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Dear AIB community,

The deadline for the Second "Out of (and Into) Africa" Conference (online)
has been *extended to July 20th*. Please see the updated Call for Papers
below.

Best regards,

-------------------------
*Dr. Omar J. Khan*

Professor of Marketing and International Business

Graves School of Business and Management
Morgan State University
*Ph: 443-885-3641*


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*    CALL FOR PAPERS *
*    Second “Out of (and into) Africa” Conference: **African Consumer
Marketing**, Firm Strategies and Society*
*    (Sponsored by: Morgan State University, CIBER-CMCC, and Howard
University)*

*    Date: October 25-26** (Monday-Tuesday), 2021*
*    Venue: Online**/Hybrid*
*    Conference Chair**: Dr. Omar J. Khan, Morgan State University
([log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>)*



*Program Chairs:*

*Dr. Omar J. Khan**, Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management,
Morgan State University ([log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>)
- **Program
Chair for Firm Strategies and Tactics*

*Dr. Haiyan Hu**, Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan
State University** ([log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>) – **Program
Chair for African Consumer Marketing*

*Dr. Wheeler R. Winstead**, Center for African Studies, Howard University
([log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>) – **Program
Chair for Society and Public Policy*



*SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 20, 2021 (New Extended Deadline)*

Following the success of the Inaugural “Out of (and Into) Africa”
conference - International Symposium on African Consumer Marketing and Firm
Strategies - which was held at the Graves School of Business and
Management, Morgan State University, Baltimore in 2018, we are now excited
to launch the next edition of the conference.  Major changes for this
edition include the following:

1)      Online conference format: This change is warranted to manage
COVID-19 pandemic consequences, and will also lower costs for attendees.
Hybrid plenary sessions across venues may be warranted, if conditions allow.

2)      Multi-HBCU involvement: Following the initiative led by the Graves
School of Business & Management at Morgan State University, we wish to
expand engagement across the HBCU community in enhancing leadership of
business and marketing scholarship regarding Africa.

3)      Three “divisions” or programs to the conference: In addition to the
Firm Strategy (firm-level research) and Consumer Marketing (consumer-level
research), a third division/program of Society & Institutions was added to
capture the macro-level research that addresses public policy and
institutions that are intertwined with business and entrepreneurship
development.

It is expected that the online delivery of the conference will generate
greater scholarly participation from the African continent and, indeed,
some other parts of the world. It is also expected that the pan-HBCU scope
in conference preparation will further enhance the reach and attractiveness
of this conference. To be clear, though, submissions are invited from ALL
academic institutions across the world, provided that the scholarship has
an African context or focus.

Before the pandemic this year, African consumer and business spending was
expected to grow beyond $4 trillion, with a striking demographic dividend
indicated by a massive working-age population that will be larger than
either China or India by 2034, abundant resources, and fast-paced growth
(McKinsey, 2016).  While the current pandemic has caused a recessionary
environment across the continent, it has also created opportunities (and
challenges) for entrepreneurship and small & medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) (World Economic Forum, 2020). Innovative solutions including
products/services have been introduced in various countries across the
continent in response to the pandemic - which may have far-reaching
implications well after the current pandemic subsides in Africa and across
the globe.



The past few years have witnessed cross-fertilization of African-born
entrepreneurship and innovation into other parts of the world, along with
growth opportunities for MNCs and SMEs into Africa. We firmly believe that
the time is ripe for an updated showcase of scholarly insights regarding
international business in this under-studied continent - including, and
especially, insights and strategy/tactics that originated from Africa. This
conference will also mark a significant step toward creating a sustained
effort among HBCUs - with Morgan leadership - to connect with Africa in
business-related research at both the micro and macro level.

Despite the promising social economic development in Africa and foreign
marketers' enthusiasm toward its future growth, there is limited market or
consumer research for marketing practitioners (McKinsey's, 2012). The
literature review shows that existing knowledge on African consumption and
behavior is fragmented.  We set following three goals for the conference:



   1. Reviewing current knowledge on African consumers, marketing, firm
   strategy, and societal policies  - highlighting gaps in our knowledge
   and understanding of the field in that African context.
   2. Developing an agenda for future research
   3. Fostering collaborations among consumer, marketing, firm strategy and
   public policy researchers with similar interests.



