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Capitalizing on massive sentiment diffusion and mobilization aided by mass media and social media nowadays, we introduce a general theory of host country sentiments to illuminate the granular, context-situated, and time dynamic power of social sentiments. We posit that host country is a value-laden context wherein a foreign entity's strategic action stimulates host country stakeholders' social sentiments and engagement in systems of discourses ("sentiment arousal"), mobilizes social sentiments toward the foreign entity ("sentiment competence"), and legitimizes social sentiments and the strategic action of the foreign entity ("sentiment resonance"). To test our theory, we employ a context of inward acquisitions by emerging market firms in an advanced economy, and postulate that host country sentiments toward objects of the inward acquisition (deal, acquirer, and inward investments from home country) will influence the likelihood of deal completion, an indication of host country legitimacy. We further highlight the patterns of host country sentiment dynamics, and showcase how sentiment volatility, wavelength, and augmentation exert heterogeneous effects on deal completion. Overall, we advocate a theory of host country sentiments in international management research that elucidates the interplay among host country sentiments, systems of social discourses, and multinational enterprise strategic outcomes in a host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the patterns of dual identities of host country managers working in multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries and how these patterns relate to their feelings of identity-related stress within the foreign-owned firms. Drawing on the acculturation literature, we classify the patterns of dual identities based on membership in nation and organization into four identity profiles: (a) diffuse (weak national and organizational identification), (b) national (strong national and weak organizational identification), (c) organizational (weak national and strong organizational identification), and (d) integrated (strong national and organizational identification). We submit that perceived conflict between the dual identities renders MNEs' host country managers less likely to present the integrated and the organizational identity profiles and more likely to present the national identity profile than domestic firm managers. MNEs' host country managers also identify more strongly with their nation and less strongly with their organization than domestic firm managers do. The combination of strong national identification and weak organizational identification among MNEs' host country managers exposes them to greater acculturative stress within foreign organizations. The results of an analysis of a sample of 843 Korean managers working in 19 Korean firms and 60 MNE subsidiaries in Korea corroborate our hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, a controversy between the NBA and China broke out. Although their relationship continues today, negative consequences still linger and cloud their future. As a transnational organization, the NBA was involved in a cross-national controversy, aligning with the theory of cross-national conflict shifting. The current study analyzed 703 posts on Weibo and 1,500 tweets by thematic analysis. It revealed diverse themes of online public discussions regarding the NBA–China controversy. It also found that social media speeded up the transmission of cross-national conflict shifting and complicated the cross-national conflict as it shifted back and forth between the home and host countries. Moreover, the study findings showed that when top executives engage in advocacy by taking a public stand on a controversial sociopolitical issue and get involved with cross-national conflicts, it is hard to separate them from the organization they represent. Also, their public stance might lead to public suspicion that they used social advocacy for private interests. Finally, the themes from the social media posts suggested cultural differences and an ideology crash between the host and home countries' publics, which generated grander challenges for transnational organizations to deal with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on national digital capability, specifically differentiating the impact between FDI greenfield and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The research also investigates factors shaping digital capabilities, encompassing government transparency and absorptive capability, while exploring the mediating influence of absorptive capability in the FDI–digital capability relationship. Design/methodology/approach: An econometric model has been developed to examine the interrelationship between national digital capability, FDI inflows, national absorptive capability and government transparency. The data set encompasses 55 countries over a period of nine years (2013–2021). National digital capability data is derived from the well-established index published by the World Competitive Centre (WCC). The sources of the explanatory variables align with standard practices, drawing from reputable institutions (UNCTAD and the World Bank, among others). Findings: The findings reveal a significant positive impact of FDI, particularly in greenfield investments, on national digital capability. Government transparency and research and development (R&D) investment are crucial factors contributing to digital capabilities. Additionally, the absorptive capacity, reflected by R&D investment, also emerges as a potential moderating factor, influencing the impact of FDI inflows on digital capabilities. Practical implications: The results recommend that policymakers and stakeholders should carefully consider the role of FDI, especially in greenfield investments, as a catalyst for enhancing national digital capability. The findings also underscore the significance of promoting government transparency and directing investments towards R&D to nurture digital capabilities. Moreover, understanding the mediating role of absorptive capability can inform strategies aimed at optimizing the impact of FDI on digital capabilities. Originality/value: This study contributes uniquely to the existing literature by being the first to systematically explore the influence of FDI on national digital capability. Furthermore, it presents innovative empirical findings on the role of absorptive capability in enhancing the FDI impact on national digital capability, an area that remains relatively uncharted in current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the impact of the Chinese CEOs with foreign experience from developed nations on the firm's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, drawing on imprinting theory, stakeholder theory, and resource dependence theory. Using manually collected data of CEOs' foreign experience and corporate ESG data from the Bloomberg database for Chinese listed firms from 2011 to 2020, we observe that CEOs with foreign imprinting tend to improve their corporate ESG performance in China. The positive relationship between CEO foreign