Distance without direction: Restoring credibility to a much-loved construct

Srilata Zaheer, Margaret Spring Schomaker and Lilach Nachum
Additional contact information
Srilata Zaheer: University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, Minneapolis, USA
Margaret Spring Schomaker: Université Laval, Faculté des sciences de l’administration, Québec, Canada
Lilach Nachum: Baruch College, City University New York, New York, USA

Journal of International Business Studies, 2012, vol. 43, issue 1, 18-27

Abstract: In this commentary we build on Shenkar's (2001) award-winning critique of cultural distance, arguing that most distance constructs, in fact, suffer the same flaws because they oversimplify the relationship between countries, overlook their subjective and context-specific nature, and pay insufficient attention to the mechanisms through which distance operates. The idea of distance, however, has intrinsic value. Moreover, its considerable appeal and undeniable effectiveness have made it a well-entrenched construct. Therefore we see merit in redressing its weaknesses, and offer several suggestions for doing so. These include allowing for the influence of firm-level characteristics that either moderate the effects of distance or render distance – at least in part – subjective with varying consequences for different MNEs; maintaining directionality by distinguishing between distance and the tendency toward a particular characteristic and acknowledging asymmetry; and conceptualizing the effects of distance and the mechanisms through which it operates more carefully by drawing on concepts and measures from a variety of disciplines. By offering ways to strengthen both its theoretical foundations and measurement, we hope to enhance the usefulness of one of international business theory's most central constructs.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (165)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/journal/v43/n1/pdf/jibs201143a.pdf Link to full text PDF (application/pdf)
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/journal/v43/n1/full/jibs201143a.html Link to full text HTML (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:43:y:2012:i:1:p:18-27

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nt/journal/41267/PS2

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of International Business Studies is currently edited by John Cantwell

More articles in Journal of International Business Studies from Palgrave Macmillan, Academy of International Business
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().