Asian contexts and the search for general theory in management research: A rejoinder

“Asian Management Research Needs More Self-confidence” (Meyer, 2006) generated a surprisingly extended and diverse set of responses from Asia and beyond. In this rejoinder, I draw together a few lines of arguments that have emerged in that debate with the aim of moving the debate—and thus Asian management research agendas—forward. In particular, I argue that context is a crucial variable to explain management behavior, yet for practical reasons, it has been neglected in research published in top journals. Thus, I challenge management scholars in Asia and beyond to devise new research strategies to enhance our understanding of the contextual boundaries of our knowledge.

Klaus E. MeyerEmail: URL: www.klausmeyer.co.uk

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Klaus E. Meyer   (PhD, London Business School) is currently Professor of Strategy and International Business at the University of Bath. He has previously served 8 years on the faculty of Copenhagen Business School, and held visiting appointments at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and National Cheng-chi University, Taipei. His research focuses on the strategies of multinational enterprises in emerging economies, especially foreign entry and growth strategies in Eastern Europe and East Asia. He has a personal website at . This is Professor Meyer’s third contribution to APJM.