experience and corporate ESG performance is more significant when the CEO is female, when the CEO is more educated, and when the firm is state‐owned. To better understand the underlying influence, our study indicates that the influence of CEOs' foreign experiences on corporate ESG performance is primarily manifested in the advancement of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Section 4.3 reveals that experiences obtained from developed economies have a more pronounced impact on promoting firms' ESG performance compared to experiences gained in underdeveloped countries. This empirical evidence underscores the significance of foreign experiences gained in developed economies in driving firms' ESG performance. Overall, our research makes a contribution to the study of CEOs' foreign exposure and corporate ESG performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of international arms transfers in the nonmarket environment for multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in authoritarian regimes. It emphasizes the limited research on non-market strategies used by MNCs to protect their property rights and gain competitive advantages. The article discusses the importance of military ties for MNCs in authoritarian regimes and how arms transfers can enhance their bargaining power. It also explores the impact of diverging military factions and the influence of the international arms transfer market on foreign direct investment. The article proposes a game theory-based framework to address research questions related to MNCs' leverage on arms transfers and the conditions they should consider for protecting their property rights. It highlights the connections between the arms industry and other economic sectors, as well as the use of countertrade practices in arms deals. The article also discusses the geopolitical influence and trade relationships gained by countries like Russia and Iran through their arms industries. It mentions the increasing number of arms-exporting countries and the rise in investment disputes related to foreign direct investment. The article concludes by discussing the trade patterns of defense companies in conflict-affected areas. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Journal of International Business Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Do experiences with civil war violence affect an individual's level of social trust? The literature on this topic suggests that being a victim of violence or being involved in violence has a profound effect on an individual's political behavior in the new host country. However, what has not been explored is how experiences with civil war and violence impact levels of social trust among immigrants. Building on prior research on premigratory experience and literature on experience with violence, we intend to determine if the premigratory experiences with violence in an immigrant's country of origin affect whether social trust is increased or decreased in an immigrant's country of residence. We investigate this question using the National Latino and Asian American Study. We find that immigrants who had experienced civil war as unarmed civilians and were persecuted due to their political beliefs were less likely to acculturate to the host country. Participation in combat also tended to reduce acculturation but did not affect social trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document contains summaries of various articles related to economic studies. The first article analyzes the relationship between macroeconomic factors and financial development in transition countries. It finds that non-performing loans, natural resources, market liberalization, GDP per capita, inflation, and interest rates significantly impact financial development. The second article focuses on Bulgaria's fiscal policy in the context of the EU's green transition priorities. It examines the objectives of the EU Green Deal and explores the opportunities and risks of implementing green policies in Bulgaria. The third article discusses public debt dynamics in the Republic of Moldova and provides projections for future debt management practices. The fourth article analyzes the export potential and economic development of border regions in Kazakhstan. The fifth article investigates the impact of innovation on enterprise performance in transition countries, with a specific focus on Kosovo. The sixth article examines the relationship between government expenditure, unemployment, and poverty in Indonesia. The seventh article explores the changes in determinants of life satisfaction among people aged 50 and over before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The eighth article compares marketing research strategies employed by Kazakhstani higher education institutions and provides recommendations for enhancing marketing effectiveness. The ninth article assesses the significance of intellectual capital in retail trade through conjoint analysis. The final article examines the impact of refugee startups on host country economies and explores suitable business models and financing methods for sustaining these startups. [Extracted from the article]

The current global economic landscape is characterized by turbulence and crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and military conflicts, which have disrupted the development of innovative startups. In this context, it becomes essential to explore how refugee startups influence the economies of host countries and facilitate their adaptation to specific conditions. This article aims to examine the most suitable and optimal business models for such startups, the industries they predominantly operate in, their overall impact on economic growth, and the potential for cross-border collaboration among refugee entrepreneurs. Additionally, the article intends to analyze the relevance of existing financing models for startup sustainability and explore innovative methods and instruments that can effectively address the challenges faced by refugee startups. By investigating the alignment between financing models and the current economic state, this study provides valuable insights for fostering economic recovery and development in regions hosting refugee populations. In summary, this analysis offers insights into the impacts of refugee startups on host economies, focusing on their suitability and impact on economic growth, the relevance of financing models in sustaining these startups, and the potential for cross-border collaboration among refugee entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global firms involved in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) domain analyze the risks, benefits, and future market potential of various host countries for business development purposes. Further, appropriate entry modes and business strategies are developed to navigate the complex formal and informal institutions of the host country. Researchers have proposed comprehensive data-driven international construction risk management models to assist global AEC companies in undertaking such investment decisions. However, the reliability and accuracy of these risk assessment