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AIB 2018 Annual Meeting 
Minneapolis, USA
June 25-28, 2018


 


Call for Papers


Theme: Global Business and the Digital Economy

Program Chair: JT Li, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

Submission Deadline: November 28, 2017 NEW DEADLINE

Author Instructions:
https://aib.msu.edu/events/2018/SubmissionInstructions.asp 

 

Submission System: http://meetings.aib.msu.edu/aib/2018/ 




Coping with the digital economy-the application of internet-based digital
technologies to the production and trade of goods and services-is becoming
indispensable for any modern firm. Digitalization and digital technologies
are transforming every industry and almost every aspect of business, and
companies need to reinvent their businesses to survive and excel in today's
more dynamic global environment. The internet-of-things, artificial
intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, big data analytics, mobile and
cloud computing, digital platforms, 3D printing, robotics and much more have
significantly influenced processes, products, services and business models,
with important implications for everyone's lives. Rising to the digital
challenge often involves creating new business models, finding new ways to
innovate, leveraging social media tools to engage with consumers,
reconfiguring resources and perhaps even designing new organizational
structures.

Beyond business itself, the digital economy calls for transformation of
governments, education and societies as a whole. The McKinsey Global
Institute suggests that globalization has entered a new era defined by data
flows. Digital platforms create more efficient and transparent global
markets in which far-flung buyers and sellers can find each other with a few
clicks. The near-zero marginal cost of digital communication and
transactions opens new possibilities for conducting business across borders
on a massive scale. Trade was once dominated by tangible goods and was
largely confined to advanced economies and their large multinational
companies. Today global data accessibility allows more countries and smaller
enterprises to participate. This shift changes how business is done across
borders, and where the economic benefits are flowing.

As digital platforms have become global in scope, they are driving down the
cost of cross-border communication and transactions, allowing businesses to
connect with customers and suppliers anywhere. They reduce the minimum scale
needed to go global, opening up international business to smaller firms and
entrepreneurs around the world. One result is that new competitors and new
types of competitor can emerge rapidly from any corner of the world, forcing
companies to rethink their strategies and capabilities, and to do so
quickly. Well-established companies face pressure from start-ups
unencumbered by legacy systems and willing to innovate rapidly. The
involvement in the digital economy of firms from developing nations is
narrowing those nations' productivity gap with better-developed economies.
All the evidence suggests that we are only in the very early stages of this
phenomenon, so enormous opportunities are still at stake.

Many countries have formulated programs intended to support participation in
the digital economy. These commonly involve developing broadband
infrastructure, promoting the digital sector in various ways, experimenting
with e-government, encouraging businesses to adopt digital technologies, and
promoting digital literacy among the population. Apart from preparing for
global competition by installing internet-related infrastructure, many
governments are trying to encourage firms to adapt their businesses to the
more challenging and volatile digital environment. Some suggest that
governments and firms should work together to identify promising
opportunities emerging from the digital economy.

International business scholars have a rich understanding of the costs of
doing business abroad, traditionally arising from geographic distance and
institutional gaps. But the digital economy is now blurring the boundaries.
Institutional differences and particularly geographic separation may in
future be much less important than they have been in the past. Indeed,
advanced connectivity and shared information may even reduce the gaps among
nations in terms of culture and values. Yet today we know relatively little
about how such changes might influence business strategies and firms'
performance in international business.

The goal of this year's conference is to discuss how the digital economy may
change global business and how firms might respond to such changes in
different institutional contexts. The rules of business are changing, and
the future seems uncertain for companies that have operated successfully for
decades. How might they best prepare for this uncertain world? How should
they design their strategies when consumer behavior is constantly changing
and industry boundaries are increasingly blurred? We welcome papers
addressing these topics whose research settings and findings relate to the
impacts and implications of digital technologies for global business.

