Upgrading competitive position through foreign direct investment: Understanding the role of managerial intentionality in domestic manufacturing firms

This research aims to understand the pivotal role of managerial intentionality in the process of competitive catch-up. Domestic firms catch up with global market leaders to survive and excel in global competition. The first step in a catch-up race is to develop the intent to acquire strategic assets that help close the gap with the leader. It is important to understand how this intent is formed in domestic firms and what consequences it has on firms’ strategies for acquiring strategic assets, especially through foreign direct investment. Using a quantitative longitudinal design and a comparative sample of Australian and Chinese firms, this research examines the mediating and moderating roles of managerial intents in competitive catch-up.