The conference intends to provide opportunities for brainstorming and
dialogues among researchers and marketing practitioners. We will especially
encourage collaboration between academia and businesses in the US and those
from all over Africa.  The conference is open to any and all scholars who
have research work related to the conference theme, and these can include:
academic faculty, doctoral students, policy makers, bureaucrats, think tank
researchers, NGO experts, and senior corporate managers. We encourage
scholars from Africa and worldwide to submit work.





*Submission Option**s and Guidelines: *



   1. Full Paper (Competitive) Submission Guidelines: Each paper is to have
   a separate cover page with each author’s name, affiliation, and email.
   Multiple authorships should indicate the contact person. Authors should
   avoid revealing their identities in the body of the paper. The title of the
   paper should appear on the first page of the manuscript, followed by a
   150-word abstract, single spaced. The body of the paper follows right after
   on the first page using double spacing and adhering strictly to APA style.


   1. Working Paper or Extended Abstracts: Working papers or extended
   abstracts, which focus on research in its early stages, should not be less
   than three pages and should not exceed seven double-spaced pages including
   references, tables and figures using 12-point font.  Please follow the
   formatting guidelines specified for competitive refereed papers.  Include a
   separate cover page with the name, affiliation, and email address of each
   presenter.


   1. Panel, Special Session, & Workshops: Proposals should not exceed 2
   double-spaced pages. Include a separate cover page with the name,
   affiliation, and email of each presenter. Uptil two-page description of
   the panel, including themes and presentation approach/focus. Each person
   listed on a panel, special session, or workshop proposal must register for
   and attend the conference.







*Research paper suggested topic areas* for submissions include, but are *not
limited to*, the following (any other areas within marketing and/or
strategy are invited as long as the *African context* is emphasized and/or
leveraged):



The Firm Strategies and Tactics division/program invites submissions
exploring the creation and development of firm-level
advantages/disadvantages and international business management implications
for multinational corporations (MNCs) and small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs). Topics in this program *include*, but are *not limited
to*, the following areas:



1.       African paradigms in developing business

2.       Small business development strategies and tactics

3.       MNC strategies and tactics in Africa

4.       Family-owned firms and internationalization

5.       B2B marketing and supply chain management

6.       International entrepreneurship and born globals



The Consumer Marketing division/program encourages diverse perspectives to
address current issues that are faced by African consumers and marketing
practitioners, from coping with the aftermath of a pandemic to the digital
revolution. We *welcome* multi-method/multi-paradigmatic approaches to
tackle, but are *not limited to*, the following topic areas:

1.       Arts, culture and consumption

2.       Consumer psychology and behavior

3.       Services, retailing, and customer experiences

4.       Consumer well being and pandemic effects

5.       Social media and digital marketing

6.       Emerging middle class and Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) consumers

The Society and Public Policy division/program seeks to investigate public
policy and societal institution’s role, effect and changes that are
intertwined with business and entrepreneurship development on continental
Africa. Potential topics *include*, but are *not limited to*, the following:

1.       Public and private enabling institutions in Africa: Academic
outreach.

2.       Governmental supports and barriers

3.       NGOs: foreign and local

4.       Laws, trade barriers and enticements

5.       Institutional framework and support for entrepreneurship.

6.       Sociological shifts



*For further information and submitting your work, please visit the
following institutional webpage:*



                 *morgan.edu/sbm/africaconference*
<https://morgan.edu/sbm/africaconference>



*Submission Process: *

Submit competitive refereed papers, working papers, extended abstracts
and/or proposals in Microsoft WORD by *JULY 20*.  In the subject line of
the email please indicate the appropriate program/division. At least one
author for competitive submissions that are accepted must register and
attend the online Conference. Any general *question**s* should be emailed
to the conference chair ([log in to unmask]).



*Submission Deadline: Ju**ly 20, 2021 (This is the new extended deadline)*



*Review: *

All submissions will go through a double-blind review process. Reviewers
will evaluate each submission on the basis of a) quality of the research,
b) contribution to the field, c) interest and relevance of the topic to the
conference, and d) coherence and readability.

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