The competitiveness of business groups and their affiliates in international operations

The discourse on the competitiveness of emerging economy firms continues with globalization. This paper joins the dialogue by providing a framework of the competitiveness of business groups and their affiliates in international operations. The goal is to address the vast literature on emerging economies that remains short in providing the theoretical background on the competitiveness of emerging and transitioning economy firms. To do this, this study used a critical review and analysis of the literature. It offers some propositions to illustrate the applicability of the framework in analyzing the international expansion of business group affiliates across borders. Ultimately, the paper contributes to the literature on managerial capabilities and competitiveness of firms to sustain their operations as the new emerging economy multinationals.