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Business leaders play a key role in the implementation of actions leading to the achievement of the 17 SDGs. Likewise, higher education is emerging as the principal factor in developing a sense of moral responsibility amongst university business students, who will eventually become company managers and decision makers. The aim of this research is, thus, twofold. First, to analyse university business students’ perceptions of the role of business in achieving the SDGs; and second, to examine university business students’ perceptions of the relationship between greater commitment to achieving the SDGs and business benefits. The analysis was performed with a sample of 178 business-related university students. Amongst the potential contributions made by this study we can highlight the possibility of understanding future managers’ perceptions of the role of business in achieving the SDGs, as well as the benefits that companies could derive from greater commitment to achieving these SDGs and identifying areas for improvement in university education regarding sustainable development. This work was supported by the University Teaching Research Networks Programme of the Institute of Education Sciences of the University of Alicante under Grant XARXES-I3CE-2020-5041.

Firm managers play an important role in the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions. Education is emerging as the key factor in developing a sense of moral responsibility amongst the business students who will eventually become company managers and decision makers. The aim of this research is, thus, twofold. First, to analyze the existence of a direct positive correlation between university students’ perception of CSR and its impact on business performance; and second, to examine the extent to which two factors (advantages brought by CSR and responsibilities toward stakeholders) act as mediation variables in the aforementioned correlation. The analysis was performed with a sample of 390 business‐related university students. Amongst the potential contributions made by this study we can highlight the possibility of knowing future managers’ way of thinking and of knowing the aspects where educational centers might improve their CSR teaching.

Esta investigación trata de analizar las diferentes herramientas estratégicas con las que cuentan las pymes en la industria de la moda para impulsar su internacionalización y conseguir un mayor rendimiento empresarial. En concreto, centramos nuestro análisis en la influencia que ejerce la presencia en distintos medios sociales o la marca comercial registrada sobre la internacionalización y el rendimiento de las PYMES. Con este objetivo se analizaron de forma cuantitativa 102 pymes pertenecientes al sector de la moda en Reino Unido e Irlanda. A partir de los resultados obtenidos se pueden extraer importantes conclusiones, así como implicaciones gerenciales que pueden ayudar a los directivos de estas pequeñas empresas a dirigir sus esfuerzos y la inversión de sus activos hacia una de estas herramientas esenciales. This research tries to analyze the different strategic tools that SMEs have in the fashion industry to boost their internationalization and achieve greater business performance. Specifically, we focus our analysis on the influence exerted by the presence in different social media or the registered trademark on the internationalization and performance of SMEs. With this objective, 102 SMEs belonging to the fashion sector in the United Kingdom and Ireland were analyzed quantitatively. From the results obtained, important conclusions can be drawn, as well as managerial implications that can help the managers of these small companies to direct their efforts and the investment of their assets towards one of these essential tools.

[EN] Since the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) are emerging as major global players. Some of them have carried out significant foreign direct investments (FDIs) in developed countries. The main objective of these outward FDIs is to access strategic assets like internationally recognised brands or technological and managerial know-how. As a result, Chinese MNEs are receiving increasing attention in the international management literature. The study of these emerging-market MNEs has generated an interesting epistemological debate among researchers on the applicability of traditional theoretical frameworks. The main question is whether conventional arguments originated in MNEs coming from developed-countries are still valid in the case of developing-country MNEs. While some scholars argue that the analysis of emerging-market MNEs requires new theory, others argue that no new theory is required. Drawing on the transaction cost theory, this paper aims to contribute to this debate by analysing the determining factors of establishment mode choice by Chinese MNEs, namely the choice between acquisition and greenfield investment. From a sample of 88 Spanish subsidiaries of Chinese companies, results show that strategic asset-seeking and a lower growth rate of the Spanish economy are associated with a greater preference for acquisitions. However, industry’s technological intensity turned out to be not significant. [ES] Desde el inicio del siglo XXI, las multinacionales chinas se están erigiendo en actores principales del nuevo escenario global. Algunas de ellas han efectuado inversiones importantes en países desarrollados con la finalidad de conseguir activos estratégicos como marca o know-how. Estas multinacionales chinas están recibiendo una creciente atención en la literatura sobre dirección internacional de la empresa. Como consecuencia, se ha suscitado un debate académico sobre si los marcos teóricos convencionales resultan aplicables para explicar su comportamiento internacional o si se necesitan nuevos modelos teóricos que se adapten mejor a sus peculiaridades como multinacionales procedentes de una economía emergente. Nuestro trabajo pretende contribuir a este debate analizando, desde la teoría de los costes de transacción, los factores determinantes del modo de establecimiento utilizado por las empresas chinas, es decir, la elección entre adquisiciones o nuevas filiales propias. A partir de una muestra de 88 empresas radicadas en España con participación china, nuestros resultados indican que la búsqueda de activos estratégicos y una menor tasa de crecimiento de la economía española se asocian con una mayor preferencia por las adquisiciones en detrimento de las nuevas filiales propias. Sin embargo, la intensidad tecnológica del sector no resulta significativa en la elección del modo de establecimiento.

