Entrepreneurship: Psion and Europe

This article is drawn from the first of the 1998 Stockton Lectures which focus on the subject of entrepreneurship. Here, David Potter, the founder of Psion, uses his own experience to identify the challenges facing business in Europe in a world of rapid and continuing change. For him, the key equation is Risk=Opportunity.     

The Global Corporation: Sharing the Regulatory Responsibility

This article, based on the first of the 1999 Stockton Lectures, argues that the effective management of the global economy cannot be left to government: that international corporations have a crucial role too. Corporations that play this role can shape and be ahead of the public policy curve and thereby often gain competitive advantage. The public policy game between governments and international business can be co-operative and a positive sum game. If it is not, both sides will be weakened. Success is likely to elude companies adopting strategies that run against the grain of public policy. marketplace, and that it is to society's benefit that they should so do.     

Business practices and peace in post‐conflict zones: lessons from Cyprus

Existing literature on business and peace is in need of more examples of business practices, and at a more dissaggregated level, within conflict‐sensitive regions that promote peace. This article examines whether business practices within a conflict‐sensitive region, the island of Cyprus, are consistent with existing business and peace literature and how the specific business practices promote peace. In particular, the article examines in detail two business practices: Green Line Trade and cross‐territorial joint ventures and promotions. Our findings suggest that existing business activities in Cyprus are consistent with those proposed by the literature, but their significance in promoting peace was limited. We propose an alternative explanation for why such business practices were pursued in Cyprus at the time, drawing on studies of identity‐based conflicts. And we suggest that business has a unique role to play compared with other public institutions when addressing identity conflict. Finally, we suggest that both theoretical and empirical studies of business and peace should include consideration of how business practices might help alleviate identity‐related issues in conflict‐sensitive regions.     

Resolving International Conflict: What Role for Business?

This second 1996 Stockton Lecture focuses on poverty as a cause of international conflict - and on what businesses can do or avoid doing to reduce it. Poverty, Roddick argues, fuels revolution. And while the western armaments industry is especially to blame, big institutions like the World Bank and the multinationals have all contributed to causing conflict. Her answers to the problem include more "microenterprise" and fair trading initiatives by multinationals in local communities in the developing world. Her central message is that business "must not only avoid hideous evil; it must actively do good".     

The Challenge Today: Changing the Rules of the Game

As the information age takes over from the industrial age and change accelerates, the key challenge for each company is to become the architect of revolution in its industry, leaving other companies to play catch-up. The author argues that the key competitive advantage for companies intent on winning in the new economy is non-linear innovation. Companies need to shift from a product-centric view of innovation to a systemic view of innovation: ie innovation of the business model itself. This article is derived from the last of the 1998 Stockton Lectures, delivered in April.     

The Ukraine/Russia conflict: Geopolitical and international business strategies

The Ukraine and Russian conflict is one of the most pressing current global business issues. It has become a political and social issue that is influencing business practices around the world. While the topic is popular in the mainstream business press, there has been relatively little academic work on the topic. To address this gap, this article discusses the impact of the conflict on international business in terms of the perception by society about Ukrainian or Russian business activities. This means highlighting how a conflict can involve direct military intervention but also social interaction. This article reveals that there are many effects on global business stemming from the Ukraine–Russian conflict many of which are currently known, but others will be known in the future. Managerial implications are stated in the article that highlights the cultural and social impact of the crisis as well as future research suggestions for international business researchers that stress the importance of the conflict.     

Operationalizing peace through commerce: Toward an empirical approach

Most scholars would agree that the goal of business is to create value. Yet, can there be anything more valuable than peace? This article tackles the following research question: How can, or do, businesses advance peace? It explains why peace through commerce is a topic worthy of study and sets out an empirical approach to operationalize it. The implementation of that approach remains in the future, but in this article, I seek to examine the contours of a possible approach. The proposed study will demonstrate how some businesses have already begun to move toward advancing peace and will give direction for how businesses could follow suit in the future. With both a content analysis and a panel data analysis, there would be data to help determine an index for peace through commerce, which would contribute a great deal to the existing body of literature. The proposed study will help scholars and practitioners alike understand the relationship between business and peace better.     

