Table 2

Selected empirical studies on IJV dissolution with differentiation of termination outcomes

Termination modesExplanatory variablesTheoretical backgroundFocus of the studyEmpirical findings
Dussauge et al. (2000) Acquisition, dissolutionEndogenous (relatedness of IJV partners)RBV, TCEExamine the performance and duration of scale vs. link alliancesTechnically oriented link alliances are more likely to be acquired than scale alliances
Hennart (1998) Sell off vs. liquidationEndogenous and exogenous (ownership, length of experience, relatedness, establishment mode, parent firm size, industry growth)TCECompare the longevity of stakes in joint ventures vs. those in wholly owned subsidiaries while distinguishing between two types of exit (sell off vs. liquidation)Japanese firms more likely to terminate their stakes in U.S. joint ventures than in wholly owned subsidiaries
Hennart and Zeng (2002) Sell off vs. liquidationEndogenous and exogenous (Cultural distance, industry growth, change in the exchange rate)TCECompare the longevity of Japanese-American JVs vs. Japanese-Japanese JVsLongevity of Japanese-American JVs is shorter than that of Japanese-Japanese JVs for dissolutions that result from the sale of the venture to one of the partners, not for those due to liquidation or sale to a third party
Kogut (1988b) Acquisition (incl. acquisition by third parties, dissolution)Endogenous and exogenous (dominant control, size differences, industry concentration, partner's market access)TCE, strategic behavior, organizational ecologyExamine the termination rates of domestic vs. international joint venturesInstability peaks in year 5 and 6. The rates of termination through acquisition are more stable than the rates of termination through dissolution
Kogut (1991) Acquisition (acquisition and dissolution are contrasted in a post-hoc test)Exogenous (unexpected increase in the value of the IJV and the degree of concentration in an industry)Options logicExamine what factors increase the likelihood of acquisitions while differentiating acquisitions from dissolutionsUnexpected increases in the value of the venture and the degree of concentration in the industry affect the likelihood of acquisition
Mata and Portugal (2015) Closure, acquisitionEndogenous (whether Joint ventures were created from an already existing firm, initial equity share, change in equity share, use of knowledge assets, JV size)No explicit reference to a specific theoryExamine the effects of several factors on IJV closure and acquisitionsAcquisition is more likely if the firm previously owned the company, by the partner with large equity share and by the partner who increase its equity share. Closure is less likely for smaller IJVs, pre-existing JVs and knowledge intensive JVs
Park and Russo (1996) Acquisition, dissolutionEndogenous (JVs between direct competitors, Integrative JVs, JVs between firms with experience in interfirm collaboration, JVs whose partners have concurrent multiple linkages, the number of parties in the JV)TCEExamine the effects of several determinants of joint venture dissolutionA post-hoc test shows that dissolutions of joint ventures are linked to a different set of causal variables than acquisitions. The number of IJV partners does not influence the likelihood of acquisition, but the likelihood of dissolution
Reuer (2002) IJV buyout, selloffs (no inclusion of the possibility of continuing the IJVs)Endogenous and exogenous (Parent firm's commitment to the venture, relationship to the venture, financial resources, equity control over the IJV, cultural distance, political risk in the host country)Various theories, including the property rights approach and TCEExamine the antecedents of U.S. firms' IJV buyout and selloff decisionsIncreased likelihood of buyout if partner has financial resources, already has high levels of control, and the IJV operates in culture similar to the host country. Sell off more likely for exploratory, peripheral IJVs and if partners need to release and redeploy financial proceeds

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