Call for journal papers. Special Issue on The process of firm growth

Call for papers

Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management And Innovation

Entrepreneurship thematic area

The process of firm growth

Edited by:

• Marta Gancarczyk, Jagiellonian University, Poland
• Jon Mikel Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, University of Deusto, Spain

Contemporary research on firm growth has been vitally developing since the 1980s, when the phenomenon of gazelles was described as both critical to economic growth and rare in the population of enterprises (Birch, 1981, 1994; Storey, 1994; Coad, 2009; Acs et al., 2008). Studies on firm growth have evolved into three major streams (Davidsson et al., 2006; McKelvie and Wiklund, 2010). The first is directed at growth as an outcome, identifying the determinants and predictors of expansion, such as the characteristics of the entrepreneur(s), the firm and its strategy (Storey, 1994; Barringer et al., 2005; Coad, 2009). The second stream focuses on the outcomes of growth, exploring the conditions and methods of managing the company that expanded its scope and size, and is reflected in the stage or life-cycle models (Levie and Lichtenstein, 2010). Finally, the third and most current stream intends to explore the process of growth, i.e. how expansion is implemented and achieved, in terms of the entrepreneurial motives, economic rationale, mechanisms, environmental influences and modes (organic, external/acquisitive or hybrid modes, such as joint venture, licensing or franchising) (Davidsson et al., 2006; McKelvie and Wiklund, 2010; Stam, 2010; Leitch et al., 2010; Wright and Stigliani, 2013).

Major theoretical foundations of firm growth were laid by E. Penrose (1959) and evolutionary economists (Nelson and Winter, 1982) and they further developed into the resource-based approach to decision-making on firm scope and size (Peteraf, 1993, Wernerfelt, 1984; Barney, 1991; Hamel and Prahalad, 1990; Kogut and Zander, 1992). Concepts such as core competence and core-related capabilities, absorptive capacity (Cohen and Levinthal, 1990; Zahra and George, 2002) and dynamic capabilities (Teece et al., 1997, Teece, 2007) have explanatory power as to the motives and rationale for expansion). The heterogeneity of firm capabilities is reflected in the differences in their competitive positions and the ways firms achieve growth. The resource-based view of the firm, is often confronted but also combined with more external, environment-oriented view of transaction cost theory (Williamson, 1999; Tsang, 2000; Foss, 2005; Argyres and Zenger, 2012). This approach is particularly relevant for considering how firms can grow (mechanisms and modes of expanding the firm boundaries – i.e. their scope and size) (McKelvie and Wiklund, 2010; Williamson, 1975, 2005). It can be thus posited that the expansion process results from the assessment of capabilities and expected value relative to uncertainty and transaction costs.

We invite both theoretical and empirical papers that discuss the broad issue of firm growth process, namely:

• - Entrepreneurial motivations and attitudes towards growth: opportunity exploitation, perceptions of risk and uncertainty;
• - Economic rationale for growth: increasing value and strengthening the competitive position, strengthening the position relative to buyers and suppliers;
• - Stimuli and impediments to company growth at the firm, industry and country levels;
• - Mechanisms of growth: including causal relationships among the growth determinants (success factors and barriers), and the logic of the expansion, such as capability exploitation or exploration;
• - Different modes of expansion, namely, organic, acquisitive and hybrid forms, including joint ventures, licensing and franchising; criteria of the mode choice, benefits, challenges, and performance outcomes from these specific modes;
• - Science-based entrepreneurship as a possible mechanism for firm growth: drivers and impediments of knowledge transfer with a special emphasis on science-based industries; evaluation of public policy for science-based entrepreneurship – rationale, stakeholder groups, outcomes;
• - Innovations as drivers of firm growth: the role of product, process, organizational and marketing innovations and their scope (newness for the world, for the firm and for its market);
• - Economic relevance of firm growth at the national and regional levels: inputs into employment, value added, exporting activities, etc.

One-page abstracts should be sent to jemi@wsb-nlu.edu.pl, by May 1, 2015. The authors of the proposals that fit into the theme of the special issue will be invited to submit a full paper by October 1, 2015. The papers will undergo a double-blind review. Submissions must be in English, should be no more than 15 pages single spaced in length (up to 8000 words), and follow the submission requirements posted on the JEMI website at http://jemi.edu.pl/pl/submission.html. The publication is planned as issue 1 in 2016.

