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Call for Papers
Information
Technology and International Business Theory and Strategy Development
Saturday,
March 27, 2004
Philadelphia, PA
Over the years, two fundamental
counteracting forces have shaped the nature of international business
operations and research. The same counteracting forces have been
revisited by many authors in such terms as “standardization vs.
adaptation” (1960s-70s), “globalization vs. localization” (1970s-80s),
and then “global integration vs. local responsiveness” (1980s-90s).
If the recent explosive growth of information technology (IT)
is considered, one could suggest a new IT-relevant one, “online
scale vs. offline sensitivity,” to the litany of the supply-side
and demand-side counteracting forces.
Although terms
have changed, the quintessence of the strategic dilemma that globally
operating companies face has not changed and may even remain unchanged
for years to come. Are these terms just fashionable dichotomous
(either/or) concepts of the time without some deep meanings? Or
has something inherently changed in the nature of global strategy
and competition under the influence of IT? Indeed, more recent
views suggest these counteracting forces are no longer an either/or
issue. Forward-looking, proactive firms have the ability and willingness
to accomplish both tasks simultaneously.
As a result, changes wrought
by IT are profound and need to be expressly incorporated in international
business (IB) theory development. Theoretical concepts (e.g.,
transaction costs, information asymmetry, and cultural distance)
and operational concepts (e.g., product development cycle, product
differentiation, and market segmentation) may need to be recast
in light of the growth of IT.
In this research forum
we wish to foster a dialogue among scholars studying the effect
of IT on IB strategy and theory development in an attempt to develop
a more integrated view of the working of the modern MNCs in the
global marketplace. About twelve papers will be selected
for presentation at the 5 th Annual IB Research Forum at Temple
University, scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2004. The Temple
CIBER and The Irwin Gross e-Business Institute will the presenters'
travel and lodging expenses. Subsequently, the best papers
from the research forum will be published in a Special Issue of
the Journal of International Management .
Manuscript Submission
. All manuscripts should be submitted electronically
by December 19, 2003 to Journal of International
Management Office at jim@sbm.temple.edu . Alternatively,
a disk copy may be submitted to Journal of International Management
Office, The Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University,
349 Speakman Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122, U.S.A. Manuscripts
are submitted with the understanding that they are original, unpublished
works and are not being submitted elsewhere.
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