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Dear Colleagues,
Please kindly find the call for papers below:
CALL FOR PAPERS
33rd Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA) Annual Conference
International Business School Suzhou (IBSS)
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
27 to 30 October 2016
COMBINING EAST AND WEST IN BUSINESS MODELS, ORGANISATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Conference Theme:
Firms often cooperate across national borders using partnerships, alliances and joint ventures to fulfil a range of strategic objectives. The strategic drivers in particular are well
known in the literature and can be reduced to four broad motives: foreign market entry, growth and revenue enhancement; efficiency or cost reduction; sharing or reducing risk; and accessing new knowledge and learning – with the creation of synergies and complementarities
often an additional favourable outcome for the parties involved. It is also well known that firms collaborate internationally across a variety of activities, including product and production (i.e., joint research and development, co-design, and joint production);
marketing (i.e., joint service, marketing, licensing and franchising agreements), supply chain partnerships, and management contracts. Over the past few decades, a substantial body of literature has grown to explain why firms collaborate in these areas, the
ownership and management structures they employ, how foreign partners are selected, the processes by which agreements are negotiated, and the factors that account for the geographical distribution of cooperative modes of governance across countries.
Despite this wealth of knowledge, there remains more to be done to advance our understanding of the antecedents, facilitators, barriers, benefits and drawbacks of cooperative strategies
in a changing global business environment, especially in the context of partnerships involving Asian and European firms. Historically, European firms used alliances (and especially joint ventures) as a necessary and not a preferred means for accessing markets
in Asia, not least because of local government requirements, cultural differences and the risks associated with operating in unfamiliar business conditions. At the same time, traditional practices in Asia have tended to favour inter-firm partnerships that
are embedded within rich social networks. Moreover, two driving forces have engendered an emerging trend globally towards a pattern of ‘co-opetition’. First, as barriers to international business have declined, as the impact of cultural differences have (arguably)
ameliorated, and as the capacities and capabilities of current and prospective foreign partners have improved, it is becoming more feasible for European and Asian firms to embrace mutually rewarding inter-firm partnerships. Second, despite the challenges and
high failure rate, an increasingly complex and uncertain competitive landscape induced by global interconnectness and interdisciplinary technological advances mean it is becoming ever more necessary for firms to engage in inter-firm partnerships. In the context
of changes to the external environment and the nature and drivers of international alliances along various dimensions, it has become imperative to better understand to what extent and how Asian and European firms can best combine resources, capabilities and
knowledge to achieve their mutual, as well as individual, strategic goals.
One potentially important avenue for research is to better understand how Asian and European firms are collaborating to co-develop new and/or disruptive business models in response to
the opportunities and challenges presented by phenomena such as rapid urbanisation, the rise of ‘global cities’, expansion of the middle class, ageing populations, sustainable development, social innovation, and serving the needs of the poor, especially in
an Asian business context. Another potential research agenda is to improve our understanding of how Asian firms, especially those from developing Asian countries, are leveraging strategic alliances with European companies to facilitate their international
expansion to European markets and elsewhere, through learning, and the building of business networks and other linkages. Additional future research directions of relevance to the conference theme can also be discerned in response to recent suggestions by Beamish
and Lupton (2016) in the Journal of World Business (vol. 51, pp. 163-175). For example, since many of the highly populous countries of Asia exhibit significant subnational variation in terms of economic development, culture, demographics, equality,
income distribution and consumer purchasing power, more research is needed to understand how this diversity influences where the business activities of international alliances are located, how they are structured, how they are managed, and how they perform.
This research stream could also be usefully related to how regional, national and subnational variation in institutional influences and voids determine the structure, governance and management of cross-border alliances. At the same time, political and economic
crises and uncertainty are likely to affect significantly the longevity, survival and performance of international alliances, both in Asia and Europe. More research is therefore required to understand how different types of governance modes, and the various
degrees of flexibility they confer on each of the partners, influences the outcomes of cooperative strategies in times of political and economic volatility. Finally, research opportunities arise from how Asian and European partners manage divergent views on
their own strategic priorities, and those of their partners, as their motives for combining resources and capabilities evolve over time in response to, for example, the development and performance of the alliance, evolving political and economic dynamics,
and changes to the institutional and business environments in their respective home countries, amongst other things. In particular, China’s new initiative of “One Belt, One Road”, a policy framework that focuses on connectivity and cooperation amongst Eurasian
countries, may provide an additional dimension to the overall picture.
