In terms of minority jvs, the more uncertain the conditions, the greater the value of real options.

38 Pages Posted: 27 Oct 2005

In terms of minority jvs, the more uncertain the conditions, the greater the value of real options.
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Date Written: October 2005

Abstract

Real options theory predicts that international joint ventures (IJVs) confer valuable growth options to firms, yet there has been no direct evidence on whether firms actually capture growth option value from such investments and under what conditions. We bridge the gap between theory and evidence by empirically testing this prediction, and we also develop the theoretical arguments that IJVs' ownership structure, product market focus, and geographic location are important attributes influencing the uncertainty surrounding the ventures and the value of embedded growth options. The empirical evidence confirms that IJVs do enhance firms' growth option values, but only under certain circumstances. Specifically, minority IJVs and diversifying IJVs contribute to growth option value, but other types of IJVs do not. The findings also challenge recent claims on the growth option value of investments in emerging economies.

Keywords: Joint Ventures, Real Options, Growth Option Value, International Strategy

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Abstract

According to real options theory, international joint ventures (IJVs) offer valuable growth options, yet there has been no direct evidence of whether, and under what conditions, firms actually capture such value. We argue that an IJV's ownership structure, product-market focus, and geographic location are important contingencies affecting the value of embedded growth options. Our evidence confirms that IJVs do enhance firms' growth option values, but only under certain circumstances. Specifically, minority IJVs and diversifying IJVs contribute to growth option value, but other IJVs do not. The findings also challenge recent claims about the growth option value of investments in emerging economies.

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Abstract

This paper examines the boundaries of real options logic, with an application to joint ventures (JVs). We distinguish between forms of uncertainty that are resolved endogenously and those that are resolved exogenously, and theorize that only exogenous uncertainty will have the impact predicted by real options theory on a foreign investor's choice of how large an equity share to take in a JV. We theorize that macroeconomic and institutional variables generate exogenous uncertainty whereas, by contrast, cultural distance and choices pertaining to corporate scope and product or process development activities involve endogenous sources of uncertainty that investors can both assess and act upon without having to "wait and see". Using a sample of 6472 Sino-foreign JVs, we find support for our predictions. We discuss and implement proper methods to test for the existence of null effects, as is relevant to establish the boundaries of a theory such as real options theory. We draw implications for research and practice on JVs – specifically equity share decisions, which deserve more attention – and real options, including suitable uses and desirable extensions of the concept.

Journal Information

Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) is a top-ranked peer-reviewed journal in the field of international business; its goal is to publish insightful, innovative and impactful research on international business. JIBS is multidisciplinary in scope, and interdisciplinary in content and methodology. JIBS is an official publication of the Academy of International Business. JIBS is published 9 times a year.

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Palgrave Macmillan is a global academic publisher, serving learning and scholarship in higher education and the professional world. We publish textbooks, journals, monographs, professional and reference works in print and online. Our programme focuses on the Humanities, the Social Sciences and Business. As part of the Macmillan Group, we represent an unbroken tradition of 150 years of independent academic publishing, continually reinventing itself for the future. Our goal is to be publisher of choice for all our stakeholders – for authors, customers, business partners, the academic communities we serve and the staff who work for us. We aim to do this by reaching the maximum readership with works of the highest quality.

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This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
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Journal of International Business Studies © 2010 Springer
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