References:

• Acs, Z., Parsons, W., Tracy, S. (2008). High-Impact Firms: Gazelles Revisited. Washington: Small Business Administration.
• Argyres, N., Zenger, T. (2012). Capabilities, Transaction Costs, and Firm Boundaries. Organization Science, 23(6), 1643-1657.
• Barney, J. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
• Barringer, B., Jones, F. & Neubaum, D. (2005). A Quantitative Content Analysis of the Characteristics of Rapid-Growth Firms and Their Founders. Journal of Business Venturing, 20(5), 663-687.
• Birch, D., Medoff, J. (1994). Gazelles [in:] Solmon, L, Levenson, A. (eds.), Labor Markets, Employment Policy and Job Creation. Boulder: Westview Press, 159-168.
• Birch, D. (1981). Who Creates Jobs? The Public Interest, 65, 3-14.
• Coad, A. (2009). The Growth of Firms: A Survey of Theories and Empirical Evidence. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Cohen, W., Levinthal, D. (1990), Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 35(1), 128-152.
• Davidsson, P., Delmar, F. & Wiklund, J. (2006). Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Foss, K., Foss, N. (2005). Resources and Transaction Costs: How Property Rights Economics Furthers the Resource-Based View. Strategic Management Journal, 26(6), 541.
• Hamel, G., Prahalad, C. (1990), The Core Competence of Corporation. Harvard Business Review, 68(5-6), 600-620.
• Kogut, B., Zander, U. (1992). Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology, Organization Science, 3(3), 383–397.
• Leitch, C., Hill, F. & Neergaard, H. (2010). Entrepreneurial and Business Growth and the Quest for a Compre­hensive Theory: Tilting at Windmills? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(2), 249–260.
• Levie, J., Lichtenstein, B. (2010). A Terminal Assessment of Stages Theory: Introducing a Dynamic States Approach to Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(2): 317-350.
• McKelvie, A., Wiklund, J. (2010). Advancing Firm Growth Research: A Focus on Growth Mode instead of Growth Rate. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(2), 261-288.
• Nelson, R., Winter, S. (1982). An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Penrose, E. (1959). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Peteraf, M. (1993). The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage: A Resources-Based View. Strategic Management Journal, 14(3), 179-191.
• Stam, E. (2010). Growth beyond Gibrat: Firm Growth Processes and Strategies. Small Business Economics, 35(2), 129-135.
• Storey, D. (1994). Understanding the Small Business Sector. London: Routledge.
• Teece, D. (2007), Explicating Dynamic Capabilities: The Nature and Microfoundations of (Sustainable) Enterprise Performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13), 1319-1350.
• Teece, D., Pisano G. & Shuen, A. (1997). The Dynamic Capabilities of Firms: An Introduction. Industrial and Corporate Change, 3(3), 537-556.
• Tsang, E. (2000). Transaction Cost and Resource-Based Explanations of Joint Ventures: A Comparison and Synthesis. Organization Studies, 21(1), 215-242.
• Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A Resource-Based View of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(2), 171-180.
• Williamson, O. (1975). Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Antitrust Implications. New York: The Free Press.
• Williamson, O. (1999). Strategy Research: Governance and Competence Perspectives. Strategic Management Journal, 20(12), 1087–1108.
• Williamson, O. (2005). The Economics of Governance. The American Economic Review, 95(2), 1-18.
• Wright, M., Stigliani, I. (2013). Entrepreneurship and Growth. International Small Business Journal, 31(1), 3-22.
• Zahra, S., George, G. (2002). Absorptive Capacity: A Review, Reconceptualization, and Extension. Academy of Management, 27(2), 185-203.

Call for papers: The Competitive Advantage of Nations: 25 Years After

Special Issue of the Competitiveness Review

“The Competitive Advantage of Nations: 25 Years After”

Christian Ketels (editor)


In 1990 Michael Porter published “The Competitive Advantage of Nations”, proposing a comprehensive framework to understand the competitiveness of locations. The book triggered a rich academic debate; up to now, Google Scholar registers more than 35,000 citations. Numerous countries, regions, and clusters have launched efforts to upgrade their competitiveness, motivated by Porter’s work.
In this special issue we aim to collect two groups of papers, reflecting on the impact that the book had on theory and practice. First, we want to explore how the thinking on competitiveness has evolved over time. In the academic community there has been an on-going debate about the nature of the competitiveness concept, and the policy implications it might have. Twenty-five years after the Competitive Advantage of Nation was published, it is time to see where we have ended up so far. Second, we want to learn from a number of specific country and region cases in which Porter’s framework provided the foundation for specific diagnostics and policy action. Practitioners have been looking at Porter’s competitiveness framework as a way to organize their economic policies. With the experience of these efforts over the last twenty-five years it is time to take stock and draw conclusions for policy practice going forward.
We are inviting a number of authors from academia and the policy community to this special issue. We also encourage submission from other authors, which will then go through the normal review process of the journal.