models depend on the credibility of the information utilized for analysis. This study presents existing theories describing how humans make credibility judgments and emphasizes the importance of establishing a systematic framework to evaluate the credibility of data sources. Through a literature review, this paper first defines information and source credibility from the perspective of international construction decisions. Second, this paper proposes a framework with (1) five criteria and 20 metrics for information credibility; and (2) three criteria and 18 metrics for source credibility. A survey questionnaire was conducted with construction executives to determine the relevancy and relative importance of the identified criteria and metrics. The implications of this study highlight the critical role of credibility in international construction risk assessment. Stakeholders involved in international construction projects can benefit from recognizing the significance of credible information sources and integrating them into their risk management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Cold War tensions rose, Soviet aid was offered to the nascent Somali government in pursuit of broader geopolitical machinations that were seen to supersede Somali interests, laying the groundwork for a decades-long mismatch between local intentions and Cold War superpower objectives in the Horn of Africa. Vast quantities of materiel and training were provided to Somalia from 1960 onwards, and by 1976 Somalia boasted a 22,000-man army and was the fourth most heavily armed nation in Sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to Soviet largesse. One year later, the Soviets were expelled and the assistance ceased, having left Somalia with an unsustainable, corrupt, and repressive security structure as a direct result of high levels of foreign assistance that were not well coordinated with host nation sustainment capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo discute el fenómeno del retorno de migrantes venezolanos que huyeron debido a la crisis en su país. Examina si este retorno es significativo, quiénes están regresando y en qué condiciones. Aunque el número exacto es incierto, se estima que alrededor de 300,000 venezolanos han regresado desde 2020 debido a la vulnerabilidad y dificultades en los países de acogida.

Economic growth is deemed to be a conducive factor in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) as it often confers location advantage to host countries and fosters business confidence. This paper examines the short-run and the long-run effects of economic growth on FDI inflows. The empirical analysis is conducted through the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) System estimator for dynamic panel models. The main results show significant positive effects of economic growth on FDI inflows, and they indicate that the magnitudes of these effects are statistically comparable over time and do not diminish with higher economic growth levels. They also reveal important variations in the magnitude of these effects across geo-economic regions and over pertinent economic variables such as economic development level, international trade and foreign investment openness, and endowment in natural resources. These findings underscore the significance of developing growth-enhancing policies that are designed on the basis of the economic and geo-economic characteristics of host countries. Such policies could be coupled with international trade and foreign investment openness directions to stimulate stronger responses of FDI inflows to economic growth and mitigate the implications of unfavorable global and regional political conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating refugees' transitions to host country society is of interest to their host countries and municipalities, employers within those countries, and the refugees themselves. We develop and test a model of how social identity processes, as outlined in selfcategorization theory, influence how perceiving that one is treated as an insider encourages behaviors reflecting social engagement with host country nationals, both within and outside of work. In a sample of 389 Syrian refugee employees in 88 supervisory units, perceived insider status was indirectly related to work initiative and community embeddedness through organizational identification. These indirect effects were moderated by diversity climate and perceived stigmatization of refugees in the broader society. Perceived insider status had its weakest effect on identification, and was not related indirectly to the outcomes when diversity climate was lower and perceived stigma was higher. We discuss the implications for theory development and practice concerning how social identity salience can inhibit personal affirmations at work from encouraging members of marginalized groups to demonstrate a deeper commitment to the organization and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation uses critical discourse analysis to compare how international media entities portrayed Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. The aim of the study was to understand how the specific characteristics of each event impact the media discourse and influence the portrayal of the host country. In this sense, the research concluded that the popular appeal of the event and the historical relation of the country with the sport have a profound impact on the type of coverage. Also, historical aspects and the diversity of athletes in the Summer Olympics contributed to a coverage more focused on the social issues of the host country. In the Brazilian case, this resulted in a more positive view of the country from the FIFA World Cup than the Summer Olympics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Tikrit University for Humanities is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the ever-increasing global temperatures, the long-term climate change trend has become an essential part of global investor strategies. Before dealing with the reduction of international direct investment caused by climate change, governments and enterprises should clarify the causal relationship between temperature change and international direct investment, as well as the impact mechanism. This paper empirically examines the impact of host country temperature changes on the probability and scale of international direct investment inflows using data on Chinese enterprises' foreign direct investment and the temperature of each host country from 2009 to 2019. The results show that a 1% increase in host country temperature decreases the probability of Chinese firms' FDI inflows by 5.92% and reduces the size of FDI by 2.60%. The host country's temperature change has a cumulative effect on inhibiting Chinese enterprises' direct investment. The mechanism analysis shows that high temperatures increase the number of meteorological disasters, causing economic losses and reducing economic growth rates, which in turn inhibit direct investment from China. The negative effect of host country temperature change on firms' location choice for international investment is more significant in