2026-09-19T22:11:18Zhttps://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/oai/requestoai:ecommons.cornell.edu:1813/1117762026-05-22T15:49:11Zcom_1813_35col_1813_47
Qiao, Kunyuan
Marquis, Christopher
Garip, Filiz
Dowell, Glen W.S.
Sine, Wesley
2022-09-15T15:51:20Z
2022-05
ProQuest Submission ID: 13016
ProQuest Publication ID: 29166362
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/111776
https://doi.org/10.7298/7jbm-xs34
15529868
183 pages
I explore deep roots of corporate strategy and structure from historical and geographical perspectives. Specifically, in the first paper, I find that the ruggedness of a region’s terrain (i.e., amount of elevation difference due to mountains) and the temperateness of its climate (i.e., a moderate precipitation and temperature) are both positively related to individualism. Further, companies in more individualistic cultures may be less likely to engage in acquisitions. This paper deepens the understanding of the origins of culture from a geographic perspective, explains how regional culture affects firms, and sheds new light on how physical geography may affect firms. In the second paper, I show that the size and ratio of the Protestant population when U.S. states were admitted to the Union have reduced the number of hierarchical ranks and increased female representation in present-day firms’ top management teams. The effect has been partly channeled through legislation and laws promoting equality. In addition, historical Catholic immigration waves to different states have weakened this effect. This study contributes (1) to imprinting theory by considering imprinting dynamics and developing a regional, institutional imprinting perspective and (2) to a more nuanced understanding of institutional formation from a historical perspective and at the subnational level. In the third paper, I demonstrate that price regulation during a firm’s founding period leaves two regulatory imprints: a focus on government regulation and an accounting routine of downward earnings management. These regulatory imprints tend to persist and enduringly discourage firms’ R&D investment. This research contributes to a better understanding of how past institutions shape corporate R&D by uncovering new mechanisms—i.e., affecting firm operational focus and accounting routine. The regulatory imprinting perspective also helps explain why firms founded in regulated industries and communist countries tend to persistently invest less in R&D. Taken together, I show that a region’s physical geography shapes its culture, which then affects firms’ acquisition strategy. European immigrants established different institutions for U.S. states to reflect their cultural preferences, which in turn shape corporate leadership structure. A specific historical institutional arrangement in the United States and beyond—i.e., price regulation—persistently influences corporate R&D strategy.
2028-06-02
en
Culture
Geography
History
Imprinting
Institutions
Strategy
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY IN THE MAKING OF CORPORATE STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE
dissertation or thesis
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/15529868
application/pdf
Management
Cornell University
Doctor of Philosophy
Ph. D., Management
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/59810.2
Publication
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Qiao, Kunyuan
5893a6ea-7af3-41d7-abc6-04bcd26ab5df
embargo
embargo
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<Abstract>I explore deep roots of corporate strategy and structure from historical and geographical perspectives. Specifically, in the first paper, I find that the ruggedness of a region’s terrain (i.e., amount of elevation difference due to mountains) and the temperateness of its climate (i.e., a moderate precipitation and temperature) are both positively related to individualism. Further, companies in more individualistic cultures may be less likely to engage in acquisitions. This paper deepens the understanding of the origins of culture from a geographic perspective, explains how regional culture affects firms, and sheds new light on how physical geography may affect firms. In the second paper, I show that the size and ratio of the Protestant population when U.S. states were admitted to the Union have reduced the number of hierarchical ranks and increased female representation in present-day firms’ top management teams. The effect has been partly channeled through legislation and laws promoting equality. In addition, historical Catholic immigration waves to different states have weakened this effect. This study contributes (1) to imprinting theory by considering imprinting dynamics and developing a regional, institutional imprinting perspective and (2) to a more nuanced understanding of institutional formation from a historical perspective and at the subnational level. In the third paper, I demonstrate that price regulation during a firm’s founding period leaves two regulatory imprints: a focus on government regulation and an accounting routine of downward earnings management. These regulatory imprints tend to persist and enduringly discourage firms’ R&D investment. This research contributes to a better understanding of how past institutions shape corporate R&D by uncovering new mechanisms—i.e., affecting firm operational focus and accounting routine. The regulatory imprinting perspective also helps explain why firms founded in regulated industries and communist countries tend to persistently invest less in R&D. Taken together, I show that a region’s physical geography shapes its culture, which then affects firms’ acquisition strategy. European immigrants established different institutions for U.S. states to reflect their cultural preferences, which in turn shape corporate leadership structure. A specific historical institutional arrangement in the United States and beyond—i.e., price regulation—persistently influences corporate R&D strategy.</Abstract>
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