1、Challenges in Strategy and Organization Theory Research Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/161Macro organizational research Strategy and OT: Boundaries are blurred The big question: What determines the success and failure of firms around the world? (Peng, 2004, JIBS) My experience and advice:
2、Be programmatic in your research Of course, you will learn from and collaborate with your advisor as a PhD student But you dont want to do your advisors research Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/162Guidelines on topic selection (R. Tung, 2005, Asia Pacific Journal of Management) What are the
3、 significant and important trends that have broad implications for theory and practice in the future? Is the topic sustainable over an extended period of time and not just a fad? Will the topic be broad enough to generate interest among a sufficiently large group of researchers? How much research at
4、tention has the topic received so far? What is my competitive advantage in this area? Am I truly passionate and excited about the topic? Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/163A papers success is substantially determined at the outset (S. Rynes, 2006, IACMR talk) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Pe
5、ng 2021/5/164Research Formulation Minimum standards: “Thats interesting!” 4 - 6 smart people test Maximum goals: “Ill never think about the issue the same way again!” Publication becomes a ritual citation (e.g., Barney, Child, Jensen, Hofstede, Porter, Williamson . . . cite Peng & Heath 96 for China
6、/emerging econ research and Lyles & Salk 96 for IJV learning) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/165A programmatic research strategy Emerging markets strategiesExport strategies (dissertation)Conceptual:Peng & Heath (1996 AMR)Peng & Ilinitch (1998 JIBS)Peng (2003 AMR)Peng, Lee, & Wang (2005 AM
7、R)Trabold (2002 JIBS) A test of Meyer & Peng (2005 JIBS) Peng & IlinitchLee, Peng, & Barney (2007 AMR)Peng, Wang, & Jiang (2008 JIBS) Qualitative:Peng (1997 OS)Peng, Hill, & Wang (2000 JMS)Quantitative:Luo & Peng (1999 JIBS)Peng & York (2001 JIBS)Peng & Luo (2000 AMJ)Tan & Peng (2003 SMJ) Peng, Zhou
8、, & York (2006 JWB)Peng (2004 SMJ) - A replication of TraboldTong, Reuer, & Peng (2007 AMJ)Peng, Zhang, & Li (2007 MOR)Research book:Peng (2000 Sage)Peng (1998 Quorum)Practitioner:Peng (1997 CBR; 2001 AME; 2006 HBR)Special issue:Wright, Filatotchev, Hoskisson,Source M. W. Peng, 2005, & Peng (2005 JM
9、S)From China strategy to global Textbook: 2006: Global Strategy strategy, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 22(2): 123-141 Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/166Strategies in emerging economies20-15 Figure 20.6Organiza-tional slack (Tan & Peng 2003 SMJ) Firm growth & social networks(Peng & L
10、uo 2000 AMJ)Organiza-tionallearning (Luo & Peng 1999 JIBS)Strategic groups(Peng, Tan, & Tong 2004JMS)THEORY PAPERS: The growth of the firm (Peng & Heath 1996 AMR)Institutional transitions and strategic choices (Peng 2003 AMR)An institution-based view of IB strategy (Peng et al. 2008 JIBS) Corporateg
11、overnance(Peng 2004SMJ) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/167Geographic & substantive diversification20-15 Figure 20.6Keiretsu networksJapan(Peng et al. 2001 JIM)InterlocksHong Kong(Au et al. 2000 APJM)Interna-tionalizationThailand (Peng et al. 2001 APJM)Chaebol diversificationSouth Korea(Lee
12、 et al. 2008 JWB)THEORY PAPERS: Strategy research in emerging economies (Wright et al. 2005 JMS) The scope of the firm over time (Peng, Lee, & Wang 2005 AMR)Research in Central and Eastern Europe (Meyer & Peng 2005 JIBS)Bankruptcy laws and entrepreneurship (Lee, Peng, & Barney 2007 AMR)Corporategove
13、rnanceRussia(Peng et al.2003 JWB) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/168FROM CHINA STRATEGY TO GLOBAL STRATEGYM. W. Peng (2005)Asia Pacific Journal ofManagement (vol. 22: 123-141) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/169Frontiers of strategy/OT research The relationship over time and aroun
14、d the world Stay away from simple linear relationship Strategic choices during institutional transitions Example of a recent stream What determines the scope of the firm over time? (Peng, Lee, & Wang, 2005 AMR) What determines the scope of the firm over time and around the world? An Asia Pacific per