Submissions:

• Papers will be subject to double-blind peer review, according to author guidelines available at: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/cr.htm
• Submissions to Competitiveness Review are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/comprev (please select the correct special issue from the drop-down menu)

• Submission deadline : May 15th 2015 

About the Editor:

Christian Ketels is a member of the Harvard Business School faculty where he serves as the Principal Associate of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He is the President of the TCI Network, the leading global network of practitioners in competitiveness, clusters and innovation. Together with Prof. Philippe Gugler, University of Fribourg and Chairman of the European International Business Academy (EIBA, he is the editor of the Competitiveness Review. Email: cketels@hbs.edu.

Call for papers. Special Issue on: Internationalisation and Competitiveness of Emerging Economy Firms

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets

http://www.inderscience.com/info/ingeneral/cfp.php?id=2647

Special Issue on: "Internationalisation and Competitiveness of Emerging Economy Firms" Submission Deadline 28th February 2015

Guest Editor:

• Prof. Murali D.R. Chari, Lally School of Management, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA

Enhancing competitiveness of emerging economy firms has been held up by scholars as an important motivation for the international expansion of emerging economy firms. Competency seeking, for example, has been attributed as a more pronounced motive for the international expansion of emerging economy firms, whereas competency exploiting is typically considered the dominant motive for the international expansion of advanced economy firms.
There is, however, a dearth of studies that have documented empirical evidence on the relationship between international expansion and the subsequent strengthening of emerging economy firm competitiveness. This special issue seeks to promote and publish research that addresses this void.
Theoretically grounded empirical studies are preferred. Carefully developed theoretical papers are also welcome. Studies can be focused on firms from one or more emerging economies. To maintain consistency and shared understanding, countries classified by the International Monetary Fund as emerging market and developing economies would be considered as emerging economies for the purpose of this special issue.

Subject Coverage

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• · How does foreign expansion enhance the competitiveness of emerging economy firms in their home country markets and in international markets?
• · Does the relationship between foreign expansion and the subsequent enhancement of emerging economy firm competitiveness vary by international entry/expansion mode such as exports, joint ventures and wholly owned operations?
• · Can we empirically document the relationship between different modes of international expansion and various measures of emerging economy firm competitiveness (e.g. market share, productivity relative to competitors, and profitability relative to competitors) after allowing for time lags necessary for the development of competencies?
• · Does foreign expansion into advanced economies and other emerging economies contribute differently to the competitiveness of emerging economy firms?

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper was not originally copyrighted and if it has been completely re-written)
All papers are refereed through a double blind process.
All papers must be submitted online. Please read our Submitting articles page

Important Dates

• Manuscript submission: 28 February, 2015
• Reviewer reports: 1 June, 2015
• Revised paper submission: 1 September, 2015
• Final paper submission: 1 October, 2015

Call for conference papers: From Local Voids to Local Goods: Can Institutions Promote Competitive Advantage?

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SOCIETY SPECIAL CONFERENCE

From Local Voids to Local Goods: Can Institutions Promote Competitive Advantage?

Santiago, Chile
March 19-21, 2015

We hope this e-mail finds you well. We are organizing the forthcoming special conference of the Strategic Management Society in Santiago, Chile, on March 19-21, 2015. We would like to call your attention to the conference and ask you to consider submitting your work. Please feel free to share this message with your colleagues and students.

The overall theme of the conference is “From Local Voids to Local Goods: Can Institutions Promote Competitive Advantage?” We seek to cover many issues related to how domestic firms, multinationals, business associations and governments interact to create sustainable advantage. Tarun Khanna will be a key note speaker talking about “Institutions and Strategy in Emerging Markets.” We will also have panels stimulating discussions on the foundations of strategy. For instance, Jay Barney and Margaret Peteraf will share their thoughts on the evolution and future directions of the Resource-Based View.

Other speakers include Joan Enric Ricart, Stephen Tallman, and Margarethe Wiersema, as well as distinguished academics participating in panels focused on a broad range of topics, includingJay Anand, Sharon Alvarez, Sandro Cabral, Betrand Quelin, Maria Tereza Fleury, Peter Klein, Gerry McDermott, Felipe Monteiro, Aldo Musacchio, Roberto Vassolo and Carmen Weigelt. In addition, on March 19 we will have a doctoral consortium organized by Ronaldo Parente, Christian Felzensztein and Sergio Olavarrieta.

More details of the conference can be found in the website http://santiago.strategicmanagement.net/featured_speakers.php. We are accepting submissions (7-page proposals) for Paper, Common Ground and Panel sessions. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2014.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Santiago!

