Recently, Assistant Professor Xiao Shufeng from the School of Management at Shandong University has made a series of new advancements in research on strategic decision-making for underperforming firms. Her findings have been published in International Business Review (SSCI, Q1) and Corporate Governance: An International Review (SSCI, Q1), two top-tier journals in the field of international business. Xiao’s research integrated temporal dynamics into relevant theories of performance feedback, examining how firms adjust their international R&D strategies and governance behaviors based on the varying duration of performance gaps.
International R&D plays a crucial role in helping multinational corporations from emerging economies build competitive advantages. This requires firms to have extensive geographic coverage and deep engagement in overseas R&D activities. Due to limited resources, however, finding a balance between these two aspects has become an important challenge for firms. Xiao’s research investigated how multinational enterprises adjust the scope and depth of international R&D activity based on the duration of performance feedback. The findings revealed that firms experiencing long-term performance gaps tend to increase R&D activities depth while narrowing their geographic focus. Moreover, the research identified that state ownership weakens the relationship between these two factors, whereas regional institution development strengthens it. Xiao is the first author of the paper, and Yu Tianjiao from Central South University is the corresponding author. Shandong University is the first author affiliation. The research was published in International Business Review.
International Business Review (IBR, SSCI, Q1) has an impact factor of 5.9 in 2023, with a five-year average impact factor of 7.8. IBR, published by Elsevier, is a leading journal in the field of international business and is listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and ranks in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) Q1 category.
Corporate misconduct has become prevalent in both developing and developed countries in recent years, generating substantial negative impacts. Much of the academic interest in misconduct stems from its potential consequences. Xiao’s research discussed the antecedents of corporate misconduct, providing regulators with insights to prevent such behaviors. The research found that the longer a firm experiences performance gaps, the more likely it is to engage in misconduct. Additionally, a higher proportion of state ownership weakens this relationship, whereas a larger number of analysts following the firm strengthens it. Based on these findings, the research suggested establishing executive evaluation systems that demonstrate greater tolerance for short-term underperformance and encouraged regulators to closely monitor firms with persistent low performance. Xiao is the corresponding author of the paper, and Zhao Tong from Peking University is the first author. Shandong University is the sole corresponding author affiliation. The research was published in Corporate Governance: An International Review. a leading journal with a 2023 impact factor of 4.6 and a five-year average of 6.3, published by Wiley.
Corporate Governance: An International Review (CGIR, SSCI, Q1) has an impact factor of 4.6 in 2023, with a five-year average impact factor of 6.3. As one of the journals in the field of corporate governance published by Wiley, it’s listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and ranks in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) Q1 category.
The researches above were supported by the Youth Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, with the project titled “The Impact of Performance Gap Duration on Organizational Responses and Its Mechanisms" (Grant Number: 72202124).
Xiao Shufeng is an Assistant Professor and Master's Supervisor at the School of Management, Shandong University. Her research fields include innovation strategy, international business, and corporate governance. She has published over ten papers in authoritative journals, including Journal of Business Ethics (FT50), Corporate Governance: An International Review, International Business Review, Nankai Business Review, and Management Review. Xiao has lpresided over and participated in multiple projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. She has been nominated for the Best Paper Award in the Managerial and Organizational Cognition Division (MOC) of the Academy of Management (AOM), won the Outstanding Paper Award at the Academic Annual Conference of China Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and received the Second Prize in the Shandong University Teaching Innovation Competition. Additionally, she serves as a reviewer for several prestigious journals, including Journal of Business Ethics, Technovation, and Asia Pacific Journal of Management.
