Search

PurposeThe aim of this study is twofold. First, the research aims to identify Integrated Thinking (IT) stages of development. Second, the research aims to investigate how IT has reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) practises.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a case study on an Italian multi-utility company, Iren Group. The research method uses triangulated data collected from semi-structured interviews and archival materials and it analyses data with a top-down and bottom-up coding procedure. This allows us to inductively develop a model of IT stages of development and CSR strategic postures as response patterns to the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe research identifies the developmental paths of IT initiation, IT reactiveness and IT implementation responding to changes and challenges in times of crisis. Furthermore, the research provides stimuli for recovery to overcome periods of crisis through three main CSR strategic postures: stakeholder engagement, flexible proactiveness and democratic durability.Practical implicationsThe research suggests that managers can adopt stakeholder engagement, flexible proactiveness and democratic durability as CSR strategic postures in order to integrate CSR practises into the company's DNA and overcome periods of crisis.Originality/valueThis is among the first studies that analyses how IT acts during a crisis in the multi-utility sector. There are three main stages of development, i.e. IT initiation, IT reactiveness and IT implementation, which are characterised by stakeholder engagement, flexible proactiveness and democratic durability.

Resilience is central to developing organizational capability to respond to global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, few studies have examined the relationship between global talent management (GTM) and the organizational resilience of multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries during crises. This study contributes to the GTM and crisis management literature by examining the role of GTM in MNE subsidiaries' resilience during the Covid-19 crisis. Based on the sample of 166 Korean MNEs and their 1227 foreign subsidiaries, including 293 regional headquarters, operating in 49 host countries, this study shows a positive and significant impact of GTM on the resilience of Korean MNEs subsidiaries. Drawing on agency problems at the subsidiary level and bounded rationality at the headquarters level as factors that may bring about failure in TM in MNEs, as well as a core competence perspective, we shed light on the importance of the three-layered governance structure of MNEs in the analysis of GTM and MNE subsidiaries' resilience. The study has practical implications for Korean MNEs and the organizational resilience of MNEs' subsidiaries during crises more generally.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, online commerce has been gradually taking over and shaping the global marketplace. This has led several scholars to study the phenomenon from different angles, from consumer habits to privacy risks to related technological innovations. However, only recently has a branch of literature addressing the online channel management phenomenon from the manufacturers’ perspective emerged. This rapidly expanding literature strand remains rather fragmented, raising the need for a systematic literature review to comprehensively structure and discuss it. This study, accordingly, proposes a systematic literature review on online channel management from the manufacturers’ perspective. Firstly, it provides relevant bibliometric insights into the ongoing research on the topic. Secondly, applying the bibliographic coupling methodology individuates 92 interconnected contributions published by 31 December 2021. Three different, albeit interconnected, thematic clusters are discovered and reviewed, revealing their focus on (a) strategic marketing issues around manufacturervsretailer conflict, (b) pricing policies and trade-offs among pricevsservices, and (c) operational interactions and strategies between supply chain members. Finally, after a systematic literature review the authors develop thirteen original research propositions concerning new research pathways and theoretical advancements to be designed and implemented.

PurposeCrowdfunding platforms are important innovations that allow nascent entrepreneurs to gain access to financial resources and crowd inputs to better refine and develop their business idea. The purpose of this paper is to investigate user-generated content (UGC) from both reward-based and equity-based crowdfunding platforms, in order to determine its implications for open and user innovation.Design/methodology/approachA total sample of 200 most funded technology products was extracted from four distinct crowdfunding platforms. A latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) analysis was performed in an attempt to identify critical latent factors. The analysis was carried out through the theoretical lens of innovation literature, in an attempt to uncover the implications for open and user innovation.FindingsThe authors were able to highlight the implications of crowd inputs for open and user innovation, as backers provided nascent entrepreneurs with several types of feedback, ranging from product co-development to strategy and marketing. Furthermore, the study provided an overview of the key differences emerging between reward-based and equity-based crowdfunding platforms in terms of crowd inputs.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study features intrinsic limitations of the LDA approach being adopted. More specifically, it only provides a “snapshot” in time of the current sample, rather than investigating its development over time.Practical implicationsThe present study solidifies the value of UGC as a resource to mine for trends and feedback.Originality/valueThe study contributes to both the innovation literature and the crowdfunding literature. It bridges several gaps found in both literature streams, by providing empirical evidence to test and verify pre-existing exploratory research.

