2002 Annual Meeting
Academy of International Business
Caribe Hilton - San Juan, Puerto Rico
June 28-July 1, 2002
Call for Papers
Holding our AIB 2002 meeting in Puerto Rico suggests a conference theme that focuses on the interaction of geography and international business. We include not only the geography of microstates such as Puerto Rico, but all varieties of geography. Country characteristics such as size, location (proximity to Triad countries, tropical or temperate zone, border neighbors) and internal geographic features (landlocked, islands, waterways) can be important attractions or deterrents to international business. Much recent IB literature draws its inspiration from geography; consider, for example, the now-familiar terms, "sticky places in slippery space", "hot spots and blind spots", "clusters and networks", "black holes" and "agglomeration economies". At the same time, the absence of geography also is of critical interest to IB scholars; consider the terms "globalization", "death of distance", "cyberspace" and "sovereignty@bay". At the AIB 2002 convention, Geographies and International Business will be the general theme. Some of the questions we would like to address are the following:
- In the past, how has international business shaped geographies, and how have geographies shaped international business? What trends do we expect in the future? What roles do governments and firms play in this process, at the local, national, regional and multinational levels? How are international institutions and nongovernmental organizations such as the WTO and NAFTA altering the economic and political dimensions of geography? How are MNE-state relations affected by these geographic shifts?
- Is geography becoming more or less important for international business? Is the optimal geographic space national, regional or global? Integration schemes (Mercosur, NAFTA) and common currencies (euro) are inducing MNEs to reorganize their affiliates into self-sustaining regional core networks. Region-specific advantages may now be more important than country-specific advantages for firm competitiveness. At the same time, we may be witnessing the "death of distance". The decline in trade barriers and FDI regulations have encouraged MNEs to circle the globe with complex value chains, linked together by intrafirm trade flows. Modern modes of exchange, accommodated by advances in technological platforms (the Internet), are making globalization a reality for many businesses. Which geographic boundary - national, regional, global - is the appropriate mindset for international business managers?
- Clustering of firms is a key characteristic of today's international businesses. Geographic clusters of firms have created "sticky places" within countries and along borders. What are the linkages between MNEs and technology clusters such as Silicon Valley and Bangalore? How can governments create and sustain "hot spots" of innovation and avoid "blind spots"? How are firms, governments and technology changing the role of international financial centers such as New York, London and Tokyo?
- Political economists equate the "old international division of labor" (1900-70) with MNEs from developed countries (North) extracting raw materials from developing countries (South). The "new international division of labor" (1970-90) was based on offshore manufacturing, as MNEs shifted labor-intensive manufacturing stages to export processing zones in the newly industrializing countries of East Asia and Latin America. How is the international division of labor affected by the shift from mass to lean production, the growth in e-business, and the replacement of trade in goods with intangibles and services? How are the transition economies and other emerging market economies being integrated into the international division of labor? Where is Africa in this process? What are the economic, social and political implications of these geographic changes for nations, economic development, and the income gap between rich and poor?
- How can microstates, city-states and other small territories develop and sustain competitive advantage in an increasingly regionalized and globalizing world? What role has FDI played in the development of small countries? Tax havens, tourist playgrounds and export processing zones have been the traditional roles for microstates. Are they roles that will create competitive advantage in the 21st century? Is tax-haven status a credible strategy when the OECD countries are increasingly focusing on eliminating these "black holes" in the tax universe? Small states are home as well as hosts to international businesses. What do we know about multinationals from microstates? How do they differ from traditional MNEs?
- How are the strategies and structures of firms affected by geography? What is the appropriate new "mental model" for MNE managers if the national responsiveness-global integration matrix is no longer appropriate? What are the optimal geographic spaces for functional activities, such as marketing, finance and operations management? Firms also cluster, as strategic alliances and networks, and as business groups (grupos, keiretsu, chaebols); how has geography affected their clustering patterns? How is competitive interaction among rival MNEs influenced by their geographic scope?
- How is the Internet affecting the strategies and structures of international businesses? Does the Internet facilitate the birth of "born global" firms? How is the Internet affecting MNE-state relations? Is sovereignty@bay when business takes place in cyberspace?
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In summary, the conference theme for the AIB 2002 meetings is Geographies - cities, borders, microstates, islands, clusters, conduits, platforms, export processing zones, industrial districts, regions, globalization, cyberspace - and International Business.
Paper and panel submissions are categorized into ten tracks. Select the track closest to your proposal from the list of tracks.
1. GENERAL SUBMISSION PROCESS
Submissions must be electronic (email, web or diskette; email is preferred). Email submissions must
be sent to aib2002@tamu.edu. We hope to have a web-based submission process
also; for further information, please check the AIB website in the early fall.
Submissions sent by regular mail must include a diskette or CD that meets the exact same requirements as the email process (see below). Regular mail must be sent to the following address: Prof. Lorraine Eden, AIB 2002 Program Chair, Department of Management, TAMU 4221, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4221, USA.
All submissions must be received by Monday, December 17, 2001. If possible, please get your submissions in
early! Many universities close down over the winter holidays. Texas A&M will be closed from Dec. 21, 2001,
until Jan. 2, 2002. In addition, with the high volume of mail (paper, courier, fax, email) in December,
disruptions are possible. Mail from overseas may take up to one month in transit. Computer servers can be
overloaded and crash. For all these reasons, we recommend you submit early.
2. SELECTION OF TRACK AND SESSION FORMAT
Authors must make two initial submission decisions: (1) the most appropriate track and (2) the most appropriate type of session format. Select the track from the list in the Call for Papers.
