Call for Papers - Focused Issue: Nations, Within-Nation Regions, and Multiple-Nation Regions: How are Societal Boundaries Significant for International Management Today?
Guest Editors: Mark F. Peterson & Mikael Søndergaard
This special issue about geographic societal boundaries aims to advance theory about the relevance of cultural differences among different kinds of geographical groups for a broad range of international management issues. It addresses one of the most central current controversies among cross cultural scholars – to what extent do national boundaries remain significant in an increasingly globalized world and to what extent have national boundaries been displaced by within-nation regions or multiple-nation clusters. Theory and research advocating the continuing substantial significance of national boundaries needs to be improved to address criticisms that nations have been overwhelmed by within-nation variability and globalization. Theory and research advocating the significance of societies with geographic identities other than nation needs to move beyond assertions supported by small scale empirical examples.
The special issue solicits empirically based qualitative and quantitative manuscripts that address the problem of the importance that different sorts of geographic boundaries have for any areas of international business, cross-cultural management, and comparative management traditionally considered in Management International Review. The special issue seeks submissions that deal with cultural groups with a geographic identity. The cultural groups can include nations, cultural country clusters, multiple nation trade associations and communities (e.g., the EU, NAFTA), "civilizations", ethnic groups that cross adjacent national borders (e.g., Kurds), within-nation regions, or those within-nation ethnic groups that have a continuing link to a specific geographic locale. Studies for the special issue that compare nations must also consider either multiple-nation groups or within-nation regions. Studies that deal with within-nation variability must link such variability to within-nation geographical regions. While studies of regional variability within a single nation can be of value when properly qualified, the field is in particular need of multiple-nation studies that can empirically compare the relative significance of nation with within-nation boundaries and multiple-nation groups. Manuscripts should be based on survey research, field ethnographic research, or experimental research using information collected from organizations and employees. The special issue will not consider exclusively theoretical manuscripts or reviews. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
Submission Information:
About the Guest Editors
Mark F. PETERSON is Professor of International Management at Florida Atlantic University and holds the Hofstede Chair in Cultural Diversity at Maastricht University. His research addresses questions of how culture and intercultural relations affect the way organizations should be managed. He has published over 100 articles and chapters as well as several books. The articles have appeared in journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, the Leadership Quarterly, Human Relations, and Organization Science. He recently co-edited the Handbook of Cross Cultural Management Research with Sage Press.
Mikael SØNDERGAARD is Associate Professor in the School of Economics and Management of Aarhus University. His research has considered leadership by city government managers throughout Europe and the use of Hofstede’s cultural values framework. He has published several book chapters and articles in journals such as Organization Studies and the International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Academy of Management Executive, Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Organisations Entwicklung, The CASE Journal. Together with Mark F. Peterson he has recently published a 4-volume book set entitled Foundations of Cross Cultural Management with Sage Press.