15、spective (Peng & Delios, 2006 APJM) From diversification premium to diversification discount during institutional transitions (Lee, Peng, & Lee, 2008 JWB) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1610China/Asia researchers need more self-confidence Self-confidence: Meyer (2006 APJM) Debate in APJM (
16、2007/4, 25th anniversary) Au, Yang & Terjesen, Puffer & McCarthy Ramaswamy Meyer (rejoinder, 2007) Manifestations Topic selection Measurements “A journal” designation Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1611Data issues Qualitative: Peng (1997 OS) Quantitative/survey: Luo & Peng (1999 JIBS); Pen
17、g & Luo (2000 AMJ); Peng, Buck, & Filatotchev (2003 JWB); Peng, Tan, & Tong (2004 JMS) Quantitative/archival: Peng (2004 SMJ assigned); Peng, Zhang, & Li (2007 MOR); Tong, Reuer, & Peng (2007 AMJ) Combining survey and archival sources: Tan & Peng (2003 SMJ assigned) No data are perfect, all can be c
18、hallenged by reviewersyou need to defend your data Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1612Publishing research is difficult for almost everyone. (S. Rynes, 2006, IACMR talk) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1613Mikes 1-slide checklist Shorten your title (its not an abstract!) Do you rea
19、lly need your subtitle? Finish the Introduction section in 2 pages Make sure to raise questions (using ?) in Intro Start your Methods no later than p 15 NO new ideas and cites in Findings (just your findings) Make sure you use the word CONTRIBUTIONS Have a 1-para Conclusion (Dont end with Limitation
20、s) The shorter your paper, the better! Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1614Research implementation A well-crafted article Tells a good story: Beginning, middle, and end Draws the reader into the plot Shows a picture (worth 1,000 words?) Standard format, although boring, simplifies our task
21、(and life!) Qualitative studies may appear to be relatively easier to conduct, but are a lot harder to write Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1615The beginning (I) Shorten your title: Easy to remember (and cite!) Peng and Heath (1996 AMR): The growth of the firm in planned economies in trans
22、itions: Organizations, institutions, and strategic choices (15 words) Peng (2003 AMR): Institutional transitions and strategic choices (5 words) Raise questions, preferably in the 1st sentence Peng (2003 AMR): How do organizations make strategic choices during the time of fundamental and comprehensi
23、ve institutional transitions? Peng (2004 SMJ): Do outside directors on corporate boards make a difference in firm performance? Raise a question in the title Peng, Lee, & Wang (2005 AMR): What determines the scope of the firm over time? A focus on institutional relatedness Strategy/OT research Mike W
24、. Peng 2021/5/1616The beginning (II) Set forth the plot line “This paper is about ” “This topic is important because ” Draw the reader to think your way “According to institutional theory ” Finish the Introduction section in 2 pages Reviewers are impatient: “Please be explicit!” Dont waste precious
25、space on “Section 2 is about , section 3 is about ”nobody reads that Use the last paragraph in your Intro to say: “This article departs from (or contributes to) the literature in three ways. One two three ” Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1617The middle (I) Literature review Short, focused
26、- no need to cite 1,000 articles Your focus: Puzzles? Contradictions? Gaps? Methodology Bear in mind of replication needs by others Full disclosure of imperfect approach is better than no disclosure Place the most technical (boring) stuff to the appendix Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1618
27、The middle (II) Results Only talk about results No new cites or ideas please Be explicit: Were hypotheses supported or not? Interpret; dont just repeat the tables “Shown in Table 1, X is significant.” “Shown in Table 1, X is significant, thus supporting our H1.” Good idea to have a summary table for
28、 results Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1619The end Discussion State your contributions explicitly “Three contributions emerge. First Second Third ” Dont say “weaknesses;” say “limitations and future research directions” Conclusion So what? How does the world look different now? No more th