There are three types of sessions constructed from individual paper submissions: competitive, workshop and poster sessions. The most polished papers should be submitted for inclusion in competitive sessions. Less finished papers should be submitted for workshop sessions. Workshops are less formal sessions designed to provide researchers with shared interests the opportunity to discuss their work. Competitive and workshop sessions have chairs and discussants, with normally more papers presented in the workshops. Interactive poster sessions are designed for shorter, work-in-progress pieces. Poster sessions encourage informal, two-way interaction between the author and individuals with similar research interests.
In addition to individual paper submissions, AIB members may submit panel proposals. Panels are complete sessions organized as a single submission by the panel chair. Panels may have a variety of formats. Examples include: traditional presentations of competitive or work-in-progress papers, roundtables with no formal papers, innovative presentations utilizing software or film, and professional development workshops.
Professional development workshops may also be organized as special pre- or post-conference activities.
Individuals interested in organizing such panels are urged to contact the Program Chair, no later than
October 1, 2001, at aib2002@tamu.edu.
3. EMAIL SUBMISSIONS
Email submissions must be sent to aib2002@tamu.edu on or before Dec. 17, 2001.
In the body of your email message, put the following information, in the exact order shown. Also put the exact same bulleted information in a separate MS Word file attached to the email:
- Requested Track (the most appropriate track; list two tracks if two are appropriate).
- Requested Session Format (competitive, workshop, poster or panel).
- Paper Title or Panel Title.
- Four key words that identify your paper or panel.
- Name of the contact author and email address to be used for all correspondence.
- Name, affiliation, mailing addresses, phone, fax, and email addresses for all participants. Please provide personal contact information that will be valid from Dec. 17, 2001 through the conference dates. If you anticipate changing addresses, please include both sets of contact information and the date when the change will take effect.
- 150-200 word Abstract.
- Special requests: Special scheduling requests (e.g., particular dates) must be made at the time of submission. Overhead projectors will be supplied in most rooms; please note any requests for other equipment directly on the submission.
- Volunteer: Please indicate if you are willing to: (1) review paper/panel submissions in January 2002 and/or (2) be a conference chair and/or discussant.
- Word processing program used in the submission (Word or Adobe Acrobat and version).
- Operating system used to prepare the submission (Windows, Mac, etc.).
- A statement that the submission contains only original work that has not been published elsewhere, and that it is not scheduled to be published anywhere.
The actual paper or panel submission should be attached to your email as a single file (see below for specific instructions). That is, your email message should include the bulleted information, and have two file attachments: (1) the same bulleted information as a MS Word file, and (2) your paper or panel submission.
Diskette or CD submissions sent by mail must include both electronic files, together with printed versions of both files.
3.1. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAPER SUBMISSIONS
- Competitive and workshop papers must be less than 10,000 words inclusive of all materials; poster papers no more than 7,500 words.
- Each proposal must state, on its front page at the top right, the requested Track (number and title) and Session Format (competitive, workshop, poster).
- Submissions must be on letter paper, with double-spaced text and a font size of 11 points or larger. Please follow the JIBS Style Guide (see http://www.jibs.net).
- The document file must be submitted either in MS Word or as an Adobe PDF file (Adobe is preferred).
- The entire document must be embedded in a single electronic file. Manuscripts that are submitted as several separate files will be returned to the author and not processed.
- The document file must be checked for viruses with an updated anti-virus software utility before submission. A free virus scanner is available at: http://housecall.antivirus.com/.
3.2. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR PANEL SUBMISSIONS
- Panel proposals must be submitted by the panel chair and include:
- A title page that includes the name and contact information for all participants and identifies their roles.
- An Overview Statement of the main issues in the panel.
- An explanation of why the panel should be of interest to AIB members.
- A description of the session format (e.g., paper presentations, roundtable, professional development workshop).
- A 1 to 3 page synopsis of each presentation/activity.
- Emails or signed letters from each participant, indicating s/he will participate if the panel is accepted.
- Panel proposals should be no more than 5,000 words inclusive of all materials.
- Each proposal must state, on its front page at the top right, the requested Track (number and title) andPanel Session Format.
- Submissions must be on letter paper, with double-spaced text and a font size of 11 points or larger.
- The document file must be submitted either in MS Word or as an Adobe PDF file (Adobe is preferred).
- The entire document must be embedded in a single electronic file. Manuscripts that are submitted as several separate files will be returned to the author and not processed.
4. AFTER SUBMISSION
Authors will be sent an email message from the AIB Program Chair acknowledging receipt of their submission on or before Friday, Dec. 21, 2001. If you do not receive an acknowledgement by that date, please email aib2002@tamu.edu.
All proposals will be subject to a double-blind review process. Paper proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: interest to AIB members, analytical rigor, quantitative methods, innovativeness, and significance of conclusions. Panel proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: interest to AIB members, quality, innovativeness, fit with conference theme, participants from multiple universities.
We will be enforcing the Rule of Four whereby each person can participate (as author, presenter, panelist, chair and/or discussant) in no more than four slots on the program, with two exceptions. It counts as only one submission if an individual is both chair and paper giver in the same session, and the rule does not apply to pre-conference activities (e.g., workshops) or listings resulting from AIB officer roles.
Questions?
If you want additional information or have further questions, write, fax, e-mail or call:
Laurel King, Managing Director
Academy of International Business
College of Business Administration
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2404 Maile Way
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 USA
Tel: 808-956-3665
Fax: 808-956-3261
E-Mail: aib@cba.hawaii.edu
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Last Modified: 12 July, 2001
© 2001 Academy of International Business
aib@cba.hawaii.edu