 


Conference Tracks


1. The internationalization process and international entrepreneurship


Track Co-chairs:

Luis Dau, Northeastern University, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Gracy Yang, University of Sydney, Australia (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

Rapidly internationalizing SMEs compete and cooperate with large MNEs in the
global market. This track seeks contributions that examine the
internationalization process for different kinds of firms, whether small and
entrepreneurial firms, established multinationals, or latecomer MNEs from
emerging markets. It covers contributions that focus on the characteristics
of the process, whether gradual, rapid or leapfrogging, increasing or
decreasing, as well as the various kinds of human, financial and political
resources firms draw on in their internationalization. It will also cover
contributions that examine the specific influence of different kinds of
entrepreneurs such as women, expatriates and others.

Keywords: Internationalization process models; Gradual internationalization;
Rapid internationalization; Internationalization and performance;
Divestment; Exporting by SMEs; International entrepreneurship;
Entrepreneurial networks; Early internationalization; International new
ventures; Born-global firms; High tech start-ups; Micro-multinationals;
International entrepreneurial orientation; Woman entrepreneurs; Internet
entrepreneurs; Expatriate entrepreneurs; Returnee entrepreneurs;
Intrapreneurship

  _____  


2. Managing the value chain and operations


Track Co-chairs:

Alain Chong, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Ajai Gaur, Rutgers University, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )

What determines a firm's economic footprint, and how should the value chain
be managed in order to create sustainable competitive advantage? This track
concentrates on the management and coordination of the different functions
that comprise disaggregated value chains. It deals with locating an MNE's
operations, outsourcing and offshoring decisions (and their reversal), as
well as the cross-border coordination of contractual and equity-based
relationships throughout the value chain.

Keywords: Outsourcing; Offshoring; Global production networks; Global
operations; Geography of IB activities; Clusters and subnational regions;
Global value chains; Disaggregation of value chains; Value chain
coordination; Sourcing; Supply chain management; Logistics; Relocation of
production; Re-shoring; Backshoring; OEM contracting; Service operations;
Globalization of services

  _____  


3. International marketing and consumer research


Track Chair:

Peter Magnusson, University of Alabama, USA (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Christina Sichtmann, University of Vienna, Austria (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

How do you reach customers in mature markets, in emerging markets or at the
bottom of the pyramid? This track focuses on the downstream activities of
MNEs and the different techniques for reaching customers abroad. It examines
issues related to the importance of branding and buyer behavior in
unfamiliar markets, as well as the influence of the home country on consumer
perceptions. It also invites papers that examine the application of
informatics in marketing, such as in the development of big data and social
media analytics.

Keywords: Exporting; Franchising; Advertising; Marketing channels;
Distribution channels; Brand loyalty; Brand management; Pricing; Buyer
behavior; Base of the pyramid retailing; Market orientation; Market
segmentation; Consumer behavior; Cross-cultural marketing; Buyer-supplier
relations; Country-of-origin perceptions; Business-to-business marketing;
New product introduction; Retailing and services marketing; Sales
management; Entry modes; Online markets; Big data; Market design; Mobile and
social media analytics

  _____  


4. Global innovation and knowledge management


Track Chair:

Grazia Santangelo, University of Catania, Italy (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Marcus Møller Larsen, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

The creation, transfer and outcomes of knowledge are central to our theories
of the MNE. This track deals with the technological and organizational
generation, transfer and outcomes of new knowledge. It examines the internal
and external aspects of innovation activities, with the internal aspects
being focused on knowledge generation and transfer within the MNE, and the
external being focused on contractual and equity-based collaborations with
international partners. It also examines the changing geography of
innovation, the access of the multinational firm to location bound sources
of innovation, and the influence of national and regional innovation
systems.