Performance appraisal requires interactions between managers and employees and as such can be highly sensitive to differences in cultural values. This can be challenging when multinational enterprises (MNEs) are active across different institutional contexts, particularly when operating in the culturally complex Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In this qualitative study, we apply institutional theory to explore how performance appraisal practices are implemented and internalized in MNE subsidiaries in the MENA region through manager–employee interactions. A total of 117 interviews were conducted with different headquarter and subsidiary stakeholders (managers and employees) of four French MNEs operating in Lebanon and Tunisia. The findings indicate that, during implementation, performance appraisal criteria, evaluation, and feedback were adapted based on socio-cultural values to achieve internalization. Such values include the emotional relationship between managers and employees, the fear of losing face, high power distance, the desire to avoid confrontation, and high-context communication. Insights for future research are presented regarding the viability of MNEs operating in the MENA region implementing corporate performance appraisal practices.

PurposeGiven the complexity of a post-conflict environment, the restaurant sector needs to be analyzed not just from the economic perspective. This paper aims to identify the diverse macroenvironmental and managerial factors underlying restaurant failures in Lebanon. The authors hope that this effort may help increasing restaurant success rates in other post-conflict settings.Design/methodology/approachThe aim of this paper is to explain how macroenvironmental pressures influence the restaurant business and which managerial factors are most critical in a post-conflict context. The authors adopted a qualitative method by conducting face-to-face, semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe findings show that restaurant failures in a competitive and uncertain post-conflict environment were caused mainly by a snowball of internal organizational factors related to bad management, poor human resource management policies, inefficiency and fraud. Internal organizational factors can all be associated with human mistakes and bad decisions, including excessive initial investment, expensive decoration, inability to manage monthly expenses, bad communication and market research.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature regarding restaurant failures in post-conflict regions and presents results that are expected to help managers in family- and non-family-owned businesses to enhance their decision-making process.

Asymmetry issues between partners concern the complementarity of assets across firms differing substantially in size, origin, experience, and objective, for which scholars highlight the importance of digital technologies (DTs) and learning. However, factors that influence partners to invest in DTs and learning remain underexplored. This study investigates how the collaborative context (complementarity, commitment, and compatibility) of asymmetric alliances affect the decision to digitise to enhance learning. We use six case studies of asymmetric alliances between partners from an emerging market and developed markets operating in varied sectors. The study reveals the types of collaborations under which partners can exploit DTs to develop learning capabilities. It also offers an adapted framework for such collaborations in the aspects of complementarity (absorptive capacity), compatibility (organisational culture and reciprocity), and commitment (objectivity and stability of the alliance). The results underline that high collaboration motivates partners to invest in digital platforms, leading to joint learning.

PurposeThis study investigates whether the increased attention given to coaching as a training technique is affecting performance, while taking into consideration the mediating effect of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB).Design/methodology/approachData is collected from Lebanese employees in the field, using a quantitative method and a confirmatory survey.FindingsThe study suggests that the creation of a supportive organisational behaviour in the organisation does provide a higher benefit from coaching.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcome of the study could have significant implications on the HR departments' managerial decision-making on the process of implementing novel tools and training techniques in services facilities.Practical implicationsThis study helps HR managers to assess the desirability of investing in coaching and orient the planning of their firms' HR strategy.Originality/valueThis research is based on a large sample collection from different business sectors in Lebanon. The quantitative survey results highlight a number of correlations that affect employees' performance. It further moves the responsibility from coaching as a tool to being part of a complete program of behavioural management and change.