Sincerely,

Jorge Tarzijan
Luiz Mesquita
Sergio Lazzarini

Call for special issue: From Emerging to Emerged: A Decade of Development of Dragon Multinationals

Asia Pacific Journal of Management

Special Issue and Conference on

“From Emerging to Emerged: A Decade of Development of Dragon Multinationals”

• Submission Deadline: April 15, 2015
• Conference Place and Date: December, 2015 (tentative dates)
• Venue: Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
• Estimated Date of Publication: November 2016

Special Issue Guest Editors:

• Jane Lu (University of Melbourne and National University of Singapore)
• Xufei Ma (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• Lucy Taksa (Macquarie University)
• Yue Wang (Macquarie University)

Special Issue Consulting Editors:

• Mike Peng (University of Texas at Dallas)
• Ravi Ramamurti (Northeastern University)

Conference Sponsor:

Department of Marketing and Management, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.


In 2006, the Asia Pacific Journal of Management (APJM) published an influential article “Dragon multinationals: New players in 21st century globalization” (Mathews, 2006a, 23:5-27). In this conceptual article, John Mathews (Macquarie University, Australia) defines firms from the periphery—especially those from the Asia Pacific region—as ‘dragon multinationals’. The author develops a new model to illustrate the three pillars common in these firms’ pattern of accelerated internationalization and summarizes them into his linkage, leverage, and learning (LLL) model.

According to Mathews (2006a), for dragon multinationals, the best and the quickest way to capture global opportunities and to tap into global resources is first to link up with firms around the global, second to leverage such links to overcome resource barriers (including foreign direct investment (FDI) through acquisitions), and third to learn to build up their own capabilities in a cumulative fashion. These three pillars of linkage, leverage and learning are what make dragon multinationals’ international expansion distinctive from the internationalization pattern of Western incumbents.

To the extent that firms that lack initial resources may take advantage of the increasingly interconnected global economy in a pattern consistent with the LLL model, the LLL model may become one of the dominant paradigms in international business (IB) research in the 21st century, just like how the OLI model was viewed by the IB and management community in the 20th century. We do not know whether this significant paradigm development will happen, but the fact that John Mathews’ article won the second APJM Best Paper Award in 2009 and became the second most cited APJM paper ever (with over 600 Google Scholar citations) in just a few years after its appearance in 2006 is a strong signal that the IB and management community may just be ready to embrace such a paradigm development. However, whether such a paradigm development will materialize (Dunning, 2006; Narula, 2006) is at least dependent on two critical issues, which will be addressed in this Special Issue. First, do we have accumulated sufficient evidence to suggest that there is indeed a need for a new paradigm such as the LLL model to account for a very different internationalization process? Second, nearly ten years since Mathews (2006a), do we have sufficient knowledge about ways that those already emerged dragon multinationals (such as Acer, Li & Fung, and Lenovo that appeared in Mathews’ original article) manage their global operations?

To further enrich our understanding of the merits and limits of the LLL model, we also call for papers that provide new theoretical or empirical insights to help us better understand the internationalization patterns and strategies adopted by firms from the rapidly developing Asia Pacific region including those are still emerging and those already emerged in the global stage. To the extent that management problems remain the same over time while their solutions differ from part of the world to part of the world (Hostede, 2007), we also welcome manuscripts that look at the impact of the emerging or emerged dragon multinationals on the strategies and behaviours of Western MNEs in different parts of the world.

Overall, this Special Issue provides an opportunity to (1) reflect on John Mathews’ influential article on the then emerging dragon multinationals, and (2) bring together research on recent development of those dragon multinationals that are already emerged in the global market as well as research on the interactions between these (relatively) new players and incumbent western players in an increasingly interconnected global business environment. To serve these purposes, manuscripts are not restricted to, but could deal with the following topics:

• Empirical studies to test the validity of the LLL model in a broader range of firms (including but not limited to emerging and emerged dragon multinationals). 
• How the strategies, structures, and management practices (e.g. how to manage the challenge of diverse workforce) adopted by those emerged dragon multinationals differ from MNEs from the West and Japan.
• How the LLL model and OLI model complement or substitute each other.
• How the expansion of dragon multinationals to regions such as Africa and Australia affects the strategies of Western MNEs in these regions.
• How the pattern of expansion of dragon multinationals is affected by varying institutional conditions in their home countries.
• What the performance implications are as a result of the expansion of dragon multinationals.

Papers for the Special Issue should be submitted electronically to the APJM Online Submission System at https://www.editorialmanager.com/apjm/, and identified as submissions to the “From emerging to emerged: a decade of development of dragon multinationals” Special Issue. The deadline for receipt of papers for this special issue is April 15, 2015. The format of submissions must comply with submission guidelines posted at the APJM website.

Papers will be double-blind peer-reviewed. We will make initial editorial decisions by July 1, 2015. Authors invited to revise and resubmit their work will be invited to present the papers at a Special Issue development conference hosted by the Department of Marketing and Management at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

The papers accepted and presented at the special issue conference will be considered for publication in the Special Issue of the APJM. Presentation at the conference does not necessarily guarantee publication in the special issue. The combination of a development conference and a Special Issue nevertheless follows a highly successful APJM initiative to bring out the full potential of authors and papers.