Keywords: Networks for innovation; Global and local knowledge; Technology
management; Knowledge search; Knowledge creation and diffusion; Knowledge
sharing; Organizational learning; Exploration vs. exploitation; Absorptive
capacity; Open innovation; Knowledge governance mechanisms; Knowledge
access; R&D subsidiaries; National and regional innovation systems; Reverse
innovation; Indigenous innovation; Centers of excellence; Innovation
clusters; R&D offshoring; Licensing; Learning alliances; University-MNE
relationships; Intra-firm inventor mobility; Contextual intelligence; Local
context; Dispersed Innovation; Intellectual property protection

  _____  


5. Global strategy, organization and management


Track Co-chairs:

Jorge Carneiro, FGV Sao Paulo, Brazil (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Dan Li, Indiana University, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]
)

What strategies and organizational forms do MNEs adopt at different points
in their evolution? This track focuses on the strategic and organizational
challenges multinational enterprises face in their internationalization
processes. It examines different strategies MNEs adopt to overcome the
integration-responsiveness dilemma and to achieve an effective balance
between centralization and decentralization. It also welcomes papers
concerned with organizational change that is driven by corporate management,
and the overall impact of the top management team on the development of
organizational capabilities and organizational performance.

Keywords: Multinational enterprise;
Transnational/Global/International/Multidomestic strategy; Global
diversification strategies; Mergers and acquisitions; Growth strategies;
Global networks; Global alliances; International joint ventures;
Parent-subsidiary relationships; International/Regional headquarters;
Organizational change and development; Organizational culture;
Organizational structure; Organization of international operations;
International competitiveness; Performance; Boundary spanning;
Organizational capabilities; Core competencies; Top management teams;
Virtual teams; Family-owned MNEs

  _____  


6. Global leadership and cross-cultural management


Track Co-chairs:

Yaping Gong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Mary Zellmer-Bruhn, University of Minnesota, USA (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

Global leadership, cross-cultural management, global talent management and
diversity management are vital to the management of human resources within
the multinational firm. This track encompasses papers dealing with the range
of HR activities from recruitment and selection to training, performance
management, compensation, retention as well as leadership development, and
managing multicultural teams within the multinational firm. It also covers
organizational behavior topics such as the positive and negative effects of
diversity for individuals, teams, and organizations, issues related to
cross-cultural management, and the role of language in multinational
organizations.

Keywords: Cross-cultural management; International human resource
management; Expatriate management; Talent management; Training and
development; Retention; Leadership development; Global staffing; Global
mindset; Diversity; Cross-cultural communication and language;
Cross-cultural adjustment; International mobility; Multicultural teams;
Virtual teams; Intercultural competence and cultural intelligence;
Bicultural and multicultural identity; International migration; Education
and international careers; Cosmopolitans; Returnees; Diasporans; Gender
issues across cultures; Work-family issues; Selection; Performance
appraisal; Compensation; Cross-cultural values; Local compliance

  _____  


7. International corporate governance and financial management


Track Co-chairs:

David Reeb, National University of Singapore, Singapore (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Omrane Guedhami, University of South Carolina, USA (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

How firms decide to govern themselves and allocate decision-making within
the firm differs in cross-border firms and across markets. We observe a
range of ownership structures and institutions around the world, linking the
firm's owners and managers and providing differing levels of internal and
external oversight. International corporate governance encompasses different
kinds of board structures, compensation practices, differences among types
of long-term shareholders (e.g. atomistic, families, and states), the role
of activist shareholders, the types of mandatory disclosure, and voluntary
disclosure choices of the firm. This track invites contributions that
advance our understanding of these governance practices in an international
context and their influences on differences in accounting standards and
financial reporting quality, financial risk management practices, capital
market development, bank lending and covenants, venture capital development,
cross-border taxation and mergers and acquisitions.

Keywords: Ownership structures; Board processes, practices, and
effectiveness; Board diversity; Governance in family-owned firms; Governance
in state-owned firms; Shareholder categories; Mechanisms for protecting
shareholder rights; Levels and composition of management compensation;
Institutional investors; Shareholder activism; Stakeholder activism;
Directorship interlocks; State ownership; Corporate groups; International
finance and taxation; Transfer pricing; Accounting standards and
conventions; Non-financial accounting and reporting standards; Capital
structure; Corporate control; Exchange rate exposure; Macroeconomic risk
management; International financial integration; Corporate performance;
Financial risk management; International cross-listing; International
financial reporting

  _____  


8. MNE-state relations and international business policy


Track Co-chairs:

Mariko Sakakibara, UCLA, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Jingtao Yi, Renmin University, China (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )

This track invites manuscripts that examine how businesses (MNEs in
particular) interact with governments and the non-market strategies they
adopt to advance their business interests globally. Papers are invited which
discuss the impact of MNEs and FDI on economic growth and industrial and
economic restructuring in host countries, their impacts on market structure,
and international and inter-regional competition for investment. Submissions
addressing ethics, legitimacy and efforts by multinational enterprises to
mitigate political risk are also welcome. Papers in this track may also
examine how different kinds of institutional regimes condition the
activities of multinational firms, and the extent to which MNEs are able to
shape the regulatory regimes that govern their overseas investments.

