Call for Papers: 35th EIBA (European International Business Academy) Annual Conference

35th EIBA (European International Business Academy) Annual Conference
Reshaping the boundaries of the firm in an era of global Interdependence
Valencia, Spain, - December 13th-15th, 2009

Globalisation is forcing companies to reshape their boundaries and causing business
leaders to rethink corporate strategies within the firm. Moreover, it is creating the basis for new ways of doing international business, new international institutions, and the rise of new protagonists in the international arena. The effects of this global interdependence are also being felt at the more aggregate levels of industries, financial markets and countries economies. The evolution of these trends has rendered obsolete some of the basic understandings of IB theory and practice, including traditional notions regarding the nature of the boundaries of the firm and even the definition of the multinational enterprise itself.
Boundaries of the firm are increasingly porous. Questions such as which activities
should be conducted “inside” or “outside” the firm, which activities should be done
“local” or “abroad” and which activities should be done “alone” or with “other” firms
have become urgent in today’s business context. New organizational forms, such as
inter-firm networks, global strategic alliances, alliances with NGOs, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, franchising organizations, offshoring/outsourcing structures, international new ventures, international entrepreneurs and on-line communities, frame a broader picture and force researchers towards a new reconceptualization of the role and scope of international firms in this era of global connectivity. New thinking concerning the ways in which these international firms configure themselves internally to coordinate and control their different units and develop organizational learning capabilities extend the reach of previous moretraditional research. Moreover, the manner by which these firms interact with their local environment and the perceived social and environmental consequences of their actions force a much more complex set of relationships across firms, governments and societies.

The conference especially invites both theoretical and empirical contributions to shed further light on these issues. In addition to contributions focusing on the main theme of the conference, papers and panel proposals are invited on a wide range of international business topics. Ten conference tracks have been set up that cover both traditional questions and emergent fields of investigation in international business.

Papers

Full papers should be submitted to the track chair related to the topic (see the list below). All submissions will be double-blind-refereed. The authors should submit

their papers through http://www.adeit.uv.es/eiba09, indicate the appropriate track
number and category (the most polished papers can be submitted as competitive
papers; less finished papers as workshop papers, while shorter work-in-progress
pieces as poster papers) and follow the guidelines of the International Business
Review.
(http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/authorinstruc
tions ).
Please remove all information from the paper revealing your identity. Track chairs
will make the final decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of the
submissions and regarding classification between the three categories (competitive
papers, workshop papers or posters)
1. IB theory and boundaries of the firm
Chair: Gabriel R. G. Benito. BI-Norwegian School of Management
Gabriel.r.g.benito@bi.no
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Offshoring and global sourcing
- Fragmentation of production and modularization
- The economic organization of multinationals
2. International corporate strategies
Chair: Esther Sánchez-Peinado. University of Valencia
Esther.Sanchez@uv.es
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Choice and change of foreign operation methods
- Internationalization and networks
- Diversification strategy and international performance
3. Organizational structures and subsidiary evolution
Chair: Ulf Andersson. Copenhagen Business School
Ulf Anderson. Copenhagen Business School
ua.smg@cbs.dk
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- International structures and international strategic approaches
- Subsidiary roles and performance determinants
- Headquarter-subsidiary relations
4. Internationalisation process, entrepreneurship and international marketing
Chair: Alex Rialp. Autonomous University of Barcelona
Alex.rialp@uab.es
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Understanding the international entrepreneur
- Pace and direction in internationalization
- International service marketing
5. Managing knowledge and innovation in International Business
Chair: Bent Petersen. Copenhagen Business School
Bp.smg@cbs.dk
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Knowledge acquisition and sharing
3
- Internationalization of R+D
- Intra-firm and inter-firm networks for innovation
6. International human resource management and cross cultural management
Chair: Jaime Bonache. Cranfield Management School
Jaime.bonache@cranfield.ac.uk
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- IHRM strategies and practices
- Managing diversity in organizations
- The role of culture in the internationalization of the firm
7. Clusters, location and local linkages
Chair: Ram Mudambi. Temple University
Ram.mudambi@temple.edu
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Institutional environment of locations
- MNCs an local economic development
- Conceptualization and evolution of clusters
8. MNE from emerging countries
Chair: Esteban Garcia-Canal. University of Oviedo
egarcia@uniovi.es
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Inward and outward FDI to and from emerging economies
- Uniqueness of emerging market economies
- Multinationals on the periphery
9. Social responsibility, corporate governance and qualitative research methods
Chair: Rebecca Piekkari. Helsinki School of Economics
rebecca.Piekkari@hse.fi
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- Ethical and social perspectives on MNC activity
- Contemporary governance issues in international firms
- Qualitative methods in International Business
10. International finance, trade and policy issues
Chair: Xose H. Vázquez. University of Vigo
xhvv@uvigo.es
Examples of topics under this track include, among others:
- International finance, accounting and taxation
- Relationships between governments and MNCs
- International trade and development
Panels
Panel proposals should include a two-page description of the main research
question, the main themes addressed by the panel and the potential contribution of
the discussion of this topic to the IB. In addition, they should include the names of
the chair and at least four other panellists, at least two of whom should argue for
one viewpoint and at least two for the opposite one. Panel proposals should be also
submitted through http://www.adeit.uv.es/eiba09 .