manufacturing, non-state, and low R&D investment firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration processes entail a change in the conditions of the existence of its protagonists as they integrate into a new life, where work is of paramount importance. For this reason, it is interesting to know the working conditions of immigrants when they settle in the new host country, as it is up to the latter to design policies that strengthen their integration, with decent work being relevant, as it has an impact on the well-being of these people, as set out in the great challenge of the Global Compact. Thus, a study was conducted on the working conditions of Venezuelan immigrants settled in the border cities of Cúcuta, Los Patios, and La Parada (Colombia) using a quantitative methodology through a multidimensional analysis of the factors related to their occupation, projecting a perceptual map with similarities and differences that show the characteristics of their current working conditions. These findings made it possible to determine that the current working conditions do not correspond to decent work, which requires the design of proposals by those who manage the governance of migration that favour labour insertion and the achievement of the sustainable development objective of decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, foreign military bases have been an integral part of international politics. The presence of foreign military forces in host nations can serve strategic and economic interests, but it can also raise legal, ethical, and political difficulties, especially with regard to sovereignty. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology this article investigates the political consequences of foreign military bases in Africa, concentrating on the conflict between protecting interests and eroding sovereignty. The findings emphasizes the significance for careful assessment of the political ramifications of foreign military bases in Africa as well as the benefits such facilities can offer to host nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of overseas ethnic Chinese networks on China's outward foreign direct investment using panel data from 2007 to 2018. The empirical results show that: first, overseas ethnic Chinese networks can promote outward foreign direct investment from China. Second, this influence is achieved through cultural identity. In addition, considering the heterogeneity of the business environment in host countries, we find that this transmission path is clearer in host countries with unhealthy business environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases is of increasing concern worldwide. To decrease the risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases to public health, understanding the mechanisms of their current distribution and future expansion is needed. Although tick distribution has been studied globally on continents and large islands that are inhabited by large mammals, less attention has been paid to remote islands. However, small islands are often important stopover sites for migratory birds that may contribute to long-distance dispersal of ticks. Therefore, islands would be a suitable system to rule out potential effects of mammals and to evaluate the contribution of birds to the expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases. We collected questing ticks by dragging cloths over vegetation on Tobishima Island, northern Japan, in summer 2021, and conducted a literature search of the distribution and avian hosts of hard tick. We found several southern species of ticks (Haemaphysalis hystricis, H. formosensis, H. cornigera, Amblyomma testudinarium, and Dermacentor bellulus) on the island. These species have rarely or never been reported from the mainland of Japan at similar latitudes or higher, where large mammals are found. They are known vectors of tick-borne diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. The present study suggests that migratory birds may contribute to the expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases, and a remote island may function as a front line and/or a hub for their expansion. Evaluating tick fauna on remote islands used by migratory birds might be useful to monitor the expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the validation of modeled total electron content (TEC) from 14 ionospheric models, including empirical, physics‐based, and data assimilation (DA) models, hosted by the NASA/NSF Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This study aims to assess the current progress and capability of the CCMC‐hosted ionospheric models in capturing the storm time ionosphere during the low and moderate solar flux years. We focus on the low‐latitude ionosphere (i.e., ±40° in magnetic latitude) and compare the modeled TEC with the Madrigal TEC during the 2013 March and 2021 November storms. Multiple metrics are used to quantitatively assess the models' accuracy, precision, association, bias, and capability in capturing the TEC changes in response to the storms. The skill score based on the metric scores is further proposed to evaluate the overall performance of ionospheric models against the reference model (International Reference Ionosphere 2016; IRI‐2016). The results indicate that the DA model GLObal Total Electron Content and JPL Global Ionospheric Map models show good performance in modeling the TEC and reasonably reflect the storm time TEC changes spatially and temporally. The empirical models IRI‐2016 and 2020 show relatively good performance compared with the physics‐based models regarding the model‐data comparison; however, it is difficult to characterize the TEC changes caused by storms. The physics‐based models can simulate the storm effect in spatial and temporal TEC variations better than the empirical model. The performance of ionospheric models in capturing the storm time TEC anomaly is presented and discussed. Plain Language Summary: The Earth's ionosphere is highly variable due to atmospheric variations and solar activity. Forecasting the ionosphere is of particular importance because the ionosphere significantly impacts our daily lives. Scientists have developed multiple numerical models, such as empirical, physics‐based, data‐assimilation, and machine learning models, to improve our capability in capturing space weather and understanding the underlying physics responsible for ionospheric variability. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) hosts an extensive suite of state‐of‐the‐art ionospheric models, providing the community access to these modern models to support space weather and space physics research. CCMC also acts as an unbiased evaluator to validate models for eventual use in space weather forecasting. This paper aims to validate the performance of recently onboarded CCMC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory ionospheric models during the geomagnetic storms, providing a baseline for users and modelers to understand the recent progress of ionosphere models. Key Points: Validation of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) by the state‐of‐the‐art ionospheric models hosted by NASA Community Coordinated Modeling Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)Multiple metrics and skill scores are used to assess the performance of ionospheric models in capturing storm time TEC anomalyGLObal Total Electron Content and JPL Global Ionospheric Map perform best, and physics‐based models perform better than the empirical model in capturing storm TEC variations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to examine the differences in the environmental sustainability approaches of global businesses in the country of origin and host country through the example of Ford Automotive. In this direction, "does environmental sustainability reporting differ in the country of origin and host country? If a difference is detected, what is the source of this difference? Is there a theoretical approach that explains this situation from environmental sustainability theories?" are the focus points of the study. The qualitative research method is adopted in the study, and the environmental sustainability reports of the US-based Ford Automotive company in two countries, hosted by Turkey, are subjected to content analysis. GRI index environmental categories and Treadmill Production Theory environmental categories constitute the two stages of the analysis. The findings show that the host country is more dominant in the environmental compliance category and weaker in the country of origin. However, it is found that the supplier environmental assessment category is structured in detail in the country of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FDI inflows remain an important source of economic growth and technology transfer for developing countries. However, the proponents of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) argue that FDI inflows may result in the production of polluted goods in poor economies. The empirical testing of PHH reveals conflicting outcomes on the subject. This study argues that foreign firms' choice of specific technologies and hence the validity of PHH can be determined by host countries' level of education. For developing economies having low levels of schooling, FDI inflows will accompany polluted technologies. Nonetheless, when education levels exceed certain thresholds, FDI inflows may reduce CO2 emissions. For our empirical investigation, we rely upon a large panel of 108 developing countries during 2000–2016. Our estimated outcomes, based on the panel cointegration method and panel vector error correction methods (P-VECM), confirm these moderating effects of human capital in the FDI–CO2 emissions nexus. The empirical results also confirm the presence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for developing countries. These results have important policy implications for the sample economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of India has undertaken various policy initiatives for the growth of telecom sector in the country such as regulatory liberalisation, structural reforms and gradually raising the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit to 100%. Due to these policies adopted by India since 1991, the Indian telecom sector has made tremendous progress and FDI has been one of the main drivers of the continuous growth in the sector. FDI is a good policy instrument in the hands of governments of developing countries to remove the financial constraints and improve the supply of telecom services in their countries. The present study has examined the role of FDI in the growth of the Indian telecom sector in terms of telecom sector revenue, internet access and subscriber base over the period 1991-2018, by applying the cointegration technique-Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag approach and Toda-Yamamoto method of Granger Non-causality test. The empirical findings reveal that FDI inflows do not impact the telecom sector revenue, internet access and subscriber base in the country both in the shortrun and in the long-run, thereby, playing a submissive role in the growth of the sector. However, while making investment in the Indian telecom sector, the foreign investors take into consideration the telecom sector revenue and internet access available in the country because growth in revenue generates more profits for foreign firms and an expansion in internet access facilitates them to do business in a host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: Research suggests that multinational enterprises (MNEs) are attracted to locations with concentrated firms from the same home country to benefit from interactions with market forces, but it remains an open question whether such agglomeration facilitates MNEs' interactions with nonmarket actors such as the host government. We submit that since country‐of‐origin agglomeration can enable collective actions and create collective gains, colocation with compatriot firms will help MNEs navigate an adverse institutional environment. In line with this reasoning, we hypothesize that MNEs are more attracted to locations with country‐of‐origin agglomeration when MNEs face an exogenous shock that increases their regulatory burden in the host country. Our analysis offers corroborative evidence. The study adds to research on agglomeration, institutional environment, and location strategy. Managerial Summary: Why do multinational enterprises (MNEs) locate near compatriot firms in a foreign location? The commonly recognized benefits include resource access and knowledge spillover from interactions with market forces such as suppliers and customers. We submit that colocation with compatriot firms can also help MNEs navigate an adverse institutional environment by generating "stronger‐together" benefits. Colocation can enable collective actions and create collective gains for MNEs in their interactions with the host government. We find that after a diplomatic dispute, Korean MNEs are more attracted to locations in China that already have a cluster of Korean firms, whether in the same/related industries or in unrelated industries; this is particularly the case for small MNEs and in locations with weak institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, the Arab Gulf has witnessed tremendous socioeconomic and structural transformation coupled with major reforms to modernize the higher education sector. These reforms have focused on establishing partnerships with foreign universities and/or hosting international branch campuses to promote diverse, liberal, and high-quality educational programs. While these far-reaching reforms have undeniably led to a dramatic increase in the number of academic institutions (Baghdady 2017), these institutions have mostly reproduced traditional educational structures and paradigms, with little contribution to the advancement of more liberal and progressive ideas and/or areas of study, namely, gender and women's studies (GWS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest that home countries impose economic sanctions following host state expropriation of home firms. However, and not addressed in the empirical literature, is the possibility that sanctions lead targeted countries to nationalize firms from sender countries. Using