Keywords: Business-government interactions; MNE-host government relations;
MNE-home government relations; Formal and informal institutions;
Institutional distance; Comparative analysis of institutions; Legitimacy of
business practices; Business ethics; Corporate citizenship; Sub-national
institutions; Political risk; Political ties; State ownership; Competitive
advantage; Home country advantages; Varieties of capitalism; Legal systems;
Regulatory systems; Patterns of FDI and trade; FDI theory and empirics;
Attracting investment; Competition for investment; FDI impact on the home
country; FDI impact on the host countries; Knowledge and productivity
spillovers; Public-private partnerships; Stakeholder engagement; Investor
accountability; Non-market strategies; Corporate social responsibility;
Social innovation; Social enterprises; Sustainability; Inclusive growth

  _____  


9. Emerging markets and emerging market MNEs


Track Co-chairs:

Sumit Kundu, Florida International University, USA (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Seung Ho (Sam) Park, China Europe International Business School, China (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

Emerging economies' share of global GDP is increasing rapidly as their
growth far outpaces that of the OECD countries. This track welcomes
theoretical and empirical papers that report novel explorations of issues
related to doing business in an emerging market. Some examples might include
research on city clusters, new business models, government-private sector
cooperation, varieties of capitalism or firms' transitions from a culture of
incremental innovation to a culture of breakthrough innovation. We are also
interested in papers that aim to clarify to what extent emerging market
multinationals can be considered unique and papers reporting work on foreign
direct investment trends and strategies in emerging markets. Empirical
papers exploring under-researched emerging markets beyond the BRICs (Brazil,
Russia, India, and China) in Africa, Asia, Eastern European or Latin America
are particularly encouraged.

Keywords: Business groups; Institutional environments in emerging economies;
Competitive advantages of emerging economies; Comparative advantages of
emerging economies; Country-of-origin perceptions; Emerging economy MNEs;
Entry strategies for emerging economies; FDI in emerging economies; Trade
with emerging economies; Networking in emerging economies; Home country
governments; Human rights and business in emerging economies; Institutional
voids; Performance in emerging economies; Regional integration of emerging
economies; SMEs; South-North FDI; South-South trade; Sovereign wealth funds;
Sustainable development; MNE-state relations in emerging economies

  _____  


10. Teaching IB


Track Co-chairs:

Margaret Fletcher, University of Glasgow, UK (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )
Simon Harris, University of Edinburgh, UK (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )

How do we convey our research understanding of International Business to our
students? How do we enable them to share and engage with the passion and
interest that we have in international business? How to we make our subject
relevant to them, to their future careers, and to the businesses in which
they will work? How can we enable our students to practice International
Business and undertake the internationalization process more effectively,
employing the knowledge that we have gained over the past 50 years? How do
we enable them to adapt IB practice to respond to the new digital economy,
and the challenges and opportunities that it creates? If we can do this, we
will have found one way of addressing a major concern for the IB discipline:
our relevance to the world, and our role in changing it for the better.

Since Uppsala scholars took the theory of the firm to improve our
understanding of the internationalization process, the importance of
learning, and especially of experiential learning, has had a major influence
in our research. But how much has our growth in understanding in IB learning
influenced our IB teaching? In this track, we would very much like to find
out how we can develop good IB practices in our students.