Stockton LectureBuilding an Entrepreneurial Economy: Lessons from the United States

In the second of the 1998 Stockton Lectures, Professor Bygrave argues that the secret of US economic success has been and continues to be its innovative and entrepreneurial culture. He identifies the industries, companies and individuals which most typify entrepreneurial innovation in the US and discusses the reasons why they succeeded. He concludes with a case history of Massachusetts, the cradle of the US industrial revolution more than a hundred years ago and still at the leading edge of US competitive advantage.     

Business,peace, and world politics: The role of third parties in conflict resolution

With the growing role of the private sector in global politics comes increasing challenges and opportunities, an example of which is conducting business in pre- and post-conflict environments. While the extant business literature discusses the work these actors can do to reduce tensions in conflict zones, the role of these actors is notably absent in studies of conflict resolution. In this article, I offer an overview of the findings on conflict resolution processes by scholars in the field of political science. I then draw from business scholarship and offer an overview of the positive contributions the private sector can and does make toward peace. I conclude by highlighting the problems of having disjointed approaches and offering a conceptual framework for how these distinct approaches can be combined to generate a more comprehensive understanding of conflict resolution.     

The attitudes of business majors toward the teaching of business ethics

Business majors were tested for their attitudes toward the teaching of business ethics in university business education. Respondents indicated that they considered ethics an important part of a business curriculum and that they preferred integrating ethics into a number of different courses rather than taking a separate compulsory or elective ethics course. Ethical business practices were seen by respondents as increasing profit and return on investment and creating a positive work environment and public perception of the organization.Karen Stewart is an Assistant Professor at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She has taught undergraduate business courses for over ten years and has published in the areas of educational marketing, business school accreditation, marketing by nonprofit agencies, and business ethics.Linda Felicetti is a Professor of Marketing at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She has published in the areas of retailing, educational marketing, marketing of nonprofit organizations, and business ethics.Scott A. Kuehn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication in 1987. His research interests include the study of computer communication and the educational application of computers in higher education.     

Navigating Strategic Inflection Points

In this first of the 1997 Stockton Lectures, the speaker reflects on the turning points which can make or break even the strongest of businesses. How can managers distinguish a "Strategic Inflection Point" from the normal hurly–burly of corporate life? What generic series of actions are necessary to convert the threats of change into opportunities? What are the implications for managers as individuals with their own careers and responsibility for the careers of those working under them? Throughout the article the generic issues are illustrated with examples ranging from small–town retailing to X–ray vision.     

Hybrid business models for peace and reconciliation

Despite growing interest in business for peace, there is little insight into how the organizations involved combine societal aims with economic ones in their business models. Literature has exemplified ‘hybrid organizations’ that seek to pursue both for-profit and non-profit activities and are specifically set up with this mission, usually in stable Western countries. However, already existing, traditional organizations that aim for mixed forms of economic and social value creation have been underexposed, and that applies even more for organizational forms that address peace in difficult settings. To help fill these gaps, this article sheds light on different degrees of hybridity of a range of organizations operating in a (post-)conflict region. It shows how 53 organizations in between the non-profit/for-profit extremes pursue different combinations of social and economic goals, maintain and develop relationships with stakeholders, and interact progressively with markets and institutions. We also present a hybridization continuum and classification scheme that is applicable beyond our specific context. While different degrees of hybridity in objectives, perspectives, and relationships exist, key dimensions are frequent interactions with stakeholders, awareness of development and reconciliation issues, and personal commitment. We identify hybridity aspects relevant to management and discuss implications for business scholars and practitioners.     

The Information Society – the EU Framework

On January 1 1998, the crucial European Commission Directive concerning full competition in telecommunications markets comes into force. In this abridged version of the last of the 1997 Stockton Lectures, the Member of the Commission who was responsible for it outlines the route to its implementation. This story is part of the broader issue of the way the European Union (EU) has approached the questions raised by the evolving information society. Starting with the establishment of the internal single European market in 1992, the author traces the elimination of public monopolies in telecommunications, the Commission's changing approach to regulation and the way that public fears have been allayed by use of pilot projects. He then examines the significance of technological convergence and globalisation for economics, politics and culture.     