The proliferation of social media platforms has provided researchers with ample opportunities to explore the implications of these platforms' positive and negative use. Focusing on the latter, the literature has highlighted the severe implications of the fear of missing out (FoMO) and its associations with negative aspects of social media use, such as the problematic use of social media, phubbing, and reduced well-being. Our study investigates the association between FoMO and social media fatigue, which is mediated by information and communication overload, online subjective well-being (OSWB), and compulsive social media use (compulsive use). The proposed model is grounded strongly in self-determination theory (SDT), the theory of compensatory Internet use (TCIU), and the limited-capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP). We tested the model using two independent cross-sectional data sets collected from Instagram and Snapchat users. Our findings, which align with TCIU, suggest that FoMO is positively associated with information overload and compulsive use for both Instagram and Snapchat users. For Snapchat users, FoMO is also positively associated with communication overload and OSWB. The overuse aspect associated with TCIU is explained in the strong positive associations between FoMO and compulsive use among both Instagram and Snapchat users. In addition, OSWB, information overload, and compulsive use are positively associated with social media fatigue for users of both platforms. In contrast, communication overload significantly predicts social media fatigue for Snapchat users only.

Organizations are directing increasing attention towards corporate sustainability due to the regulative requests, the expectations of stakeholders and the greater community, environmental pressure, and the benefits of maximizing the firms’ performance [...]

The rapid and unplanned change to teaching and learning in the online format brought by COVID-19 has likely impacted many, if not all, aspects of university students' lives worldwide. To contribute to the investigation of this change, this study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on student well-being, which has been found to be as important to student lifelong success as their academic achievement. Student well-being has been linked to their engagement and performance in curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities, intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, meaning making, and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine how student perceptions of their degree completion and future job prospects during the pandemic impact their well-being and what role university support plays in this relationship. We used the conservation of resources theory to frame our study and to develop five hypotheses that were later tested via structural equation modeling. Data were collected from 2,707 university students in France, Germany, Russia, and UK via an online survey. The results showed that university support provided by instructors and administration plays a mediating role in the relationship between the perceived impact of COVID-19 on degree completion and future job prospects and levels of student well-being. Student well-being is decreased by their concerns for their degree completion but not by their concerns for future job prospects. In turn, concerns for future job prospects affect student well-being over time. These results suggest that in a “new normal,” universities could increase student well-being by making support to student studies a priority, especially for undergraduates. Also, universities should be aware of the students' changing emotional responses to crisis and ensure visibility and accessibility of student support.

This paper investigates how COVID-19 is impacting different accommodation types, and whether travellers' choices regarding accommodation type are affected by the need for physical distance. Study 1 shows that travellers are very reluctant to book shared flats on Airbnb during the pandemic. However, full flats – controlling for price levels - are preferred to hotel rooms. Study 2 clarifies the process behind the increased choice for full flats, i.e., the need for physical distance. In Study 3, we actively manipulate physical distance and show that assuring physical distance will reduce the concerns towards hotel and shared flat options. Apart from enlightening the psychological process behind accommodation choice, the study offers operators actionable suggestions on how to maximise bookings despite the pandemic.

‘Sustainability is possibly the most important issue facing the tourism industry in the twenty-first century’ (Edgell and Swanson in Tourism policy and planning: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Routledge, New York, p. 45, 2018). The study within this chapter focuses on the future leaders responsible for delivering a sustainable planet, i.e. higher education students. The context is set within the subject of overtourism; a phenomenon that is now irreversibly damaging the world’s cultural and natural heritage. A case study focus on Marseille Calanques National Park in France provides a specific context for discussion. Data is collected from students at Kedge Business School (Marseille). Using a survey, they are asked questions related to overtourism and Marseille Calanques National Park. Kedge Business School was chosen because it is part of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) network. PRME is implemented into business to raise awareness of Sustainable Development Goals by adopting a holistic, interdisciplinary approach of education. PRME could also be viewed as a tool to inform the strategy of an organisation. However, the findings discussed raise questions over the impact PRME is making within this study context. From a practical point of view, there is a chance to really reflect on the impact of PRME versus overtourism and contemplate actions going forward.

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications investigating entrepreneurial universities in the business and management fields. The authors collected 511 documents from the Web of Science and analysed them using Bibliometrix, an RStudio package for performance analysis and science mapping. The study aims to provide an overview of the evolution of research about this topic and describe the structures (i.e., conceptual, social, and intellectual) characterising it. It discusses the results to identify the main areas addressed so far and highlight gaps in the literature, offering avenues for possible future research. The results show that publications on entrepreneurial universities started over 30 years ago and show an increasing trend, more than tripling in the last 10 years. Considering authors and documents as a unit of analysis, the US and Europe perform well in terms of productivity and relevance, but the phenomenon is globally relevant. The contribution to socio-economic development, especially in developing countries, is a hot topic for future studies. Despite increasing production rates, research on this topic remains fragmented, justifying the need for more systematisation. Furthermore, the paper offers policy makers and practitioners a useful baseline for developing entrepreneurial universities and considering their technological, managerial, and organisational implications.

