Table 1
An overview of the selected empirical studies concerning subsidiary roles*
| Emphasis | S/D | Sample size | Analytical methods | Geographical coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andersson and Forsgren [2000] | Search for factors influencing a subsidiary’s status as a center of excellence, with special attention paid to external embeddedness. | S | 98 | Regression analysis | Foreign subsidiaries of Swedish MNEs |
| Benito et al. [2003] | Examination of the environmental factors’ importance in determining MNE subsidiaries’ roles, with special attention paid to deep integration schemes like in the EU. | S | 728 | Analysis of variance (ANOVA); regression analysis | Foreign subsidiaries located in Denmark, Norway, and Finland |
| Cantwell and Mudambi [2005] | Analysis of subsidiaries’ R& intensity, with special attention paid to MNE group-level and subsidiary-level characteristics as well as locational factors. | S | 225 | Regression analysis | Foreign subsidiaries located in the UK |
| Manolopoulos et al. [2005] | Analysis of the impact of specific subsidiary roles on the accessibility of technology in a peripheral country in terms of the foreign direct investment received. | S | 92 | Descriptive statistics; regression analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Greece |
| Tsai et al. [2006] | Examination of the relationships among the patterns of subsidiary strategic roles, organizational configurations, and business performance. | S | 142 | Factor analysis; cluster analysis; regression analysis | Foreign subsidiaries of Taiwanese MNEs |
| Dörrenbächer and Gammelgaard [2006] | Explanation of the foreign subsidiary role development in terms of changes in the market, product, and value-added scope, with special attention paid to subsidiary capabilities, host-country localization advantages, and strategies realized by human resources. | D | 13 | Case study analyses | Subsidiaries of German MNEs located in Hungary |
| Eckert and Rossmeissl [2007] | Examination of the influence of a subsidiary’s external environment, tasks, mode of ownership, and mode of market entry on the development of the subsidiary role. | D | 99 | Descriptive statistics; ANOVA | Foreign subsidiary located in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland |
| Boehe [2008] | Analysis of how different degrees of hierarchical control and incentive mechanisms in MNCs may influence subsidiary roles in product development, with special attention paid to subsidiaries’ market scope and innovative capabilities. | S | 146 | Regression analysis; cluster analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Brazil |
| Salgado [2011] | Analysis of a foreign subsidiary’s role evolution, with special attention paid to its barriers resulting from local and corporate characteristics. | D | 1 | Exploratory case study analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Mexico |
| Filippov and Duysters [2012] | Examination of foreign subsidiaries’ role evolution in the context of new EU member states, with special attention paid to the headquarters’ assignment and local environment dynamics. | D | 100 | Descriptive statistics; ANOVA | Foreign subsidiaries located in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland |
| Sass and Szalavetz [2013] | Examination of product, process, and functional upgrading of foreign subsidiaries induced by the global economic crisis. | D | 10 | Exploratory case study analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Hungary |
| Achcaoucaou et al. [2014] | Examination of changes in the R&D mandate of foreign subsidiaries in relation to internal and external embeddedness. | D | 4 | Exploratory case study analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Spain |
| Burger et al. [2018] | Examination of the impact of functional upgrading on foreign subsidiaries’ value capture. | D | 308 | Regression analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in East Germany, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania |
| Tippmann et al. [2018] | Examination of the simultaneous pursuit of competitive and cooperative behavior in subsidiary role development. | D | 12 | Exploratory case study analysis | Foreign subsidiary located in Ireland |
Table 2
Issues assigned to the latent concepts
| Subsidiary role | Subsidiary-related factors | Headquarters’ involvement | External environmental conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Areas of operations Advancement of operations (complexity and added value) Market served | Competitive potential Relations with local suppliers/portfolio of local suppliers Initiative | Autonomy level Support in terms of competitive potential development Appraisal of subsidiary aims’ fulfillment/recognition of actions | General macroeconomic conditions Competitive conditions |