bilateral expropriation data from 1985 to 2010, and controlling for endogeneity issues, we find that sanctions significantly increase expropriation risk, encouraging targeted states to inflict pain in a reciprocal manner on sender countries. Expropriations also enable targeted nations to acquire economic assets from foreign firms, undermining the restricting goals of sanctioning states, and provide opportunities for leaders to show political resolve at home by standing up to senders. Our results are robust using monadic or dyadic data and different statistical methods, indicating another sanction-busting strategy used by targeted countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using quarterly aggregate-level data on Japanese manufacturing affiliates in major host countries, this paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on global production by multinational corporations. Our findings can be summarized as follows: First, we found significantly negative impacts of COVID-19 on the performance of Japanese affiliates, especially sales in Q2 2020. Second, local sales, exports to Japan, and exports to third countries almost recovered in Q4 2020, implying the resilience of multinational production and global supply chains. Third, lockdown policies, in particular workplace closure orders for all-but-essential workplaces had significant negative effects on the sales and employment of Japanese affiliates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the myriad pathways by which antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs) spread across biomes is necessary to counteract the global menace of antimicrobial resistance. We screened 17939 assembled metagenomic samples covering 21 biomes, differing in sequencing quality and depth, unevenly across 46 countries, 6 continents, and 14 years (2005-2019) for clinically crucial ARGs, mobile colistin resistance (mcr), carbapenem resistance (CR), and (extended-spectrum) beta-lactamase (ESBL and BL) genes. These ARGs were most frequent in human gut, oral and skin biomes, followed by anthropogenic (wastewater, bioreactor, compost, food), and natural biomes (freshwater, marine, sediment). Mcr-9 was the most prevalent mcr gene, spatially and temporally; blaOXA-233 and blaTEM-1 were the most prevalent CR and BL/ESBL genes, but blaGES-2 and blaTEM-116 showed the widest distribution. Redundancy analysis and Bayesian analysis showed ARG distribution was non-random and best-explained by potential host genera and biomes, followed by collection year, anthropogenic factors and collection countries. Preferential ARG occurrence, and potential transmission, between characteristically similar biomes indicate strong ecological boundaries. Our results provide a high-resolution global map of ARG distribution and importantly, identify checkpoint biomes wherein interventions aimed at disrupting ARGs dissemination are likely to be most effective in reducing dissemination and in the long term, the ARG global burden. An extensive metagenomic analysis investigates the global distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes over different biomes, which are primarily influenced by host genera and environment rather than geographic or anthropogenic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, changes in the climate and in land cover are the most prominent factors affecting the distribution of flora and fauna, including butterflies. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the impact of climate and land cover changes on the potential habitat of the endangered butterfly Leptalina unicolor and its principal host, Miscanthus sinensis, in South Korea. We developed a species distribution model using the maximum entropy modeling approach and evaluated the current and future potential distributions of both species. Currently, the potential habitat of L. unicolor is predicted to be located along the Baekdudaegan mountain range and some isolated patches of its western and southern regions, covering an area of approximately 16,865 km2. However, due to future climate change, its potential habitat would decrease on a large scale (by up to 80.39%), thus limiting its existence to the northeastern region. On the other hand, the host plant (M. sinensis) was estimated to live in all parts of the country under both current and future climate conditions, covering up to 50.45% of the country. Our results showed that future climate and land cover changes will critically reduce the habitat of L. unicolor and limit its existence to relatively cold areas. This study suggests that, in addition to the host habitat, climate and land cover changes also play important roles in the future distribution of L. unicolor. This study predicted the current and future potential habitats of L. unicolor and M. sinensis to help develop management policies for the conservation of this endangered butterfly in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how the institution of the host countries affects the natural resource-seeking and strategic asset-seeking motives of the Chinese outward foreign direct investment. Using the system GMM estimation method and data of the Chinese outward foreign direct investment during the period from 2003 to 2020, the study shows that the search for strategic assets by the Chinese outward foreign direct investment is directed toward the host countries with well-established institutions, while the search for natural resources is driven by poor institutions of the host countries. Findings from this study provide empirical evidence for policymakers to formulate appropriate foreign investment policies given the dynamics of Chinese foreign direct investment worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international expansion of higher education has intensified in recent decades with a rapidly growing number of international branch campuses appearing on the scene. This study investigates the economic, cultural and institutional, and educational determinants of transnational higher education on both the extensive margin (number of international branch campuses), and the intensive margin (the total number of educational programmes offered). Using the gravity equation, we applied fixed-effect empirical methods to a panel dataset that combined and extended the raw data from campuses and master's programmes in 33 source countries and 76 host countries in the period from 1948 to 2016. Estimates reveal that although cultural, economic and institutional ties foster cross-border educational relationships, their effect differs significantly from one margin to another. The study highlights the relevance of globalisation, research activities, and aggregate demand in international higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The positive legacy of the Olympics is often cited by the International Olympic Committee and national organizers. Some scholars, however, question an uncritical approach to an exclusively positive economic legacy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of hosting the Olympics on infrastructure development, with a potential impact on economic growth in the form of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in