For questions about the special issue, please contact any of the Special Issue Editors:

• Jane Lu, Professor, Department of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne; and National University of Singapore. Email: jane.lu@unimelb.edu.au
• Xufei Ma, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong. Email: xufei@cuhk.edu.hk
• Lucy Taksa, Professor, Department of Marketing and Management, Macquarie University. Email: lucy.taksa@mq.edu.au
• Yue Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Marketing and Management, Macquarie University. Email: yue.wang@mq.edu.au

References:

• Hofstede, G. (2007). Asian management in the 21st century. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 24: 411-420.
• Dunning, J. H. (2006). Comment on Dragon multinationals: New players in 21st century globalization. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 23: 139-141.
• Narula, R. (2006). Globalization, new ecologies, new zoologies, and the purported death of the eclectic paradigm. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 23: 143-151.
• Mathews, J. A. (2006a). Dragon multinationals: New players in 21st century globalization. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 23: 5-27.
• Mathews, J. A. (2006b). Responses to Professors Dunning and Narula. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 23: 153-155.

Call for papers: Clusters and MNEs innovation strategies

Special Issue of the Competitiveness Review

Clusters and MNEs innovation strategies

Editors: Philippe Gugler and Christian Ketels

Submission deadline : August 30th 2014


The Competitiveness Review invites research papers in the field of clusters and MNEs innovation strategies and in particular on the role of clusters in home and host countries as location advantages fostering MNEs competitiveness
The evolution of the global economy and improved access to goods and resources from distant locations have placed knowledge at the core of firms’ competitive advantages (Zander and Kogut, 1995, p. 76; Jensen and Szulanski, 2007, p. 1716; Sala-I-Martin et al., 2012, p. 7). As a result of their ability to supersede the market and internalize the benefits of the geographic distribution of their activities, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have distributed their value chain around the world and implemented a global network of subsidiaries that allow them to take advantage of the specific profile of different environments (Sölvell, 2002, p. 3; Ketels, 2008, p. 124; Mudambi and Swift, 2011, p. 1).
Firms are constantly driven to generate new knowledge to maintain a competitive edge (Sala-I-Martin et al., 2012, p. 7). The important role of the internationalization of R&D has been studied in detail since the 1990s (Kummerle, 1997; Cantwell et al., 2004, p. 58; Criscuolo, 2004, p. 39). Since the 1980s, strategic asset-seeking investments have exhibited increased importance as a significant motivator for FDI and have helped explain the increased internationalization of R&D (Dunning and Narula, 1995; Dunning, 1998, p. 50).
Because MNEs have the special ability to internalize the benefits of their geographic dispersion of activities, they can significantly improve their competitive advantages by spreading their activities across locations and taking advantage of the specificities of each business environment (Sölvell, 2002, p. 3; Dunning, 2008, p. 83). Innovation scholars have analyzed the tendency of innovative activities to concentrate spatially (Kline and Rosenberg, 1986; Freeman 1991; Nelson 1993; Malmberg et al., 1996). As noted by Maskell and Malmberg (1999, p. 172) and Asheim and Gertler (2005, p. 292), tacit knowledge represents a key ingredient in the development of unique capacities and innovations.
Although the literature on innovation and new knowledge generation has provided significant documentation of the benefits of agglomeration, few studies have analyzed the role of clusters in the global innovation strategies of knowledge-intensive MNEs (Dunning, 1998, p. 60; Birkinshaw and Sölvell, 2000, p. 3; Tavares and Texeira, 2006, p. 1; De Beule et al., 2008; p. 224; Asmussen et al., 2009; Mudambi and Swift, 2010, p. 463). Knowledge capabilities and innovation are the main drivers of a firm’s competitiveness (Zander and Kogut, 1995, p. 76; Jensen and Szulandski, 2007, p. 1716).
Clusters appear to be a unique source of knowledge dissemination and generation and may play an important role in the global innovation strategy of MNEs (Birkinshaw and Sölvell, 2000; Tavares and Teixeira, 2006; Mudambi and Swift, 2010). Defined in their strictest sense as “geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions in particular fields” (Porter, 1998, p. 197-198), clusters provide an environment that is particularly conducive to innovation. In addition to the positive influence of clusters on productivity and new business creation, recent empirical studies have confirmed the role of clusters in the stimulation of innovation (Jaffe, 1989; Feldman, 1994; Baptista, 2001; Audretsch et al., 2005; Breschi et al., 2005; Cumbers et al., 2008; De Beule et al., 2008).
By referring to the traditional notions developed in the international business (IB) literature, clusters not only offer strong CSAs for regions and countries but also represent unique sources of FSAs for MNEs in their perpetual quest for new knowledge and innovation. Clusters represent a new target for strategic asset-seeking investments in the global innovation strategies of MNEs that we could label “CSA-cluster.” As highlighted by Rugman and Verbeke, “(…) an FSA may be developed internally from three possible geographic locations, each associated with particular CSAs: a home country operation, a host country operation, or an internal network whereby operations in various countries are involved” (2001, p. 240).
These three dimensions are particularly important for knowledge-intensive MNEs to improve their FSAs. The acquisition and generation of new knowledge through home and host cluster relationships may constitute a unique source of new knowledge and innovation for MNEs (Park, 2011; Yao et al., 2013; Nell and Andersson, 2012). (Note: this text above is extracted from a paper in progress of Gugler, Keller and Tinguely).

