Top Management and Digital Transformation in Firm Internationalization: Seminar of the International Academic Cooperation Project
On 18 May 2026, the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (IDLab) and the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) held another joint seminar as part of HSE University’s International Academic Cooperation project. The seminar focused on “The Role of Top Management and Digital Transformation in Shaping Internationalization and Firm Performance.” Held online, the event featured three presentations addressing different aspects of digital transformation, internationalization, and firm performance.
The first study, “Decomposing Performance Differences of Russian Firms Following the Adoption of CRM Systems from Domestic and Foreign Vendors,” was presented by Egor Ivanov and co-authored with Maria Molodchik and Elena Rapoport. The authors examine whether possible differences in the performance of Russian firms are related to the origin of the CRM system they use or to the firms’ initial characteristics, including their ICT profile, industry affiliation, and level of digital maturity. Using TAdviser data on technology adoption and financial indicators from the SPARK-Interfax database, the authors compiled a sample of 178 firms using foreign CRM systems and 415 firms using Russian solutions over the period from 2014 to 2024. Applying the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, they found that the origin of a CRM system is not in itself a significant factor in firm performance. At the same time, firms adopting domestic and foreign CRM systems differ in the composition of their ICT portfolios and in their industry structure, although no differences were found in the returns to these factors.
The second study, “The role of Interlocking Directorates in Knowledge Spillovers: The Case of Directors with International Capital and Export Performance,” was presented by Dmitry Kirpishchikov and co-authored with Marina Zavertiaeva and Evgeniya Shenkman. Based on panel data for the largest Russian public companies from 2007 to 2021, the authors examined how board interlocks with exporting firms are associated with a company’s export activity. The results show that proximity to exporting partners in the board network is associated with higher export intensity among relatively small firms. At the same time, having a large number of such partners reduces the likelihood that a company discloses information about its exports.
The third study, “Explaining the Effect of Managerial Cognition on SME Internationalization: A Meta-Synthesis Analysis in Emerging Economies,” was presented by Ali Mesgari, a PhD student at the Iran University of Science and Technology. Based on a synthesis of existing research, the author demonstrated that the entry of small and medium-sized enterprises into international markets depends not only on firm resources, but also on the cognitive characteristics and competencies of their managers. In particular, managers’ intuitive thinking is associated with faster entry into foreign markets, analytical thinking with more gradual internationalization, and a global mindset with stronger export performance. The importance of these factors increases under conditions of institutional and market uncertainty.
The seminar highlighted the different ways in which firms’ intellectual resources can shape their entry into international markets, including digital solutions, managers’ networks and experience, and the cognitive aspects of managerial decision-making.
