Alpine Winter Conference 2022

Populism and Scholarship in International Business and Public Policy: 

Fostering Research, Connecting Researchers

Co-hosted by University of Innsbruck and WU Vienna

January 10-14, 2022

Deadline for proposal and working paper submissions: October 31^st 2021

We invite scholars from different fields to attend an “Alpine” winter conference in Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria from January 10-14, 2022 to share research on populism and its implications for international business (IB) and public policy. The conference is organized as a paper development workshop and designed to connect junior scholars to like-minded peers, and to offer hands-on guidance from senior faculty for developing research on populism and IB/public policy. The workshop seeks proposals and working papers for presentation addressing a broad range of populism and IB/public policy topics. The workshop supports a forthcoming special issue (SI) of the Journal of International Business Policy (JIBP) co-edited by workshop senior faculty: http://resource-cms.springernature.com/springer-cms/rest/v1/content/19363426/data/v3. Presentations on topics associated with the workshop and the JIBP SI start with the September 2021 SMS annual conference. Join the SMS professional development workshop on populism and research in IB and public policy here: https://strategicmanagement.net/virtual-toronto/tools/session-details?sessionId=1934. The follow-on winter conference in January 2022 is organized and financially supported by the School of Management (Institute for Strategic Management, Marketing, and Tourism), the EPoS (Economy, Politics, and Society) research centre at the University of Innsbruck (UI), and the Department of Global Business and Trade as well as the Institute for International Business at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU).

Aims of and Questions to Be Addressed at the Workshop

Despite a rich early history in IB research (Robinson, 1963; Vernon, 1971, Kobrin, 1987), the topic of populism has seen little attention over decades of work based on the assumption of increasing global economic and political integration. Recent developments slowing or even reversion such integration demand new attention on populism and it implications for IB and public policy: Brexit in the UK, Trumpism in the US, Fidesz in Hungary. Recent research in IB and public policy is ready. Devinney & Hartwell (2020) are providing IB researchers with populism typologies, including typologies suggesting that some populist parties remain in power by weakening business policy commitments critical to foreign investors. Rodrik (2018) has outlined other important public policy dynamics associated with populism raising red flags for multinational enterprises (MNEs) and their partners: barriers to immigration creating skilled labor shortages for MNEs; economic nationalism discriminating against MNEs seeking to participate in infrastructure investment projects; anti-elite tax and regulatory policies raising MNE costs and impairing MNE ability to exploit technological advantages compensating for inherent liabilities of foreignness.

This workshop seeks deeper insight on these and other topics connecting emerging trends in populism and long-standing IB and public policy theories and evidence. Those workshop topics could address questions such as the following:

• How does populism influence public policy and, as a result, the internationalization of different firms: entry mode, location choice, M&A, ownership choice, partner selection, portfolio investment, financing, marketing.
• What types of populist policy shifts translate into greater political uncertainty and liabilities of foreignness relevant to MNEs: elections, cabinet re-shuffles, extra-constitutional government changes.
• How do populist policies change specific MNE operations: HQ-subsidiary relationships, foreign direct investment modes, global supply chains.
• How do MNEs respond to populist policies: change political connections with local legislators, vary corporate political donations, address potentially corrupt payments to facilitate the importation of MNE goods and services.
• How do populist policies change supranational arrangements important to MNEs:  foreign exchange translation rates for MNEs active in Eurozone countries; transfer pricing by MNEs operating in the USMCA regional trading bloc.
• What varieties of populism across the left-right partisan political spectrum are more or less threatening to MNEs:  left-wing populism emphasizing state ownership of infrastructure industries; right-wing populism emphasizing private domestic ownership of the same.
• How do populist public policies relevant to MNEs differ in industrialized democracies versus emerging-economies: Trumpist policies in the US; policies in Bolsanaro’s Brazil or Orban’s Hungary.
• How has populism internationalized in ways that affect broader international organizations and civil society groups relevant to MNEs: organizations like the WTO and World Bank; groups like Amnesty International and Oxfam International.
• How do varieties of populism affect large infrastructure investment projects typically led by MNEs:  change the likelihood of joint venture with local companies or state agencies; change the willingness of banks to lend to such projects.
• How does populism in a host country affect the composition of top managers sent there by MNEs to oversee key investment projects: top management educational background; top management experience; top management political connections.

These questions are merely representative. We seek a broad array of papers and proposals for presentation at the workshop.

Connection to the JIBP SI:

Workshop organizers are also co-editing the JIBP SI on “Populism and International Business Research: Where We Are, Where We Should Be.” The SI submission deadline for manuscripts is March 15, 2022. The workshop in January will serve as an opportunity for scholarly conversation about research projects in development for submission to the SI. Paper acceptance or rejection for the workshop does not carry implications for SI review processes.