Themes of this special issue

We welcome submissions that provide a contribution through interdisciplinary approaches. We invite conceptual papers and empirical studies based on qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Potential themes includes, but are not limited to:

• · How MNEs develop innovative capabilities thanks to their location with host countries’ clusters?
• · Which kind of interactions with clusters’ members are the most appropriate for MNEs to operate R&D and innovate?
• · To what extend clusters constitute an important asset for countries to attract technology intensive MNEs?
• · To what extend clusters constitute a valuable alternative to other mean to get access to foreign technology?
• · How MNEs may organize and manage their internal and external networks in combination with clusters activities within their home and host countries?
• · How clusters constitute powerful home and host CSAs and how to consider clusters in the literature based on the interactions between FSAs and CSAs?
• · Do clusters create negatives externalities for firms that may induce some firms to adopt specific strategies to avoid that their knowledge being “lost” through spillovers within a cluster ?
• · How cluster initiatives may play a crucial role to attract technology intensive MNEs?

Submissions:

1. All papers will be subject to double-blind peer review, according to author guidelines available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/cr.htm
2. Submissions to Competitiveness Review are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/comprev (please select the correct special issue from the drop-down menu)

Submission deadline : August 30th 2014

Papers will be published in 2015.

References:

Asheim, B.T. and Gertler, M.S. (2005), “The Geography of Innovation – Regional Innovation Systems,” in J. Fagerberg, D. C. Mowery and R. R. Nelson (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Innovation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 291-317.

Asmussen, C.G., Pedersen, T. And Dhanaraj, C. (2009), Host-Country Environment and Subsidiary Competence: Extending the Diamond Network Model, Journal of International Business Studies 40 (1): 42-57.

Audretsch, D.B., Lehmann, E.E. and Warning, S. (2005), University Spillovers and New Firm Location, Research Policy 34: 1113-1122.

Baptista, R. (2001), Geographical Clusters and Innovation Diffusion, Technological Forecasting and Social Change 66 (1): 31-46..

Birkinshaw, J. and Sölvell, Ö. (2000), Preface, International Studies of Management and Organization 30 (2): 3-9.

Breschi, S., Lissoni, F. and Montobbio, F. (2005), “The Geography of Knowledge Spillovers: Conceptual Issues and Measurement Problems,” in S. Breschi and F. Malerba (eds.), Clusters, Networks, and Innovation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 343-376.

Cantwell, J., Glac, K. and Harding, R. (2004), The Internationalization of R&D – The Swiss Case, Management International Review 44 (3): 57-82.

China. In: Henderson, J.V. & Thisse, J.F. (eds.). Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, Vol 4. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Criscuolo, P. (2004), R&D Internationalisation and Knowledge Transfer: Impact on MNEs and their Home Countries. Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology.

Cumbers, A., MacKinnon, D. and Chapman, K. (2008), “Innovation, Collaboration and Learning in Regional Clusters: A Study of SMEs in the Aberdeen Oil Complex,” in C. Karlsson (eds.), Handbook of Research on Innovation and Clusters, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 300-317.

De Beule, F., Van Den Bulcke, D. and Zhang, H. (2008), “The Reciprocal Relationship between Transnationals and Clusters: A Literature Review,” in C. Karlsson (eds.), Handbook of Research on Cluster Theory, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Dunning, J.H. (1998), Location and the Multinational Enterprise: A Neglected Factor?, Journal of International Business Studies 29 (1): 45-66.

Dunning, J.H. (2008), “Space, Location and Distance in IB Activities: A Changing Scenario,” in J.H. Dunning and P. Gugler (eds.), Foreign Direct Investment, Location and Competitiveness, Oxford: Elsevier, 83-110.

Dunning, J.H. and Narula, R. (1995), The R&D Activities of Foreign Firms in the US, International Studies in Management Organization 25: 39-73.

Economic Literature, American Economic Association, 28 (4), pp. 1661–1707.