Call for Papers:
We cordially invite researchers in the areas of international business, organisation studies and management science to explore contemporary issues in the theory and practice of international
strategic alliances across and within Europe and Asia. The 33rd annual EAMSA Conference is hosted by International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Authors are encouraged to submit theoretical, conceptual and empirical papers that draw on qualitative, quantitative, mixed and case study approaches to explore, evaluate, critique and
debate issues arising from the conference theme and, in particular, ideas surrounding the concept of ‘combining East and West’, especially in the context of international strategic alliances. However, we also welcome paper submissions in the broader fields
of international business, economics and area studies that fall outside the main conference theme but deal with issues of international business in Europe and Asia, and business and management interactions within and between the two regions. Thus, we invite
submissions that make a contribution to business, area studies, economics and management literatures with special focus on how Euro-Asian strategic alliances are used by firms to create value, fulfil strategic objectives, build and maintain relationships,
exploit emergent business opportunities, and augment competitive advantage.
Potential topics include, but are not limited, to:
̶
International strategic alliances in and between Europe and Asia.
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Antecedents and determinants of alliance formation, longevity and performance.
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Co-development of new and/or disruptive business models.
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Innovatory practices in the joint management of production, marketing, and supply chain activities.
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Role of alliances in the internationalisation strategies of emerging country firms.
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Alliances and global innovation networks.
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Knowledge management, organisational learning and international alliances.
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Relationships between cross-border M&As and international alliances.
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Changing institutional, political and economic conditions and alliance development.
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Protecting and augmenting intangible proprietary assets in cross-border collaborative ventures.
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International collaboration in higher education, sports, media and entertainment industries.
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International alliances and regional economic integration.
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International collaborative ventures and urbanisation, ‘green’ cities, ‘global cities’, ageing and society.
Special Session: Management Geography
In addition, the 33rd EAMSA conference is pleased to host a Special Session on Management Geography to be organised by members of SIEM (Spaces of International Economy and Management),
a multidisciplinary group of researchers whose work focuses on actors in geographical space, such as individual managers, groups and organisations. SIEM welcomes submissions in the following issues in relation to Euro-Asian management practice:
i. Theorising on management practices in geographic space using approaches related to leadership, international
human resource management (IHRM), managerial and/or innovative practices, and networking of boundary spanners.
ii. Proposing new methodologies for investigating managerial practices, preferences and strategies,
capability and capacities for decision-making, managerial appraisal of boundary spanners in private and governmental organisations moulding international spaces.
iii. Introducing studies with empirical evidence on the cross-border expansion of managerial practices
that contribute to the formation of new emerging communities in metropolitan spaces. In particular, studies that investigate new career and location patterns in an increasingly globalising world are sought.
iv. Providing applied decision-making support for international managers in the global and local context.
v. Developing implications for government of city locations on building diversity that promotes international
entrepreneurship and attracts management talents.
For more information on SIEM and how to submit papers for the Special Session, please see
www.siemrg.org/ or contact:
[log in to unmask]. Alternatively, contact the Special Session organiser and
Head of the SIEM Research Group, Rolf Schlunze, directly at:
[log in to unmask].
Venue:
International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is delighted to welcome the Annual Conference of EAMSA to China for the first time in its 33-year
history. With our motto “Combining East and West - Creating a better world” (simplified Chinese:
学贯中西,
兼善天下; pinyin: xué guàn zhōng xī, jiān shàn tiān xià) IBSS and XJTLU provide an ideal location and context in which to discuss issues arising from
the conference theme. Although a young institution, IBSS has already earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), an accolade that has been earned by less than five per cent of the world's business
schools.
Established in 2006, and celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, XJTLU itself is a joint venture between two leading universities, the University of Liverpool in the UK and Xi’an
Jiaotong University in China. XJTLU is the first and only university in China to offer both British and Chinese degrees, with English the language of instruction.
XJTLU is located in the Higher Education Town of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), which was formed in 1994 as a collaborative venture between the governments of China and Singapore. SIP is
now host to the operations of more than one-fifth of the Fortune 500 top global companies, many of which themselves are collaborative ventures, and Greater Suzhou is now the fourth largest concentration of economic activity in China, in terms of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). SIP has a good transportation and logistics infrastructure, and is well-connected with nearby airports to cities such as Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei, as well as to Europe and North America, and via high-speed rail to other major cities
in China. Shanghai city centre is just 30 minutes away, and Beijing 5 hours away, by high-speed train. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town’s canals, UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens, and
the I.M. Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists each year.
