Nurturing International Business research through Global Value Chains literature: A review and discussion of future research opportunities

This article offers a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature on Global Value Chains (GVCs). The GVC framework has received growing attention in the last decade, providing theoretical concepts and analytical tools to understand and assess patterns of value creation in view of the new international division of labour. In this area, a broad overlap of research interest exists with the international business (IB) literature. Yet, few interactions between the two fields of study have been recorded so far. Performing a quantitative content analysis on all academic publications on GVCs in the period 1994−2018, this paper describes the evolution of GVC studies, emphasizing points of contact and potential synergies with the IB literature. It also identifies research opportunities along the four key dimensions of the GVC framework: geographical and industrial scope, governance, upgrading, and institutional context.     

The Development of International Business as an Academic Discipline

Abstract

This article reviews the emergence of international business (IB) as an academic discipline through an examination of IB research, curriculum, and location within the organisational structures of universities and business schools. A selective review of the literature on IB education is used to identify different approaches to the formulation of the IB curriculum and its constituent parts and principal features: internationalisation of business functions; integration of constituent subject areas; multidisciplinary and strategic orientation. This is used to derive a number of pedagogic implications for both teachers and students of IB: sequencing and ordering of the curriculum; revealing the ontology and epistemology of IB; breadth versus depth in the curriculum; emphasising a study of or for IB; locating and structuring IB within a modular programme; class room practice for delivering the IB curriculum.     

Twenty-five years of business systems research and lessons for international business studies

Since 1992, the national business systems (NBS) approach has been increasingly used to analyse not only firm characteristics, structures and strategies within NBS, but also the nature of international business and its interactions with both national and transnational institutions. In reviewing 25 years of NBS literature, we heed calls in IB journals urging researchers to use NBS notions and findings in IB research. Our systematic review of 96 articles analyses the patterns and contributions of NBS literature, revealing four thematic junctures: (1) comparative business systems, (2) firm internationalisation and the management/organisation inside MNCs, (3) the role of internationalisation in the development of organisational capabilities and innovation and (4) the emergence of transnational communities in and across firms and societies. Themes are described in terms of (a) the research questions (RQ) they focus on, (b) how NBS approach investigates the RQ and what are the major findings, (c) how IB frames and approaches the same RQ, (d) how does the NBS approach extend the perspectives of IB and (e) what are the problems faced by NBS in terms of developing further insights into the RQ. Our review contributes to the recent endeavour of IB research to institutionalism, encouraging a productive dialogue between IB and NBS research.     

Three Pathways to Case Selection in International Business: A Twenty–Year Review,Analysis and Synthesis

With its focus on locational context, International Business (IB) is a prime candidate for the application of Case Study (CS) methodology. Yet many IB scholars still have doubts about CSs, possibly because strategies for their selection and disclosure procedures may lack rigor. The purpose of this article is to document and discuss CS selection in IB research, make suggestions for improvement, and thus raise the standard and status of CS research.Using qualitative content analysis, this paper examines CS selection strategies in four IB journals (1995–2014), relating them to chosen theoretical purposes and logics employed. Our results indicate that 12% of the 333 investigated CS articles lacked a section on methodology, and 41% of papers reported no indication of how CSs were selected. Drawing insights from the dataset, we propose and distinguish between theory-driven and phenomenon-driven CS selection approaches. In light of our evidence, best-practice papers are identified and apportioned to coherent pathways connecting theoretical purpose, logic and CS selection strategies. In doing so, we address the link between case selection and theorizing in CSs and advocate greater methodological sophistication and transparency of CS selection reporting in IB research.     

Following their predecessors’ journey? A review of EMNE studies and avenues for interdisciplinary inquiry

In this review article we take stock of international business (IB) research on emerging economy multinational enterprises (EMNEs) over the past three decades. Our review covers 690 articles published in 64 high-impact peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2021 (inclusive). We first present bibliometric findings on some key patterns of this vast body of scholarly work. We then conduct content analysis to critically assess this literature and provide a multilevel synthesis of the existing knowledge base. To do so we propose a theoretical framework that highlights three dimensions – micro-foundations, organizational characteristics, and institutional environment – by which the distinction between EMNEs and their predecessors, namely multinational enterprises (MNEs) from advanced economies, is investigated. At each level, we seek to understand EMNEs’ convergence with and divergence from their predecessors in terms of their motives, strategies/approaches, and outcomes of internationalization. Through this process we identify opportunities to move EMNE research forward through interdisciplinary inquiry, and we propose several avenues for future research.     

Gender in international business journals: A review and conceptualization of MNCs as gendered social spaces

The paper reviews 105 contributions published in journals pertinent to the field of International Business (IB) between 1991 and 2014 and details four main conceptualizations of gender: how women are compared against men, how gender is treated as a control variable and a cultural macro variable, and how gender is 'done' in international organizations. The review reveals that positivist epistemological assumptions dominate the IB field and that the current understanding of gender is limited. To advance the research, the paper develops the notion of MNCs as gendered social spaces and explains why the IB field would benefit from a more nuanced understanding and incorporation of gender relations into its analyses and discussions. The paper outlines theoretical and methodological advances associated with the reconceptualization of MNCs as gendered social spaces.     

