The impact of diverse national values on strategic investment decision processes in the context of globalization

This study examines the effect of diverse national values on strategic investment decision (SID) making in the context of industry globalization. Whilst previous single country studies of strategic decision making have highlighted the effect of variables such as uncertainty, environmental stability, competition intensity and organizational position, we argue that diverse national values are also critical, albeit tempered by convergence pressures arising from globalization. Our incipient model, recognizing research from both these fields, is explored in closely matched automotive components businesses, one German, one American, one British and one Japanese. Transcripts of interviews focusing on recent SIDs were analysed against protocols generated from the alternative propositions. We found considerable diversity associated with differences in national values in respect to techniques, but also some points of convergence in respect to other process aspects driven by common industrial globalization pressures.