Feldman, M.P. (1994), The Geography of Innovation, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Freeman, C. (1991), Networks of Innovators: A Synthesis of Research Issues, Research Policy 20: 499-514.

Jaffe, A.B. (1989), Real Effects of Academic Research, The American Economic Review 79 (5): 957-970.

Jensen, R.J. and Szulanski, G. (2007), Template Use and the Effectiveness of Knowledge Transfer, Management Science 53 (11): 1716-1730.

Ketels, C.H.M. (2008), “Microeconomic Determinants of Location Competitiveness for MNEs,” in J.H. Dunning and P. Gugler (eds.), Foreign Direct Investment, Location and Competitiveness, Oxford: Elsevier, 111-131.

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Prof. Dr. Philippe Gugler
Center for Competitiveness
Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
University of Fribourg - Switzerland
Bd Pérolles 90
CH - 1700 Fribourg
tel. +41 26 300 82 26
philippe.gugler@unifr.ch
http://www.unifr.ch/pes
http://www.unifr.ch/competitiveness

Call for papers: South Asian Diasporas: Facilitators of Trade, Investment, and National Competitive Advantage

South Asian Journal for Global Business Research 

Special Issue Call for Papers

South Asian Diasporas: Facilitators of Trade, Investment, and National Competitive Advantage

Guest Editors:

• Masud Chand (Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA)
• Shaista E. Khilji (George Washington University, Washington DC, USA)
• Florian Täube (EBS Business School, Germany)
• Henry Chung (Massey University, New Zealand)

A 3-page abstract due: Dec 1, 2013

Full papers due: April 30, 2014

The countries that make up South Asia have some of the world’s largest and most geographically dispersed diasporas (Chand, 2013). While diasporas have existed for thousands of years, globalization and increasing human and capital mobility have enhanced their importance and left them uniquely positioned to act as facilitators of trade and investment between their countries of origin (COO) and their countries of residence (COR). Modern diasporas have played vital roles in facilitating trade and investments between their COO and COR, including direct activities such as investing in their COOs (Buckley, Wang, & Clegg, 2007; Geithner, Johnson, & Chen, 2005) as well as more indirect facilitation activities such as providing transnational social networks that serve as conduits for trade (Khanna, 2007; Saxenian, 2002; Chand, 2010), helping with institutional and human capital development in the COO (Saxenian, 2006), driving the ‘immigrant effect’ (Chung & Tung, 2013; Chung, Enderwick & Naruemitmongkonsuk, 2010), improving the image of the COO in the COR (Chand & Tung, 2011), introducing the culture of the COO in the COR (Chand, 2010), contributing to ‘soft power’ for the COO (Chand & Tung, 2011), and contributing to technology transfer and capacity development in the COO (Lin, 2010).

The roles of diasporas are undergoing important changes as the pressures of globalization on the one hand and the pull of the homeland on the other presents them with a unique set of challenges. While COOs try to leverage them as assets, there is also pressure to become a part of the COR, leading to emerging questions of cross-national and intra-national identity. The rising level of diaspora return to their COO and the increasing importance of brain circulation give this topic special importance in the twenty-first century. An organized diaspora community, particularly when augmented by large numbers and organizational resources, can command considerable political capital in a host country. This political capital can be used to help improve the nation brand of the COO and in improving its image in the COR.

This special issue call especially welcomes papers focusing on South Asian diasporas, but is not restricted to them. We are also open to conceptual/theoretical papers on diasporas that draw implications for South Asia and its relationship with its diasporas, and comparative research on other diaspora communities that can have lessons for South Asian businesses and policy makers.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Comparisons of diaspora management across countries, with implications for the South Asian region 
• The genesis of individual country diasporas (for e.g., India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) and their role in driving trade and investment between the COO and COR 
• Case studies of South Asian diaspora led organizations that span across multiple countries and explain how they help facilitate trade and FDI 
• Conceptual papers dealing with creating and managing diasporas from a COO perspective 
• The geopolitical importance of South Asian diasporas 
• Challenges of diasporas living in CORs, and its effects on transnational trade 
• Social networks of South Asian diasporas, and their effects on cross-border trade and investment 
• Diaspora led FDI and its effects on policy making in COOs 
• South Asian diasporas as agents of institutional and human capital development in their COO 
• The role of South Asian diasporas in driving the COO effect 
• Diasporas caused by ‘pull’ or ‘push’ effects 
• Conceptual papers on diasporas with implications for South Asian countries and their relationship with their diasporas 
• South Asia as ‘COR’ – intra-regional migration and implications for South Asian diasporas 
• Differences between South Asia and the West as COR 

The guest editors are happy to discuss initial ideas for papers and can be contacted directly via email.