The selection,use, and reporting of control variables in international business research: A review and recommendations

This study explores the selection, use, and reporting of control variables in studies published in the leading international business (IB) research journals. We review a sample of 246 empirical studies published in the top five IB journals over the period 2012–2015 with particular emphasis on selection, use, and reporting of controls. Approximately 83% of studies included only half of what we consider Minimum Standard of Practice with regards to controls, whereas only 38% of the studies met the 75% threshold. We provide recommendations on how to effectively identify, use and report controls in IB studies.     

The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development

This article examines how the international business (IB) literature has addressed social responsibility issues in the past 50 years, highlighting key developments and implications from a historical perspective. Specific attention is paid to the Journal of World Business (JWB), which has covered the whole period and published relevant articles related to these issues, in comparison to the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS), the other long-standing IB journal. The article outlines that they illustrate different conceptualizations of IB and social responsibility. The 50-year review shows three subthemes: the (green) environment; ethics, rights and responsibilities; poverty and (sustainable) development. These are discussed consecutively, including main contributions and promising areas to further the field.     

Multinational enterprises and corporate tax planning: A review of literature and suggestions for a future research agenda

Corporate tax planning by the multinational enterprise (MNE), that is, the MNE’s ability to plan its tax affairs by using a multitude of strategies to reduce its tax bills legally, is a central research question in the literatures of international business, public economics, tax, finance, law and accounting. Underlying theoretical assumptions, approaches to empirical testing, profit shifting estimation strategies and findings are varied. Thus, it is important to conduct a critical literature review. In this paper, we offer new insights by studying the phenomenon from the international business (IB) perspective. We survey the academic literature on the MNE and corporate tax planning to examine the extent of knowledge on this topic and identify areas that we hope will stimulate interest among IB scholars for further research. We find materials across disciplines that are relevant to IB readers. We examine 120 articles in 51 scholarly journals and classic books published during the period 1966-2017. We identify the key mechanisms and the firm characteristics that may influence corporate tax planning. We suggest a research agenda where IB research can make clear contributions.     

The Evolution of International Business Textbooks

As a field of study, international business (IB) has evolved with accelerated tempo in the last four decades. The subject has brought with it an increasing plethora of textbooks. We analyze the contents of major textbooks, both classic and new, to find the extent to which these textbooks cover the various components of the common body of knowledge in IB, as organized around a conceptual model. Using this model, we study some 27 textbooks published between 1976 and 2008, and categorize their content. Our primary objective is to determine the extent to which there is commonality among textbooks. Additionally, we study the evolution over time in the content of the same textbooks from one edition to the next and explore the reasons for these changes. We present the results in graphic and tabular forms, depicting areas where themes may converge or overlap. This study’s conclusions will contribute to a better understanding of the epistemological roots of the field and its evolution over time. Scholars who write textbooks, textbook users, and publishers will benefit from this analysis.     

Global cities: A multi-disciplinary review and research agenda

Multinational enterprise (MNE) location decisions are central to international business (IB) scholarship and research shows that global cities are key MNE investment locations. Despite growing awareness of their importance to MNEs, most literature on global cities resides outside the IB domain. To provide IB scholars with a foundation to advance global city research, we conduct a multi-disciplinary review of top journal articles organized into three themes: the nature of global cities, MNE strategic decisions in global cities, and outcomes of MNE investment in global cities. We use this framework to synthesize findings, discuss theoretical implications, and provide future research directions.     

The creation and diffusion of international business research

“W(h)ither U.S. Hegemony in International Business Research?” by Grigorios Livanis and Michael Geringer, is an excellent effort to encompass the growth of international business (IB) scholarly research worldwide. This commentary examines the implicit assumptions and models of their analysis, showing that IB models are useful in explaining the scholarly growth of IB.     

An assessment of hierarchical linear modeling in international business,management, and marketing

International marketing research, in most cases, involves at least two levels (e.g., firms within countries) that make the hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) a suitable data analysis technique. Due to its robustness, the use of HLM in the international business (IB) research has increased substantially over the last decade. However there is still a lack of standardization in the fundamental issues that hinders the wide spread use of HLM. This study provides unified approach to HLM use in IB research by providing standards for appropriate use of HLM. To achieve this goal, a detailed analysis of the method's use in 42 IB studies is provided and these studies are compared with 104 non-international studies to determine where IB research stands in terms of HLM use. Finally this study focuses on the good HLM practices and offers suggestions designed to maximize the effective use of HLM and potential in international business studies.     

