret these events and activities using their own diverse perspectives. This unique book will strongly appeal to practitioners and scholars of international entrepreneurship, international business, business history and organisation studies, as well as those interested in research methods used in these fields.

This timely book represents the latest research on a selection of key issues in international business in the Asia-Pacific region. In particular the contributors examine the internationalisation process, export expansion and performance, foreign direct investment and the management of international business relationships. More specifically, they analyse: * the growth patterns of Danish and US companies developing operations in the region * the impact of the internet, the competitiveness of the Australian wine industry, and the development and application of export performance measures * the factors influencing the location decisions of Japanese Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and the investment risk perceptions of Australian MNEs * the multinational knowledge acquisition modes of Taiwanese electronics firms * the protection of intellectual property rights * the use of performance measures in international joint ventures * the human resource management practices of ethnic Chinese-owned enterprises compared to Anglo-American MNEs. This book will become a first point of reference for businesses in this region as well as scholars of international business and Asian studies.

Corporate entrepreneurship involves new business creation within established companies, the strategic renewal of existing business, and, ultimately, the search for sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly globalised economy. Yet it remains elusive for many firms. In a collaboration between a practitioner and academic, Joe J. Amberg and Sara L. McGaughey explore corporate entrepreneuring within a large conglomerate multinational enterprise: Siemens AG. In early 2009, following a prolonged period of business stagnation and a huge bribery scandal, Siemens' top management identified a severe lack of entrepreneurship as a critical issue. The strengthening of 'local entrepreneurship' became a new priority in the strategic planning for 2010 to 2014. By examining three contrasting ventures in the Siemens business unit Fire Safety between 2008 and 2012, the authors identify key drivers and impediments that sustain inertia in corporate entrepreneuring within this global organisation. This study offers an insightful contribution to our growing - yet still fledgling - understanding of corporate entrepreneurship in global corporations, highlighting the importance of context, interdependencies between critical factors, and the false promise of universal best practice.