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link. In the era of digitalisation, agility is considered a crucial factor for the successful operations of small and medium businesses in the intricate international markets. That is, this research aims to explore and evaluate the drivers that foster agility in international high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this regard, building on dynamic capabilities, a total of nine capabilities have been identified that assist high-tech SMEs to become agile in their cross-border activities. Taking advantage of an expert-based method, we relied on Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach to synthesise the opinion of six Italian international entrepreneurs (experts). In doing so, Grey DEcision-MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (G-DEMATEL) method has been employed to investigate the cause-effect relationship between capabilities and propose conceptual frameworks for agility in international high-tech SMEs. This is followed by the DEMATEL based Analytical Network Process (DANP) to assess the importance and ranking of explored factors. Consequently, the research proposes several theoretical and practical contributions.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to operationalise the collaborative cross-border innovation process employed by multinational corporations in their effort to penetrate new markets. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on the case study of a leading European telecommunications group (OPERACOM). Methodologically it relies on 32 interviews, observation and secondary data analysis, and is theoretically founded on an extensive (mostly narrative and partly meta-synthetic) literature review. Findings The findings show that two new activities merit inclusion in the collaborative cross-border innovation process: strategic marketing anticipation and pre-opportunity studies. In this context, three strategic marketing levers are elucidated: subsidiaries’ knowledge integration, communication/coordination mechanisms, and collaboration-governance; interrelating on the way the activities and elements comprising the breadth and depth of the process’ continuum. Research limitations/implications These stem from and are inherent to the very nature of the research (case study), which proscribes generalisations. Additionally, the research’s long-term span subjects the results to some inevitable potential temporal distortions. Practical implications The research findings, owing to their detailed and activity-specific disposition, constitute a case prototype towards further and/or corresponding application to organisations of this and/or other industries; presenting executives with an existing and market-tested positive paradigm of the innovation aspect of the collaborative market-entry mechanism. Originality/value Carrying significant scholarly and executive value, the research substantially and specifically enhances the understanding of innovation as an integral part of the internationalisation process, describing and prescribing explicit processes and actions throughout the horizontal and vertical organisational axes.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify strategic orientation and integration approaches of French companies in implementing the headquarters-based human resource management (HRM) prac...

Ambidextrous leadership is a key factor in the success of emerging market firms’ venturing into advanced economies. Although the definition of ambidextrous leadership is universal, its operationalization is culturally contingent. This conceptual paper examines Indian companies, increasingly recognized for their ambidexterity, and aims to explain this phenomenon by using Indian cultural dimensions. Five propositions relating to charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and Indian ambidextrous leadership are developed. We show that the seven cultural variables characterizing Indian ambidextrous leadership (nurturant, personal touch, expertise, simple living and high thinking, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and the giving model of motivation) reinforce the recent successful internationalization by Indian companies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This paper presents a theoretical framework of the role of HR practices in overcoming the differences and conflicts between the source and recipient of knowledge during the exploitation of synergies in the post-merger integration (PMI) process. The presented analysis of an international case study explores the crucial yet neglected relationship in M&A between the context and process variables in the PMI stage. The results of the analysis suggest a model that includes the unique characteristics of and relationship between source and recipient, knowledge integration mechanisms and the role of HR practices during the knowledge transfer process. Directions for future research are finally suggested.