Historical social network analysis: Advancing new directions for international business research

Despite repeated calls for incorporating history in IB research, progress has been slow. The few existing IB studies utilizing historical approaches have relied mostly on historical narrative approaches. In addition, there is little methodological guidance on how to use historical methodologies in IB research. This article will highlight a growing methodological approach for consideration, one that demonstrates intersections across multiple disciplines through use of varied techniques, historical analysis and social network analysis (SNA) and source-bases (varied archival sources). This study will demonstrate the richness obtained from utilising historical source collections and the additional perspectives on transnational networks that can be obtained from analysing networks over longer periods. Specifically, we argue that the use of historical mixed methods SNA is suitable in addressing calls for contextual, longitudinal, multilevel, and processual explanations of IB phenomena.     

Contextualizing international business research: Enhancing rigor and relevance

Context differentiates international business (IB) from traditional Business research. Along with many IB scholars, we argue that context should be much more adequately emphasized in IB research. Location differences are commonly ignored; complexity and polycomplexity--and other levels of analysis issues--are rarely acknowledged; and the relevance of models and theory developed in Western contexts is not adequately questioned or explored. This paper suggests contextualization guidelines for scholars to enhance the rigor of their research and to make their IB research more relevant for practitioners. In conclusion we suggest solutions for closing rigor and relevance gaps in IB research by enhancing contextualization.     

International vertical alliances within the international business field: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

International vertical alliances (IVAs) have garnered increasing scholarly interest in the strategy and international business (IB) literature. Our review of 111 papers published in major IB journals from 2000 to 2020 sheds light on the antecedents, key mediators, moderators and outcomes of IVAs. To generate insights, we juxtaposed forward and backward alliances and compared IVAs with their domestic vertical and horizontal counterparts. In this paper, we highlight key areas for future IVA research, including—but not limited to—broadening the scope of the investigation in order to integrate new theories and methods suited to examine such alliances in the IB field.     

Mobile social commerce content,consumer emotions and behaviour

Mobile social commerce (MSC) is exhibiting a growing interest from businesses and buyers due to the increasing number of mobile app users and combination of e-commerce and sharing features of MSC platforms. The limited existing research on MSC recommends that the impact of MSC platform features/content on consumer behaviour should be further explored, while the social commerce literature emphasizes the necessity to investigate impulse buying (IB) and social participation (SP). Thus, this study adopted the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory to investigate the impact of MSC content's usefulness, interactivity, entertainment and authenticity, built from the literature, on consumer emotions (arousal and pleasure), and their relationship with IB and SP. A sample of 345 Generation Y Chinese consumers was employed, while responses were collected through a survey, being used partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling to test our hypotheses. Significant relationships were established between the content characteristics and emotions, entertainment exhibiting the strongest impact on arousal, and authenticity on pleasure. Arousal had a significant impact on pleasure, and arousal and pleasure significantly affected IB and SP, with arousal displaying a stronger impact. This research expands the MSC theory through the grouping of content characteristics, documentation on the impact on consumer emotions, the relationship between arousal and pleasure, and the effect on both IB and SP, extending the SOR theory applicability. Practical recommendations for Generation Y MSC marketing are proposed. The model could be extended by introducing privacy concern, content personalization, perceived risk as independent factors, and trust and planned behaviour as explained variables.     

Cross-national research and international business: An interdisciplinary path

Comparative cross-national research is among the oldest approaches of scientific inquiry in the social sciences. We investigate the foundations of published works in cross-national research (CNR) in international business (IB), sociology, and psychology with an eye on leveraging their rich traditions for future IB research. Our approach aims to contribute and address repeated calls for taking an interdisciplinary approach in IB. We examined published CNR in 106 scholarly journals and identified 817 articles with 51,738 citations in IB, 477 works with 30,017 citations in sociology, and 835 articles with 54,519 citations in psychology. We use metric multidimensional scaling to examine the co-citation data for each field and identify knowledge and approaches commonplace in sociology and psychology to propose future research paths in IB. In particular multilevel analysis, which is scarcely used in IB, offers the potential of unfolding new dimensions within the field. Based on the emergent results from our MDS solutions, we recommend multiple future paths for CNR, particularly with respect to IB relationships, market entry, and related domains.     

Riding the waves of family firm internationalization: A systematic literature review,integrative framework,and research agenda

Despite the proliferation in research efforts, family firm (FF) internationalization scholarship suffers from fragmentation, theoretical limitations, and empirical indeterminacy, leaving important facets unexplored. This article’s purpose is to unpack how this body of research has evolved over time and interfaces international business (IB) theory. We conduct a systematic literature review of relevant theoretical and empirical studies covering the last 30 years of research and comprising 134 articles. Our study contributes to this corpus of knowledge by identifying and discussing four evolutionary waves of FF internationalization research. We further advance an integrative framework that offers a comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art as well as promising avenues for future research at the intersection of IB and FFs.