International diversification is a fundamental pillar of multinational corporations’ (MNCs) growth strategies. Consequently, there is a considerable body of research on the performance implications of MNCs’ international diversification strategies. We extend this literature by adopting a relational view where we compare the diversification profiles of firms in an inter-organizational context. We argue that the relative characteristics of firms’ and their partners’ diversification profiles is an indicator of parties’ resource bases and thereby can explain if and when inter-organizational ties yield optimum performance outcomes. We examine these relative characteristics and propose a conceptual refinement by differentiating between the degree and content dimensions of international diversification. Analyzing data from 202 manufacturing firms from the S&P 500 list, we find that firms achieve optimum performance when their partners have moderately higher degrees of international diversification and a moderate overlap of presence in foreign markets.

国际多元化是跨国公司 (MNC) 增长战略的基本支柱。因此，对跨国公司国际多元化战略的绩效影响进行了大量研究。我们通过采用关系观点来扩展该文献，在该观点中，我们比较了组织间背景下公司的多元化概况。我们认为，公司及其合作伙伴的多元化概况的相对特征是各方资源基础的指标，从而可以解释组织间联系是否以及何时产生最佳绩效结果。我们检查这些相对特征，并通过区分程度和内容来提出概念改进国际多元化的维度。分析标准普尔 500 指数中 202 家制造企业的数据后，我们发现，当合作伙伴的国际多元化程度较高且在国外市场存在适度重叠时，企业会实现最佳绩效。