Las multinacionales chinas se estan convirtiendo en actores principales del nuevo escenario global, y han realizado inversiones significativas en otros paises durante los ultimos anos. Aunque Espana todavia no es uno de sus destinos principales, se observa una tendencia creciente de los flujos inversores. Este trabajo estudia las caracteristicas de las inversiones chinas en Espana con datos a nivel de empresa, analizando el numero de inversiones, los principales sectores de destino, la propiedad estatal o privada de la empresa china inversora, la modalidad de inversion utilizada y la region de localizacion. Asimismo, ofrece una serie de reflexiones sobre la importancia de la inversion china en Espana y sus perspectivas de cara al futuro.

Purpose Since the beginning of the 21st century, China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is growing steadily and Chinese multinationals (MNCs) are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy. Thus, the number of papers focusing on China’s OFDI and Chinese MNCs has been increasing during the last years. The aim of this chapter is to carry out a review of the empirical papers dealing with Chinese MNCs published between 2002 and 2012 in high-impact international business and management journals. Design/methodology/approach This chapter reviews 43 empirical papers focusing on Chinese MNCs that were published in nine major scholarly journals between 2002 and 2012. Findings We report individual and institutional contributions, the theories and methods used, the research topics, and the main findings. We also discuss implications for future research. Originality/value Some previous literature reviews have dealt with research on China’s OFDI and Chinese MNCs. Nevertheless, none of the earlier reviews dealt specifically with empirical papers; neither did they provide an analysis of both individual and institutional contributions.

[ES] Este artículo analiza la influencia de diversos factores institucionales del país de destino sobre los patrones de localización de 29 grandes multinacionales chinas. A partir de una muestra de 127 decisiones de inversión directa en el exterior (IDE) en 52 países, nuestros resultados indican que una mayor dificultad a la hora de hacer negocios y un elevado riesgo político no condicionan sus decisiones de entrada. No obstante, la presencia de personas de etnia china en el país de destino, un mayor tamaño absoluto del mercado y un mayor volumen de exportaciones chinas hacia ese país influyen positivamente. [EN] This paper analyses the impact of various host country institutional factors on the location patterns of 29 large Chinese multinationals. From a sample of 127 outward foreign direct investment (FDI) decisions made in 52 countries, our findings suggest that a greater difficulty in doing business and a high political risk in the host country do not discourage Chinese multinationals. However, the presence of overseas Chinese in the host country, a larger absolute host market size and a higher volume of Chinese exports to that country affect positively.

ResumenDebido a la escasa investigación existente que haya abordado de forma conjunta los temas de la empresa familiar y la internacionalización, este trabajo pretende aportar nueva evidencia empírica acerca de la influencia de los factores de carácter familiar sobre el compromiso internacional de estas empresas. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que, para las empresas familiares españolas, una mayor visión a largo plazo y la presencia de directivos no familiares se relacionan positivamente con modos de entrada que implican un mayor compromiso internacional. La importancia de los fondos de la familia ante la expansión internacional, por el contrario, limita este compromiso.AbstractStudies combining family business and internationalization theories are scarce. In order to bridge this gap, this paper has as its aim to study those family factors that seem to have an impact on the international commitment of these companies. From a sample of Spanish family firms, our results show that long-term vision and the presence of nonfamily managers are positively related to foreign entry modes involving higher international commitment. On the other hand, the importance of family financial funds before international expansion limits this commitment.