International Joint Venture Instability: A Critique of Previous Research, A Reconceptualization, and Directions for Future Research

Abstract

This paper conducts an in-depth critique of previous research on international joint venture instability by pointing out its major limitations: lack of clear conceptualizations and consistent operationalizations, lack of clarity in the relationship with performance, static focus on the eventual destination rather than developmental processes, and lack of managerial relevance. To overcome these deficiencies, we propose a significant reconceptualization in which instability is defined as a neutral, dynamic, process-based, and multifaceted phenomenon. Directions for future research are provided.