The EIBA Doctoral Tutorial

EIBA Doctoral Tutorial will be held on December 13th, 2009. The tutorial provides
an opportunity to doctoral students to discuss their research plans and their work in
progress and get acquainted with leading scholars in the field of International
Business and other colleagues working in the field. The students who are selected
to participate in the Tutorial will be requested to present a short paper about their
thesis proposal. Participating students are required to also attend the EIBA Annual
Conference, immediately following the Tutorial. There is a reduced registration fee
for students. An award of 1000 EUR will be given to the student who presents the
most promising thesis proposal.

The applicant should send a three-page (including figures or tables) abstract (Times
12 font, single line spacing) of the doctoral research currently being undertaken
and a CV mentioning the number of months (years) the applicant has been working
on the doctoral thesis and the name of the main thesis advisor. The students should
submit their papers through http://www.adeit.uv.es/eiba09

The abstracts should be divided into the following sections:
(1) the central research
question addressed (a brief statement of the topic and of the issue or problem that
motivates the research) [10%];
(2) theory and literature review [20%];
(3)research design, data and methodology (including hypotheses in the case of
quantitative methods, and the methods of measurement and the generative
questions that will guide grounded theory building in the case of those using
qualitative methods) [30%];
(4) expected results and summary of the evidence of
the study thus far (including an outline of any preliminary findings if applicable)
[20%];
(5) expected contribution and its significance to scholarship in the IB field
[10%]; and
(6) conclusions, and remaining concerns or problems to be overcome
[10%].

Deadline

The deadline for the submissions of full papers and panel proposals is July 15th2009 and for thesis proposals is September 1st, 2009.
The authors will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals by September 15th, 2009.

Fees
The member and student fees cover EIBA membership for one year and include
subscription to EIBA’s official journal International Business Review, conference
participation, lunches and dinners mentioned in the program, tea/coffee during
breaks and a CD-ROM with full papers. The accompanying person’s fee includes
dinners mentioned in the program.
Registration
Before October 15th, 2009 After October 15th, 2009
Members € 485 € 510
Students and
accompanying persons
€ 250 € 290

Accommodation
The Organizing Committee has pre-booked some rooms in various hotels of
different categories close to the Conference Venue from 13th until 16th December
2009. Please remember that the number of rooms is limited. We recommend you to
make your reservation as soon as possible. Deadline for making the booking is 13th
November 2009.
To book a room please fill in the reservation form and fax or email it to the hotel
selected. The hotel will confirm your reservation. Payment must be made at the
hotel before your departure

Conference venue

The venue for the 35th EIBA Annual Conference is the Fundación Universidad
Empresa –ADEIT of the University of Valencia. It is a modern building, located
in the historical city centre of Valencia and very close to the conference hotels and
to most historic buildings and monuments.
Additional information
More information about the conference is available from the homepage:
http://www.adeit.uv.es/eiba09
José Pla-Barber
Local Chair
Joaquin Alegre.
Academic Programme