The Futures of International Business
BAM Symposium and associated special edition of Futures: The journal of
policy, planning and futures studies
Organisers/Special Issue Editors: Professor Ted Fuller and Dr Joanne
Roberts
Call for Symposium Contributions and Special Issue Papers
The umbrella concept of globalisation shadows a variety of models and
diversity of international business. International business has grown
via the opening of trade, the global ambitions of nations, corporations
and international finance and the seemingly insatiable demands of
consumers for low cost products. The sheer power manifest in
international markets has its consequences, such as the pressure on
commodities, threat to the natural environment and the inequitable
quality of life of producers and consumers. Is this trend sustainable,
and if not how and why will it change?
Most academic articles on international business focus on extant
practice and related theory. Efforts to conceptualise
internationalisation from other modal perspectives are required to
address the futures of international business. Theoretically, the study
of international business has developed from understanding it as a form
of market development or colonisation to a much more systematic study of
power relations. But how sustainable are current distributions of power?
Key corporate assets are becoming increasingly ephemeral as the very
foundations of competitive advantage shift from control over natural
resources and production processes to knowledge, innovation and creative
capabilities. How is the balance of power between, for example, the
state and international business, or the worker and multinational
employer, evolving? Are current theories adequate to explain and
understand observed trends and practices at the micro and macro levels
of international business? Do they inform our understanding of the
futures inherent in current practice?
Strategically, organisations have adapted to the changing global
environment, with a variety of business models. The corporate behemoths
of the past, characterised by hierarchy and vertical integration, have
given way to more flexible agile structures, from networked enterprises
to virtual organisations. Information and communication technologies
allow the coordination and control of resources on an unprecedented
scale. Control is no longer exercised merely through ownership but a
combination of surveillance, incentives and privileged access to key
resources. What trends are evident in international business strategy,
how are these changing, what can we expect in future?
Global regulatory institutions such as the World Trade Organisation,
International Monetary Fund, and World Bank reflect 20th century
international economic and political relations. Yet, as globalisation
develops the relative economic and political strength of nations and
their business organisations is changing. Will there be turning points
in the regimes that govern international business as, for example,
enterprises from China and India come to dominate the global landscape?
If so, when, where, why and how will these developments occur?
Futures thinking requires considerable rigour, for example to underpin a
particular scenario with an account of how its production relates to
past and present. Futures thinking demands a clear understanding of the
past, the reasons why the present is as it is and the reasons why the
future will be different from this. Given uncertainty and dynamism, it
is normal in futures thinking to consider how alternative futures
(scenarios) may be created, what leads to them, what their effects will
be, and on whom.
Time is also an important constituent of futures thinking, for example
considering how time lines of activities and outcomes are affected by
cycles, resilience, conjunctions and speed.
The following two strategies are proposed to offer opportunities to
investigate The Futures of International Business:
1 A symposium to be held at the British Academy of Management
conference, Harrogate, 9th -11th September 2008. The main purpose of the
symposium is to offer an opportunity to identify and discuss the key
issues informing future trends in international business. We invite the
submission of abstracts of 500-1000 words for papers to be presented at
the proposed symposium - to be submitted by 18th February 2008.
2. The publication of a Special Issue of the multidisciplinary
journal Futures. We invite the submission of full papers to be
considered for inclusion in a special issue on The Futures of
International Business. Papers should be between 5,000 - 8,000 words -
to be submitted by 28th April 2008.
Papers are invited that elaborate possible futures for international
business. They must be grounded in extant theory and evidence and their
investigation of possibilities should open up new conceptual space that
may sensitise researchers and practitioners to unconsidered future
possibilities that may impact on strategies and on research questions.
Papers submitted to the journal and presented at the symposium will be
considered for inclusion in the Futures Special Issue, which is
scheduled for publication in the first quarter of 2009.
All submissions should be sent as Microsoft Word, or Rich Text Format,
file attachments to both Ted Fuller ([log in to unmask]) and Joanne
Roberts ([log in to unmask])
Futures is a multidisciplinary journal concerned with medium and
long-term futures of cultures and societies, science and technology,
economics and politics, organisations and corporations, environment and
the planet and individuals and humanity. It is cited in the main
indexes and has an impact rating of .738 (Dec 07)
Covering methods and practices of futures studies, the journal seeks to
examine possible and alternative futures of all human endeavours.
Futures seeks to promote divergent and pluralistic visions, ideas and
opinions about the future. The editors do not necessarily agree with the
views expressed in the pages of Futures.
Papers submitted are subject to peer review. The recommended length for
the main papers is 5000-8000 words, plus illustrations. Contributions
are normally received with the understanding that their content is
unpublished material and is not being submitted for publication
elsewhere; otherwise the authors should consult the editors when
submitting the manuscript.
For further information see the Futures website at:
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30422/descr
iption#description
Notes on symposium organisers/ special issue editors:
Ted Fuller is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Foresight at
Teesside Business School, UK. His research includes anticipatory
management, new technology and enterprise sustainability. He has
published extensively on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and
entrepreneurship focusing on the creation of better futures for
enterprises. He is a member of the international advisory board of
Futures: The Journal of policy, planning and futures studies.
Joanne Roberts is a senior lecturer in management at Newcastle
University, UK. Her research interests include knowledge intensive
services, new information and communication technologies and knowledge
transfer, communities of practice and the internationalisation of
services. She has published widely in these areas. She is co-founder and
co-editor, with George Cairns, of the international journal Critical
Perspectives on International Business.
---------------------------------------
Dr Joanne Roberts
Senior Lecturer in Management
Newcastle University Business School
Newcastle University
Room 20, 2nd Floor
Armstrong Building
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU. UK
Tel: +44 (0) 191 222 6232
Email: [log in to unmask]
Co-Editor of 'Critical Perspectives on International Business'
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/cpoib/cpoib.jsp
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