Contributors should note: 

This call is open and competitive, and the submitted papers will be double-blind reviewed as per the editorial policies of the South Asian Journal of Global Business Research.
Submitted papers must be based on original material not accepted by, or under consideration with, any other journal or outlet.
For empirical papers based on data sets from which multiple papers have been generated, authors must provide the guest editors with copies of all other papers based on the same data.
The guest editors will select a limited number of papers to be included in the special issue. Other papers submitted to the special issue may be considered for publication in other issues of the journal at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Deadlines:

We invite authors to email their abstracts (up to 3 pages including references) to Masud Chand, Shaista E. Khilji, Henry Chung, or Florian Täube at: Masud.Chand@wichita.edu, shaistakhilji@gmail.com, H.Chung@massey.ac.nz, or Florian.Taeube@ebs.edu by December 1, 2013 for a review. Authors will be notified of a decision by early Jan 2014. Those invited to submit a full paper (8000 words) will be asked to meet the April 30, 2014 deadline. Please note that all full papers are to be submitted via ScholarOne, and subject to a double blind review before being accepted for publication. We are also open to authors submitting full papers without submitting an abstract first.

Anticipated Publication Date: 2015

About the South Asian Journal of Global Business Research (SAJGBR)

SAJGBR is multidisciplinary in scope. We accept submissions in any of the business fields—Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and Technology—and are open to other disciplines that enhance understanding of international business activity, including anthropology, political science, psychology and sociology, etc. However, authors must clearly underline how their study relates to the advancement of international business theory and/or practice. We are especially interested in manuscripts that integrate theories and concepts taken from different fields and disciplines.

We aim to publish high quality research articles, policy reviews, book reviews, country/practitioner/personal perspectives, conference reflections and commentaries, which contribute to the scholarly and managerial understanding of contemporary South Asian businesses and diaspora. We encourage authors to study relevance of mainstream theories or practices in their fields of interest, critique and offer fresh insights on South Asian businesses and diaspora, as well contribute to the development of new theories.

South Asian Journal of Global Business Research is published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. For more information, please refer to: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/sajgbr.htm

References:

Buckley, P., Wang, C. and Clegg, J. (2007). The impact of foreign ownership, local ownership and industry characteristics on spillover effects from foreign direct investment in China. International Business Review, 16 (2): 142-158.

Chand, M. (2010). Diasporas as Drivers of National Competitiveness. In T.M. Devinney, T. Pedersen, & L. Tihanyi (2010), Advances in International Management: The Past, Present and Future of International Business and Management, Volume 23,(pp. 583-602). New York, NY: Emerald.

Chand, M. and Tung, R.L. (2011) Diasporas as the Boundary-Spanners: The role of Trust in Business Facilitation. Journal of Trust Research, 1 (1), 107-129.

Chung, H.F.L and Tung, R.L. (2013). Immigrant social networks and foreign entry: Australia and New Zealand firms in the European Union and Greater China. International Business Review, 22 (1): 18-31

Chand, M. (2013). The South Asian diaspora- knowledge flows in the age of globalization. In Globalization, change and learning in South Asia (Khilji, S.E., & Rowley, C). Chandos Publishing: Oxford.

Chung, H.F.L., Enderwick, P. and Naruemitmongkonsuk, J. (2010). Immigrant employee effects in international strategy: An exploratory study of international service firms. International Marketing Review, 27 (6): 652-675

Geithner, P., Johnson, P. & Chen, L. (Eds.) (2005). Diaspora philanthropy and equitable development in China and India. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Khanna, T. (2007). Billions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India are reshaping their futures- and yours. Harvard Business School Press, Harvard University Press, Boston, MA.

Kotabe, M., Riddle, L., Sonderegger, P. and Täube, F. (2013). Diaspora Investment and Entrepreneurship: The Role of People, Their Movements, and Capital in the International Economy, Journal of International Management, 19(1): 3-5.

Lin, X. (2010). The diaspora solution to innovation capacity development: Immigrant entrepreneurs in the contemporary world. Thunderbird International Business Review, 52 (2): 123-136.

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs ( 2012). Annual Report 2011-2012. http://www.moia.gov.in/writereaddata/pdf/Annual_Report_2011-2012.pdf

Saxenian, A. (2002). Brain circulation: How high-skill immigration makes everyone better off. http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2002/winter_immigration_saxenian.aspx.

Saxenian, A. (2006). The new Argonauts: Regional advantage in a global economy. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

Sonderegger, P. and Täube, F. (2010). Cluster lifecyle and Diaspora effects: evidence from the Indian IT cluster in Bangalore, Journal of International Management 16(4): 383-397.


___________________________________________

Brian Keilson

Editorial Coordinator

South Asian Journal of Global Business Research (SAJGBR)



www.emeraldinsight.com/sajgbr.htm