Realizing a hybrid competitive strategy and achieving superior financial performance while internationalizing in the high-technology market

Previous marketing research has called for enhanced understanding of the antecedents contributing to realization of a competitive strategy leading to superior performance. In particular, this research has been inconclusive about the conditions under which a multinational corporation (MNC) can realize a 'hybrid' competitive strategy. Our study examines the achievability and performance of a hybrid strategy compared with a single strategy as firms internationalize in the high-technology market. The evolutionary theory of the MNC and the resource based view were applied. Our empirical results indicate that realization of a hybrid competitive strategy is dependent on both the globalization phase of the high-technology MNC and its key resources. We also found that hybrid strategies mediate these contextual factors and thereby contribute to superior financial performance. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.