Workshop Submission Requirements

The workshop will accept two types of submissions with no preference between the two types. Author information should be included. For formatting questions beyond what is specified below, please refer to JIBP submission guidelines (https://www.palgrave.com/gp/journal/42214/authors/presentation-formatting).

1.       Paper Proposals

Proposals should be written in English and not exceed a total of seven (7) pages and 4000 words – five (5) pages for the body which can include charts, graphs, diagrams, and up to two (2) pages of references. The 4000-word count includes all text in the charts, graphs, diagrams, and references.

Only electronic submissions of proposal(s) submitted to the conference contact below ([log in to unmask]) before October 31 23:59 CET will be accepted. A maximum of two (2) proposals may be submitted per submitting author.

We seek original, unpublished work to move the scholarly conversation on populism in IB forward. Proposals may be rooted in or derived from prior work, but the submitted proposal must reflect significant development. Any proposal submitted that is judged to be identical or substantially similar to work already published, presented or under review for another conference or publication, will not be considered for the workshop.

Proposals are easiest to handle if submitted in PDF format. MS Word (or equivalent) will also be accepted. The title should be listed in the header of each page. Please use single spacing and 10 points font or larger.

All proposals received by the deadline date (October 31, 2021) are deemed as original and final.

2.       Full working papers

Papers in later stages of development may also be submitted as “full” working papers including analyses and interpretation. For this submission format, please consider the submission requirements for JIBP submission. Due to the developmental nature of the winter conference, submissions need not be “polished” for journal submission, but should include all relevant sections as per JIBP submission policies (https://www.palgrave.com/gp/journal/42214/authors/presentation-formatting).

All other requirements for proposal submission apply to full working paper submissions. For example, a maximum of two (2) working papers may be submitted per submitting author.

Workshop Expenses and Accommodations

There is no attendance fee for the workshop, but registration is required. In order to register, please contact Thomas Lindner under [log in to unmask]. The deadline for registration is December 15, 2021. Refreshments will be provided to all in-person attendees, accommodation and breakfast/lunches/dinners are to be covered by in-person attendees (invited senior faculty excepted). Workshop organizers can support in-person attendees with finding and booking hotels and transportation. In-person attendees are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Those wishing to attend the workshop via online technologies (Zoom) will be given a link for specific sessions at both WU and UI. Registration is still required for online attendees.

Attendees can choose to participate in only part of the workshop, but are encouraged to attend the full workshop to benefit from extended opportunities to meet and learn from other attendees, including graduate students, junior faculty, and senior faculty.   

Contacts and Further Information:

Thomas Lindner

Professor of International Management

University of Innsbruck

Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck

Phone: +43 512 507 9560

E-Mail: [log in to unmask]

Senior Faculty Members (list to be extended):

• Sinziana Dorobantu (New York University)
• Igor Filatotchev (King’s Business School London)
• Christopher Hartwell (ZHAW School of Management and Law)
• Thomas Lindner (University of Innsbruck)
• Jakob Müllner (WU Vienna)
• Jonas Puck (WU Vienna)
• Paul Vaaler (University of Minnesota)

Manuscript Submission Procedure and Deadlines:

• October 31 (end-of-day): Submission of working papers to [log in to unmask]
  • Please follow the JIBP guidelines for manuscript formatting: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/journal/42214/authors/presentation-formatting
• November 15 (end-of-day): Notification of acceptance (Preference to young scholars)
  • The selection criteria include:
    • relevance to the conference topic
    • theoretical and methodological novelty and rigor
    • clarity of presentation
• December 1: Final decision on in-person elements considering the Covid-19 situation
• December 15: Registration deadline for in-person and online attendees
• January 10-14 winter conference
• March 15, 2022: Submission to the Special issue of the Journal of International Business Policy

Preliminary Conference Program (all times in CET). Note: participation only in part of the workshop week is possible:

• January 9: Arrival in Vienna at conference hotels
• January 10: Conference Day 1 at WU Vienna (Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Wien)
• January 11: Conference Day 2 at WU Vienna (Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Wien)
• January 12: Travel day from Vienna to Innsbruck (direct hourly train link)
• January 13: Conference Day 1 at University of Innsbruck (Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck)
• January 14: Conference Day 2 at University of Innsbruck (Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck)
• January 15: Departure Day

Note: Conference participants may join for pre-conference activities in Vienna or post-conference activities in Innsbruck. For details, please reach out to [log in to unmask].

References

Devinney, T. M., & Hartwell, C. A. 2020. Varieties of populism. Global Strategy Journal, 10(1), 32-66.

Kobrin, S. 1987. Testing the bargaining hypothesis in the manufacturing sector in developing countries. International Organization, 41: 609-638.

Robinson, R. 1963. International business policy. New York, NY: Holt:  Rinehart & Winston.

Rodrik, D. 2018. Populism and the economics of globalization. Journal of International Business Policy, 1(1), 12-33.

Vernon, R. 1971. Sovereignty at bay: The multinational spread of U.S. enterprise. New York, NY: Basic Books.