This special track addresses IB teaching at every level: undergraduate,
graduate, MBA, executive and doctoral. It deals with all aspects of teaching
IB: including experiential learning approaches, handling diverse classrooms,
case teaching in international business, as well as the use of different
tools and methods such as simulations, role-play and various forms of
multimedia to enhance IB teaching. Please see the separate
<https://aib.msu.edu/events/2018/TeachingIBTrack.asp> Call for Papers for
Special Track on Teaching IB for further details and submission
instructions.

Keywords: Experiential learning; Developing an IB curriculum;
Internationalizing the business school curriculum; Cross-cultural
classrooms; Case teaching; Executive education; International study tours as
part of the IB experience; Simulations and role-playing; Blended learning;
Multimedia in IB teaching; Flipped learning

  _____  


11. Conference theme track: Global business and the digital economy


Track Chair:

Ram Mudambi, Temple University, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Sali Li, University of South Carolina, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )

Digital technologies have dramatically changed the business landscape and
transformed almost every aspect of the business. New digital technologies
breed new business opportunities, but undermining other industries at the
same time. Business models must change, ideally in anticipation, but at
least in response. As electronic business becomes a necessity for almost
every business, it calls for resource reconfiguration and often even
restructuring. These sessions will welcome papers and panels whose research
settings and findings relate to the impacts and implications of digital
technologies. Online marketing and global business are obvious examples. At
the same time, as digital technologies are changing the "rules of the game",
how are governments changing the "structural" rules to adapt?

Keywords: E-commerce; Social media; Digital innovation; Crowd funding; Crowd
sourcing; Online markets; Market design; Big data; Mobile analytics; Social
media analytics; Technological change; Innovation incentives; Business
models; Multisided business models; Platforms; Ecosystems; Innovation
incubators; Scaling up innovations; Innovation governance; National
innovation policies; Digital privacy; Role of the state/government;
MNE-state relations in the digital economy

  _____  


12. Conference regional track: Global/regional integration and
disintegration


Track Chair:

Jennifer Oetzel, American University, USA (  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] )
Andreas Schotter, Western University, Canada (
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] )

The conference's North American location offers a good opportunity to
examine issues related to global and regional integration and
disintegration. For example, the NAFTA may be in the process of formal
renegotiation next June, with important implications for all types of
stakeholders including multinational firms, their employees, customers and
suppliers, local communities and the governments involved. Who are the
likely winners and losers from regional integration and disintegration? What
are the implications for regional FDI and trade? What impact will the
digital economy have on regional integration and disintegration?

Keywords: NAFTA; BREXIT; Euro; Regional integration; Regional
disintegration; Global integration; Global disintegration;
Semi-globalization; Global pressures; Local pressures; Preferential trading
agreements; Borders; Shallow integration; Deep integration; Politics of
regional integration; Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank; Belt and Road
Initiative; International agreements; Multi-lateral institutions;
South-North FDI; South-South trade; Patterns of FDI; Patterns of trade;
Investment attraction; Investment competition; FDI impact; Economic
development; Economic growth; Economic geography

  _____  


AIB 2018 Submission Information


All single country studies must focus on IB relevant topics such as MNEs,
international institutions, trade, global value chains etc. Papers submitted
to the AIB 2018 conference need to be submitted to one of the ten regular
tracks or one of the two special tracks addressing the conference theme.
Each paper or panel proposal must be submitted to only one track. Please
select the track closest to your proposal from the list above. Please note
that there is also a "Special Submissions" track for authors where the
appropriate track presents a conflict of interest with the track chair(s)
and for purely methodological papers that do not fit the regular track
structure.

All submissions will be handled through the AIB online submission system.
All manuscripts and proposals must be submitted by November 28, 2017 NEW
DEADLINE. Please refer to the
<https://aib.msu.edu/events/2018/submissioninstructions.asp> detailed
submission instructions page for additional information on how to prepare
and submit your submission. For up-to-date information about the conference
and related events, please check the conference website at
<http://aib.msu.edu/events/2018/> http://aib.msu.edu/events/2018/. Any
questions regarding this call for papers should be addressed to the track
chairs or the Program Chair, JT Li.





JT Li
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 
Program Chair, AIB 2018 Annual Meeting
 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]

 


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