A pragmatic “holy grail” of organizational aspirations, ambidexterity is increasingly gaining the attention of executives and scholars alike, presenting them with a frame of thought and a functional strategic attitude that befits the perplexing nature of contemporary business contexts. Aiming to cover one of the most noticeable gaps in knowledge on the subject, this exploratory research studies the evolutionary process of a divisional multi-business-unit organization to an ambidextrous one. We thus identify the determinants of a successful evolution and propose an executive-oriented comprehensive model towards divisionalized ambidexterity. In this context, we answer critical questions relating to the relative weight of innovation within multiunit business ambidexterity, the requisite means and aims of the structural and contextual determinants of success, and the role of top management. We conclude that there is a strategic need for balance between internal and external congruence; and that multiunit integration must be such as to achieve an internal solidification of systems and processes, as well as external adaptability and market flexibility; all within an incessantly changing and unpredictable business environment. The value of the research to human resource management knowledge lies in its focus on multiunit business ambidextrous evolution; and in its consequential scientifically founded practical elucidations of executive worth. Equally importantly, though, the findings transcend theoretical constrictions to provide an in-context business perspective through a comprehensive system that considers also strategic and environmental realities.

The Arab countries are a complex and diverse world, within which exists a cultural diversity that manifests in multiple dimensions: ethnic, tribal, religious, and linguistic, resulting from history, tradition, and immigration. This chapter aims to shed light on the diversity spread across the Arab countries in general, and on the management of this diversity in businesses. We first offer a general description of the societal context of the Arab countries and then highlight the religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity that exists within this context. In the third and fourth parts of this chapter, we outline the means of managing this diversity.

PurposeThe purpose of the research is to utilize and expand on existing knowledge on organizational value‐based innovativeness, towards the development of the “strategic reflexivity” concept, for businesses competing in the contemporary ever‐modulating business environments.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based partly on primary qualitative research and partly on theoretical research. The former consists of a six month long in‐house observation and data gathering of a large company (OPERACOM Group) innovation process and on 45 semi‐directive interviews of practitioners and experts.FindingsThe findings descriptively portray the varying competitive conditions as intolerant of conventional strategic marketing planning; and unable to sustain any lasting competitive advantage. Prescriptively, the research proposes a change of strategic philosophy and practice, through a shift from orthodox planning to the design of value‐based reflexive mechanisms that automatically adapt to change. The paper finally presents a preliminary model for the proposed strategic reflexivity process.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper, though scientific, it is in parallel a conceptual one. The “strategic reflexivity” concept and its consequent model therefore, are presented, not as a definitive answer to the concerns of contemporary businesses; but rather as a scientifically‐based proposition towards further practical and scholarly development.Originality/valueThe research value rests on a tripod of original contributions: it adds to the voices calling executives to give up on conventional tactical strategic means, counter‐proposing strategic redevelopment that is explicitly value‐based; it identifies the value‐based innovational elements deemed critical in the strategic redevelopment of businesses in hypercompetitive environments; and it develops the “strategic reflexivity” concept and process within the above context towards theoretical development and practical implementation.

This article responds to the identified considerations and gaps in existing research on the way a new idea is transformed into a market-accepted new product. Utilizing the findings of an extensive theoretical analysis and empirical investigation on the subject, this research studies new product development within a wider strategic marketing context. The research interrelates three different perspectives: the process-defining perspective, that identifies and refines the managerial implications and theoretical considerations; the value-defining perspective, which investigates the various types and stakeholders of value; and the context-defining (contemporary consumer behavior and strategic marketing) perspective, which positions the entire innovation process within the comprehensive set of environmental and organizational processes and factors. The article concludes with the development of a preliminary Contemporary Strategic Framework for New Product Development. The framework answers the various theoretic...

The research on how French multinational companies (MNCs) realize the localized learning of human resource management (HRM) is yet underexplored in current literature. This study analyzes the HRM strategic orientation of French companies in emerging markets, in particular China, and their respective localized learning. Drawing from previous studies and in-depth interviews with managers in 16 firms, this paper argues that even though French MNCs in China tend to show an ethnocentric orientation in HRM practices, a polycentric orientation in localized learning is strongly presented. This study contributes to the internationalization of HRM practices as well as the localized learning path regarding the French companies in emerging markets.