three phases of seven Olympic Games organised in Europe in recent years. Material and methods. The effect of a particular Olympic period on the GDP was analysed using a difference-in-difference technique in which the difference between each of the analysed seven host countries' GDPs and those of a reference set of countries was obtained. Each time, as part of the observation, an event time period was distinguished covering all three phases of the event: the preparatory phase, the event phase and the post-event phase. Results. For the Winter Olympic Games, no statistically significant positive results are observed in the long term, which may indicate a very limited importance of the economic legacy of these events for potential host countries. In the case of Summer Olympic Games, the positive impact of the organization of these events in the post-event phase is noticeable Conclusions. The obtained results confirm the ambiguous impact of Olympic Games on the hosts' economies and are in line with the attitude of many scholars to an uncritical approach to the only positive legacy of these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing on the institutional theory and organizational learning literature, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between prior acquisition experience and the duration of the deal completion stage in cross-border acquisitions and the impacts of the quality of business institutions in the host country and the institutional distance between home and host countries on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses the sixth wave of mergers and acquisitions, the first truly global wave that covered a wide range of institutional settings, to test the hypotheses. Using a panel data regression method, it analyzes 8,175 cross-border acquisitions from 2003 to 2009, conducted by acquirers from 47 advanced and emerging economies in 56 advanced and emerging economies. Findings: This study finds that host-country acquisition experience has more impact on shortening deal completion duration. Home-country acquisition experience is more effective in host countries with less developed business institutions than in those with more developed ones. The results of this study show that the quality of business institutions in the host country and the institutional distance between the home and host countries amplify or attenuate the effect of past acquisition experiences, depending on their origin and the quality of business institutions and institutional distance of where they are used. Originality/value: The growing popularity of cross-border acquisitions among emerging country acquirers calls for a systemic study of the cross-border acquisition process. One of the critical and less understood stages in this process is the deal completion stage. This study examines how the institutional environments in the home and host countries impact the effectiveness of past acquisition experiences on shortening this stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the Belt and Road initiative, the cooperative network between Chinese firms and participating countries has evolved rapidly to seek new markets for foreign investment. Foreign investment is one of the most effective ways of improving environmental energy efficiency through technology spillover. Therefore, first, this article applies the foreign direct investment theory with an interactive effect of institutional difference on energy efficiency. We employed the meta-frontier super-slacks-based measure approach to find the sampled countries' environmental energy efficiency. We also divided the study sample into six regions to consider group heterogeneity and the variation in energy efficiency performance in various Belt and Road regions. For the empirical investigation, we applied the generalized method of moments approach. The impact of China's outward foreign direct investment on energy efficiency is positive in the full sample. Nevertheless, the region-wise study found mixed results regarding China's outward foreign direct investment to promote energy efficiency and the Belt and Road region. In addition, the study further infers that institutional distance can be the greater impediment to promoting host countries' efficient energy-based investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change affects parasitic plants and their hosts on distributions. However, little is known about how parasites and their hosts shift in distribution, and niche overlap in response to global change remains unclear to date. Here, the potential distribution and habitat suitability of four endangered holoparasites and their primary hosts in northern China were predicted using MaxEnt based on occurrence records and bioclimatic variables. The results indicated that (1) Temperature annual range (Bio7) and Precipitation of driest quarter (Bio17) were identified as the common key climatic factors influencing distribution (percentage contribution > 10%) for Cynomorium songaricum vs. Nitraria sibirica (i.e., parasite vs. host); Temperature seasonality (Bio4) and Precipitation of driest month (Bio14) for Boschniakia rossica vs. Alnus mandshurica; Bio4 for Cistanche deserticola vs. Haloxylon ammodendron; Precipitation of warmest quarter (Bio18) for Cistanche mongolica vs. Tamarix ramosissima. Accordingly, different parasite-host pairs share to varying degree the common climatic factors. (2) Currently, these holoparasites had small suitable habitats (i.e., moderately and highly) (0.97–3.77%), with few highly suitable habitats (0.19– 0.81%). Under future scenarios, their suitable habitats would change to some extent; their distribution shifts fell into two categories: growing type (Boschniakia rossica and Cistanche mongolica) and fluctuating type (Cynomorium songaricum and Cistanche deserticola). In contrast, the hosts’ current suitable habitats (1.42–13.43%) varied greatly, with highly restricted suitable habitats (0.18–1.00%). Under future scenarios, their suitable habitats presented different trends: growing type (Nitraria sibirica), declining type (Haloxylon ammodendron) and fluctuating type (the other hosts). (3) The niche overlaps between parasites and hosts differed significantly in the future, which can be grouped into two categories: growing type (Boschniakia rossica vs. Alnus mandshurica, Cistanche mongolica vs. Tamarix ramosissima), and fluctuating type (the others). Such niche overlap asynchronies may result in severe spatial limitations of parasites under future climate conditions. Our findings indicate that climate factors restricting parasites and hosts’ distributions, niche overlaps between them, together with parasitic species identity, may jointly influence the suitable habitats of parasitic plants. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the threatened holoparasites themselves in conjunction with their suitable habitats and the parasite-host association when developing conservation planning in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Indeed, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) plays an increasingly important role in global economic and climate change mitigation. However, scientists have insufficient attention to the issues related to the elements that contribute to justifying these impacts and bolstering its response in BRI nations. Accordingly, the existent study executed an in-depth examination of the spatial direct and spillover effects of foreign direct investment inflows (FDI) and biomass energy consumption (BEC) on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for 57 BRI countries (1992–2012). We applied the spatial lag model (SLM), the spatial error model (SEM), and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) with five different weights matrices to verify the existence of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH), the pollution halo hypothesis (P-HH), and the N-shaped environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). We linked the study results with the implementation level of the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings of local Moran's I (LMI) and Lagrange Multiplier (LM) tests confirm the existence of spatial autocorrelation (SAR). The empirical results revealed that FDI has a positive direct and spillover influence on GHG emissions, which supports the presence of PHH. Also, the nexus between economic growth and GHG emission is an N-shaped curve. The results revered that BEC has a negative sign for direct and spillover effects. In contrast to BEC, Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption (FFEC) and population positively sign for direct and indirect impact. Some policy proposals and future research directions are discussed for BRI countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global staffing is a crucial factor for the success of the overseas operations of multinational corporations (MNCs). This study examines the contextual and organisational factors that affect the localisation of subsidiary staffing in the overseas operations of Japanese multinational companies. Using panel data containing more than 15 000 observations of Japanese overseas subsidiaries and a random‐effects logit model, we found that the cultural distance between the home country and the host country has a significant impact on the localisation of subsidiary staffing. In addition, the strategic importance of subsidiaries, as well as the local market orientation and business experiences in the host country, but not research and development (R&D) intensity of Japanese parent firms, have a significant impact on the localisation of foreign subsidiary staffing. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese state firms are expected not only to profit but also to serve state interests. But the Chinese state is fragmented: border provinces are taking on an expanded role in China's global expansion and a broad range of firm activities could be defined as patriotic contributions. Through the case of Yunnan State Farms (YSF), a province-level state-owned enterprise, this article explores how state firms interpret and navigate multiple state interests while also pursuing profit. The firm's ability to profit depends on balancing the demands and support of different Chinese state actors while depicting itself as a development partner to the Lao state and a contributor to Sino-Lao diplomatic relations and border region stability. This case thus shows that, instead of YSF's behaviour being directed by the state, the firm exercises considerable latitude in defining its contributions to state interests through the expansion of rubber production as a driver of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Churchill Show is a weekly live and recorded comedy show, originally staged at the Carnivore Grounds in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and later hosted in various parts of the country. The live recordings were disseminated on Kenya's NTV television network and published on YouTube by Laugh Industry Limited and NTV Kenya. The Churchill Show's theme song includes a reference to bringing Kenyans back together, and the so-called ethnic jokes in the show are presented as a celebration of Kenyan multiculturalism and as a counter to what is popularly known as negative ethnicity. I show in this article that these negative ethnic narratives are situated in colonial and postcolonial archives such as harambee, nyayo philosophy, patriotism and tujenge Kenya ideologies that have been imposed on citizens, as a way of shifting the burden of nation-building onto ordinary Kenyans. I use selected stand-up comedians' performances that were uploaded on YouTube and TV interviews to explain the prominence of the show in the country, how the humour in the show borrows from historical archives of the country, and how the ethnic-themed humour inadvertently re-constructs negative stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Changzhou University (Social Science Edition) is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Changzhou University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

When do multinationals show resilience during natural disasters? To answer this, we develop a simple model in which foreign multinationals and local firms in the host country are interacted through input-output linkages. When natural disasters seriously hit local firms and thus increase the cost of sourcing local intermediate inputs, most multinationals may leave the host country. However, they are likely to stay if they are tightly linked with local suppliers and face low trade costs of importing foreign intermediates. We further provide a number of extensions of the basic model to incorporate, for example, multinationals with heterogeneous productivity and disaster reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil's decade of mega sporting events, which ended in 2016, presented a series of unexpected difficulties. The country hosted the events with the goal of changing its international status. This article aims to identify the effects of the Olympic Games of Rio de Janeiro on Brazil's international image through an analysis of articles that were published during the event in nine international media vehicles. Methodologically, this article makes use of media framing to develop five categories: Political and Economic Situation, Unequal Brazil, Culture and Tourism, Event Organization and Urban improvements, and Mediatic Pleonasm or Lochte Affair. It can be concluded that during the Olympic Games, while the news coverage centred around the host city, the scope of reports was limited and themes were replicated across newspapers, and the domestic situation influenced the media source's depiction of the host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Her description of Japanese firms' strategies is based on more than 150 interviews with businesspeople in Japan and five cities in China conducted from 2009 to 2016 and copious additional materials. Automotive manufacturers and other large firms clearly suffered losses during the crises but opted not to leave China because of the risk tolerance they had developed through their experiences with trade friction between Japan and the USA. Business organizations in China promote localization, but the firms themselves do not actively try to resolve problems. [Extracted from the article]