International business,innovation and ambidexterity: A micro-foundational perspective

Research on international business and innovation has accumulated a vast body of knowledge which has assisted in comprehending complex international management issues in diverse international settings. Yet, the existing studies have not paid sufficient attention to the multifaceted aspects of innovation and ambidexterity. We join the conversation with international business and innovation by suggesting that investigating the micro-foundations from a multidisciplinary perspective situated in varying international contexts can advance our collective understandings of the phenomena in important ways. This paper has three general objectives. First, we show that innovation and ambidexterity has been a long-standing issue in international management and business studies and provide an overview of the puzzles that underpin and trigger this special issue. Second, we highlight the key insights and contributions of the papers included in this special issue by reviewing their theoretical underpinnings, methodological approaches and findings. Finally, we outline a future research agenda that can help advance on international business and innovation research.     

Leadership in the promotion of peace: Interviews with the 2015 Business for Peace honorees

Ethical leadership can lead to many positive organizational outcomes. Previous studies have shown a correlation between ethical conduct and profitability; in addition, firms that have high ethical standards have fewer legal issues. The existing ethical leadership literature assumes a stable external environment. The business and peace literature, on the other hand, assumes instability but has thus far largely ignored the role of leadership within companies as a possible driver of peacebuilding activities. The practitioner community has already begun to recognize that leaders of organizations are the key drivers of change in the peacebuilding context. The Business for Peace Foundation, the foremost organization in the practitioner community, gives its annual award to business leaders who promote peace within their organizations and communities. These Business for Peace honorees represent the ‘ethical leadership’ qualities of peace promotion, without reference to academic theories in either area. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the 2015 Business for Peace honorees and combined those with their public speeches at the Business for Peace events to examine what role these business and peace leaders saw between ethical leadership and peace promotion. Unlike the academic research that suggests only a theoretical and sometimes a direct but tangential connection to peacebuilding, the honorees highlight the direct and visible connection of ethical leadership to peace in unstable environments. We begin by describing the relevant business for peace and ethical leadership literatures. Then we highlight the significant aspects of the interviews and speeches and relate these to the prevailing theories of both business and peace and ethical leadership. Our findings suggest that ethical leadership may be an important missing link within the business and peace literature as an avenue for peace promotion, and that the leadership literature may be ignoring an important positive impact of ethical leadership.     

Cross-Cultural Difference's Impact on International Business Negotiation

Cross-culture is the most important character of international business negotiation, just because of this difference in culture caused some cultural clash or conflict in international business negotiation, and most of the negotiation ended up in failure because of this. So to know about both party's cultural background,avoid some conflicts caused by cultural difference is critical to a successful international business negotiation. This article begins with cultural difference, talk about the cultural difference's impact on international business negotiation,give some examples to show that the understanding of cultural difference is important in international business negotiation. At the end, the article tell us that when we are negotiating we must take well care about cultural difference, know different culture, choose the best plan and strategy, so we can well understand each other, each other's advantage and disadvantage to gain win-win cooperation.     

Research on emerging-market multinational enterprises: Extending Alan Rugman’s critical contributions

We summarize Rugman’s contributions to the literature on emerging-market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) and propose directions to extend his work. We first review his work, where he extended his early research on international business theories to understand the nature, positioning, and activities of EMNEs. EMNEs typically exhibit home-based firm-specific advantages (FSAs) yet lack host-based and non-location-bound FSAs. Most of their sales or assets are focused on the domestic market. Given that the goals of EMNEs may conflict with or complement those of their home or host governments, EMNEs either receive government support or face regulatory barriers. We propose several directions for further research: investigating the mechanisms (e.g., international acquisitions) through which EMNEs develop strong FSAs, exploring the strategy and performance of state-owned EMNEs (vs. private EMNEs), and constructing comprehensive datasets to test the strategy and performance of EMNEs.     

New Challenges for International Business Research: A Review of Extant Research and the Unique Contributions of John Dunning

Relative to other fields, international business is a young field of study. Tracing its origins to the mid-1950s, the field began to develop unique theories and paradigms in the 1970s and 1980s. The field has developed rich research streams since and has become firmly established as an independent field of study and important part of university curricula. John Dunning (1902–2009) is widely regarded as a father of the field, carving out unique theories from his primary field of economics and through his efforts hiring and training future prominent international business scholars. This article examines the evolution of the international business field and unique contributions of John Dunning's research to the development of extant theory. It then reviews Dunning's last contribution—his fifth and last book entitled New Challenges for International Business Research: Back to the Future.