29、an one paragraph: Tie everything together “Learning does lead to higher performancealbeit not necessarily in a linear fashion” (Luo & Peng 99 JIBS) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1620The reviewers perspective (I) I have served on the editorial boards of AMJ, AMR, JIBS, and SMJ, and guest e
30、dited a JMS Special Issue Editor-in-Chief of Asia Pacific Journal of Management Is the story interesting? Avoid “dead end” topics Is the theory sound? Topic- or data-driven versus theory-driven research Building on previous theory? Overlooking major aspects of previous work (such as my work)? Citing
31、 authors (such as the reviewer!) correctly? Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1621The reviewers perspective (II) Is the method reasonable? Does it match your research objectives? Does operationalization reasonably reflect the conceptual essence of your constructs? Are you trying to hide somet
32、hing? Is the writing good? Logical flow of macro-structure Consistent words throughout the paper (e.g., dont mix up “org. culture” and “climate”) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1622The authors tactics Anticipate the reviewers concerns Anticipate who your reviewers might be Very hard; can n
33、ever be proven Your references provide a clue (for editors) Meet journal styles (asset-specificity investment) Tight editing (Have you tried research notes?) Avoid amateur styles: Be professional and cool “Our results are incredible (shocking) .” Offer to review for the journal Strategy/OT research
34、Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1623Surviving the review process Thick skin is required: Everybody gets rejections 90% rejection rates, my 40+ articles would have been submitted 400 times (baptism by fire?) Im now 3 times better than average, which means my submissions are still being killed 70% of the times! R
35、ealize reviewers and editors are rational At least in most cases: Everybody can have a bad day Our intellectual market for ideas is not perfect, but is rational, reasonable, and the best in the world Case study of Tong, Reuer, & Peng AMJ (2007) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1624Dealing wi
36、th reviewers Thoroughly address every point raised Including disagreements, dont hide them! What reviewers hate: #1: Done! #2: Done! #3: Yes they wont remember What reviewers appreciate: Point-by-pointReview #1 (completely retype or cut and paste)Our response #1 Review #2 Our response #2 Strategy/OT
37、 research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1625What I have found (I). The university is a subsidized writers club Or multiple, never-ending Olympic games. Have to care about major games Leverage your core competencies Ours is a socially constructed, virtual community around the world So what? Send your work to r
38、elevant people ASAP My global network is a source of my energy, replenishment, and inspiration (and citations!) Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1626What I have found (II) . Writing is just like cooking! We are all cooks. We cannot cook up data, but we can cook up presentable dishes in paper
39、 format Be creative: Dont be a slave to a certain style of cooking Avoid too many or too few ingredients (theories) Certain foods are no longer fresh or appealing if they are not cooked right away When is the best time to write? Right (write) now! The art of theoretical stir fry For more, see H. Bec
40、ker, Writing for Social Scientists /ChallengeSMOT0706/6/17/2007/ Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1627Useful referencesThe Elements of Style, Fourth Edition. Strunk, White, and Angell, 2000. Longman The Craft of Research. Booth, Colomb, and Williams, 1995. University of Chicago Press, Chicag
41、oBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anne Lamott, 1995. First Anchor BooksWriting for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. Howard S. Becker, 1986. University Of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style. By University of Chicago Press Staff, 200
42、3.Publishing in the Organizational Sciences. Cummings and Frost, 1995. Sage Publications. Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1628No need to go overwhat the top journals areDo think ofMANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION REVIEWandASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENTOfficial Journal of the Asia Academy of Management Strategy/OT research Mike W. Peng 2021/5/1629