The conference will take place on the XJTLU campus located in the Higher Education Town of SIP. The conference organisers can arrange collection and pickup by taxi from and to Shanghai
Pudong International airport (RMB350 one way per taxi, around 90 minutes subject to traffic).
Programme:
In addition to the parallel paper presentation sessions, and the Special Session on Management Geography, participants are invited to attend the welcome reception, key note speakers and
panel sessions for both academics and managers, company visits and presentations, the conference dinner, and a cultural tour of Suzhou and some of its many historical sights. For more information, please visit the conference website, or email:
[log in to unmask].
Please note that the language of the conference is English, and all submissions and presentations will be in the English language. No translation services will be available during the
conference (for example, from English to Chinese).
Deadlines:
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Paper submission: Friday 8th July, 2016.
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Paper acceptance notification: Monday 22nd August, 2016.
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Conference dates: 27 to 30th October, 2016.
Paper Submission:
Competitive Papers:
fully developed papers should be submitted for consideration in competitive sessions. Competitive Papers
should
not exceed 9,000 words, including appendices and references.
Interactive Papers:
papers in progress should be submitted for interactive sessions that are designed specifically to help authors develop their work further through constructive feedback. Interactive Papers
should
not exceed 6,000 words, including appendices and references.
PhD Track:
we especially welcome PhD candidates and encourage young scholars to present their work at different stages of progress. Doctoral Papers should not exceed 6,000 words,
including appendices and references.
EAMSA is committed to promoting excellence in young researchers. To facilitate doctoral researchers' participation in its annual conference,
EAMSA will provide financial support (of €100 or RMB750) towards the conference fee for up to ten PhD submissions (the corresponding author must be a PhD candidate) to any of the three tracks (competitive/interactive/PhD). A panel of experts will select the
doctoral submissions worthy of the award, based on the quality and contribution to knowledge of relevance to Euro-Asia management issues. Doctoral students who have been selected for the award will be notified by early September 2016.
All competitive papers will be sent for double-blind review to two reviewers. Interactive and PhD papers will be evaluated by one reviewer.
The evaluation of papers will be based on relevance to the conference theme and to international business and management issues in Europe and Asia, analytical rigour, methods applied, originality, and contributions to the area.
Paper submission is managed by Easy Chair. Please visit the EAMSA website for further details at
www.eamsa.org.
For inquiries, please email the conference organisers at:
[log in to unmask]
Awards and Publications:
All papers accepted will be included in the conference proceedings. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit their papers to a Special
Issue of Asian Business and Management. Awards will be given to the best paper, best reviewers, and best papers submitted by PhD students. Palgrave Macmillan will give the prize to the best paper.
Organising Committee:
̶
Adam Cross – IBSS, XJTLU (Chair)
̶
Peter Ping Li – IBSS, XJTLU
̶
Florian Kohlbacher – IBSS, XJTLU
̶
Zheng Liu – IBSS, XJTLU
̶
Tao Bai – IBSS, XJTLU
̶
Pinpin Jiang (Conference Administration)
About EAMSA:
The Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA) is a platform for scholarly exchange on economic and management issues. Annual conferences,
held alternately in Europe and Asia, bring together researchers and business executives who discuss their research and experiences, exchange ideas, and establish collaborative networks. The mission of EAMSA is to (i) promote research and education in the fields
of business and management in Asia and Europe, with special emphasis on international comparisons; (ii) to foster an understanding of the role of international organisations and public policies in all matters related to Euro-Asian business activities; (iii)
to encourage the exchange of research results, practical experience, and ideas by organising conferences, meetings and developing research networks among members and institutions, and (iv) to disseminate research results through various channels. EAMSA today
has about 200 members in 30 different countries around the world. Roughly half of the members are from Asian countries. Members include scholars from leading academic institutions as well executives, business consultants, researchers and PhD students.
Best Regards,
Dr. Tao BAI
International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-liverpool University
Room 219B, BB Building, No 111 Ren’ai Rd
Suzhou Dushu Lake Education Town
Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province
PR China 215123
Ibss.xjtlu.edu.cn
Tel. +86 (0)512 8188 3201