Behavioral Elements in Foreign Direct Investment Decisions

Yair Aharoni*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

The success of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is at least as much a function of management ability and behavior as it is of industry characteristics or environmental factors. These managers display human limitations that affect judgment. Yet international business (IB) researchers tend to ignore management in their research, treating the firm as a black box. To the extent top management team (TMT) is considered, rational behavior in classical economic sense is assumed. Behavioral elements were studied by others in different fields. Clearly, managers behave according to different rules than those assumed in much of the IB literature. Further, managers are not part of a herd but unique. The result of such a lacuna is that theory fails to predict actual behavior and does not allow best guidance for policy options. The chapter summarizes research on behavioral decision making and calls for its application in future research in international business.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationOn the Shoulders of Giants of International Business Scholarship
Subtitle of host publicationVolume 1: Standing on the Shoulders of International Business Giants: In Memory of Yair Aharoni
PublisherWorld Scientific Publishing Co.
Pages111-151
Number of pages41
ISBN (Electronic)9789811287510
ISBN (Print)9789811287503
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2024

Keywords

  • Managerial decision-making bounded rationality
  • behavior
  • environmental uncertainty
  • foreign direct investment
  • heterogeneity
  • judgment
  • multinational enterprise
  • top management teams

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