Avec le contexte de globalisation et de developpement des cooperations internationales, la Responsabilite Sociale des Entreprises (RSE) occupe de plus en plus de place dans les strategies deployees par les entreprises. Parmi les modelisations les plus utilisees de la RSE est celle proposee en deux temps par Carroll (1979, 1991). Cependant, le modele de Carroll a ete elabore, et largement teste, dans le contexte anglo-saxon et peu de recherches l’ont teste dans d’autres contextes. En prenant en compte les differences contextuelles entre les pays, nous nous interrogeons donc sur la perception de la responsabilite sociale, telle que definie dans le modele de Carroll, par des acteurs operant dans un pays en voie de developpement. A travers cet article, nous montrons la presence de deux conceptions differentes de la RSE pour les managers tunisiens qui decoulent de ce modele. Notre etude qualitative a egalement mis en exergue le fait que les specificites locales semblent orienter les acteurs vers l’un ou l’autre des deux modeles de responsabilite sociale.

To win the competition challenges they are facing, Multinational Corporations are continuously aiming to shape new managerial practices. These companies can take advantage from exploiting the knowledge of their subsidiaries, especially by using hybridization. This article highlights the characteristics of hybridization as a new managerial practice and shows that the transfer of innovations, from Headquarters to subsidiaries, raises several issues in these multidimensional companies. A thorough study of OPERACOM, a multinational company operating in the telecommunications sector, provides answers to two major questions: What are the limits of the top-down transfer in Multinational Corporations? How could knowledge hybridization be considered as a new practice to develop innovation? To assess these questions, we will start by giving a clear overview of our conceptual framework. Then we will explain the outcomes of the empirical investigation within OPERACOM and finally, a cross analysis will be performed and analysed.JEL Codes: L22, L24, L14

Les multinationales laissent apparaître un phénomène dominant: le transfert courant des connaissances et des diverses pratiques managériales de la maison mère vers ses filiales. Néanmoins, un aspect moins connu des flux intra organisationnels représente une valeur ajoutée que pourrait apporter chaque contexte local. La présente communication propose un cadre d’analyse théorique afin de porter un regard sur les opportunités qu’offrent les unités installées dans les pays européens. Quels sont les facteurs qui limitent une diffusion globale des pratiques? Comment passer d’une logique de transfert unidirectionnel vers une exploitation des ressources locales?Telles sont les questions aux quelles cet article tente d'apporter des éléments de réponse. Cette analyse présente l’assise théorique d’une nouvelle tendance: l’hybridation des pratiques. Aux pratiques globales s’ajoutent celles développées localement pour permettre une meilleure compétitivité dans l’Europe Elargie. Abstract - A dominating trend appearing within multinational companies shows that knowledge and practices are transferred from headquarter towards subsidiaries. Nevertheless, a less known aspect of intra-organizational flows is that each local context could bring an added value. This paper proposes a theoretical analysis framework to study opportunities offered by subsidiaries installed in the European countries. Which are the factors limiting a total diffusion of the practices? How to move away from a uni-directional transfer towards an exploitation of local resources? Such are the questions discussed in this paper. This analysis presents the theoretical base of a new tendency: the hybridization of practices. Global practices are “mixed” with practices locally developed to allow a better competitiveness in the widened Europe.

This article responds to the lack of research on the way a new idea is transformed into a market-accepted new product. Through non-participant observation and multiple interviews, an empirical investigation within a large French telecommunications operator (OPERACOM), shows that companies should integrate an exploration activity into the innovation process. In order to facilitate its implementation by managers, the research proposes a synthesis of features, comprising the exploration axes/criteria (technology, client use and business value), the participants (clients/creative users, designers, partners…), the organisational system (exploration centre, core team), the governance as well as the added value of the activity. The paper further combines theoretical findings with empirical data to identify the managerial implications of the findings, as well as additional theoretical considerations.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cultural determinants of local subsidiaries’ initiatives. An exploratory and qualitative research, conducted in a polish subsidiary in the telecommunication sector, indicated that the entrepreneurial culture of the subsidiary is not the unique cultural factor affecting local initiatives, as mentioned by several researches on this subject. Two main contributions emerge from this study. First, the corporate culture (for the multinational corporation), business culture and national are considered as barriers to local subsidiaries’ initiatives. Second, these factors enhance subsidiaries capabilities and isolation while preventing the transformation of local initiatives into hybrid and/or internal ones. The implication is that this paper provides researchers and practitioners with an overview of the main cultural factors to take into consideration in order to exploit local subsidiaries’ initiatives by the whole multinational corporation.