Purpose

Drawing upon the resource-based view this study aims to examine the connections between formal and informal business relationships and resource-bridging and adaptive capabilities within the context of foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Thailand. Based on prior literature emphasizing business network ties as sources of competitive advantage in emerging markets, this study extends the discourse by investigating the moderating effects of technological turbulence, power distance and assertiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative research approach, using data obtained from a self-administered survey conducted among 168 foreign subsidiaries spanning diverse industries in Thailand. The data were analyzed by using multiple-group structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Cultivating different types of business ties enables foreign subsidiaries to improve different types of capabilities. While interpersonal relationships (i.e. informal businessties) enable them to develop their abilities to combine various resources (i.e. resource-bridging capability), rigid contractual-based relationships (i.e. formal businessties) help them to be more adaptive (i.e. adaptive capability). These relationships are also contingent upon the levels of technological turbulence, host-country power distance and host-country assertiveness.

Originality/value

This research builds upon prior research on network ties and capability building by delineating the specific nature of capabilities. Contradicting to the previous findings, demonstrating a negative relationship between formal business ties and capabilities, this study found that each type of business tie enables foreign subsidiaries to enhance different types of capabilities under different circumstances. Moreover, this study adopts a lens of host-country national culture rather than home-country culture in investigating the moderating effects of power distance and assertiveness.

中文翻译：

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理清正式和非正式的业务关系以塑造外国子公司的能力

目的

本研究旨在借鉴基于资源的观点，探讨在泰国运营的跨国企业 (MNE) 外国子公司背景下正式和非正式业务关系以及资源桥接和适应能力之间的联系。基于先前强调商业网络联系作为新兴市场竞争优势来源的文献，本研究通过调查技术动荡、权力距离和自信的调节作用来扩展论述。

设计/方法论/途径

本研究采用定量研究方法，使用对泰国各行业 168 家外国子公司进行的自我管理调查获得的数据。通过使用多组结构方程模型分析数据来测试假设的关系。

发现

培育不同类型的业务联系可以使外国子公司提高不同类型的能力。人际关系（即非正式的商业关系）使他们能够发展整合各种资源的能力（即资源桥接能力），而严格的契约关系（即正式的商业关系）则帮助他们提高适应性（即适应能力）。这些关系还取决于技术动荡的程度、东道国的权力距离和东道国的自信。

原创性/价值

这项研究建立在先前关于网络联系和能力建设的研究的基础上，通过描述能力的具体性质。与之前的研究结果相反，本研究证明正式业务关系与能力之间存在负相关关系，但本研究发现每种类型的业务关系都使外国子公司能够在不同情况下增强不同类型的能力。此外，本研究采用东道国民族文化而非母国文化的视角来研究权力距离和自信的调节作用。