Marin A. Marinov (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Tamar Almor (Reichman University, Israel)
Tilo Halaszovich (ICN Business School, France)

 

Track description: 

The present-day signifiers of the fickle world are characterised by ever-increasing unpredictability and geopolitical instability, institutional fragmentation, shifting societal values, marked by sudden erratic changes.  The contemporary world incorporates fluctuating events of constantly varying socio-economic nature.  For international business (IB), the environmental unpredictability requires navigating unprecedented complexity meanwhile attempting to secure long-term sustainability and creation of social value across diverse international contexts.

The purpose of this track is to explore how IB actors, such as multinational enterprises (MNEs), internationalised small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as national and supranational institutions confront the enormous multiplicity of challenges concerning the aligning of cross-border operations with sustainability imperatives.

We invite research addressing but not limited to the following:

• MNEs and SMEs adaptation of sustainability strategies concerning heterogeneous operational contexts.
• International headquarters–subsidiary dynamics in implementing Environment Society and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
• Organisational ambidexterity and capability development for sustainable innovation of international business activities.
• Governance mechanisms in cross-border sustainability initiatives.
• The impact of host- and home- country institutions on accountable internationalisation processes.
• Approaches to sustainability and impact measurement in international business settings.
• Tensions between worldwide efficiency and local responsiveness in addressing multiplicity of goals.

We encourage submissions with conceptual, empirical, or methodological contributions. 

Keywords: Sustainable international business, Societal value, ESG and international firms, Institutional complexity, Responsible/accountable internationalisation, Cross-border management, Worldwide and regional tensions, Impact measurement in international business.

Dimitrios Geogakakis (University of Leeds, the United Kingdom)
Stefan Schmid (ESCP Business School, Berlin, Germany) 

Track description: 

This track invites papers advancing academic exchanges around internationalisation processes at several levels. At the micro level, we invite studies that examine how influential actors such as founders, owners, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), top managers or boards of directors (located at firms’ head offices or in one of its foreign subsidiaries) influence firm internationalisation processes – such as international strategic decision-making processes, foreign expansion processes (e.g. with various foreign entry modes), divestment processes, and other internationalisation outcomes. At the meso level, we consider how firms grow and expand or de-internationalise (speed, scope, spread, rhythm, etc.), and how firm characteristics influence internationalisation processes and their outcomes. At the macro level we are interested in the role of the macro context (such as geopolitics, migration, institutions) in affecting internationalisation processes and their subsequent effects. Multilevel considerations that advance a holistic view of internationalisation processes at different levels are also appreciated.

Because advancing theory in international business (IB) is not only important from a process perspective, thus the track welcomes papers that critically assess, redirect, or significantly advance existing IB theories. For instance, in the light of recent developments, studies that challenge or extend established IB theories (for example, via an IB micro foundational perspective) are welcome. In addition, based on emerging new phenomena (such as protectionism, populism, artificial intelligence, to name just a few) papers contributing to the development of new theories in IB are furthermore welcome.

We encourage submissions of all type of papers, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed, conceptual, and literature-reviews.

Keywords: Internationalisation processes, International growth and expansion patterns, De-internationalisation and divestment processes, International strategic decision-making processes, Internationalisation theory, Theory-building in IB, IB Microfoundations.

Gabriel R.G. Benito (BI Norwegian Business School, Norway)
Mohammad Bakhtiar Rana (Aalborg University, Denmark)

Track description: 

This track deals with how international business operations engage with pressing sustainability challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality, wellbeing, and the transition toward a circular economy. It focuses on how multinational enterprises (MNEs) and their global value chains (GVCs) navigate transitions across diverse cross-border institutional contexts. 

Crises of various nature heighten the urgency of sustainability transitions, yet uneven institutional maturity across regions—such as the EU, the USA, and the Global South—creating asymmetries in regulatory pressures, resource conditions, and institutional support. MNEs operate within complex global networks, challenging them to harmonise sustainability agendas and perspectives, as well as reporting practices across countries, while managing fragmented and often incongruent supply chain realities.

Meanwhile, global competition for resources and technologies—including Rare Earth Elements and proprietary knowledge—intersects with the broader social challenges set out in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). New capabilities are needed, developed by companies and shaped by the institutional and country contexts in which MNEs’ GVCs operate. 

This track invites contributions exploring how MNEs adjust, adapt, innovate, and strategize faced by crises, sustainability demands, and divergent institutional conditions. Conceptual and empirical papers are welcome examining strategies, processes, resources, and business models through which MNEs pursue competitiveness, resilience, and responsibility in the rapidly changing global landscape.

Illustrative questions, relating to this track include but are not limited to:

• How do MNEs and their GVCs respond to climate crises and sustainability transitions?
• How do MNE business models shape supplier development and sustainability strategies?
• What challenges do MNEs face in embedding sustainability across their GVCs, and how do they operate in various institutional contexts?
• How do MNEs leverage circular economy models to mitigate and adapt to climate change and resource constraints, simultaneously building competitive advantage? 
• How do MNEs manage tensions between economic, environmental, and social goals when addressing the SDGs? 
• Which partnership forms best support achieving SDGs and how do transnational partnerships complement MNEs sustainability transitions?
• How do institutional conditions—both national and transnational—enable or constrain sustainable development trajectories?
• How do transnational institutions and actors (e.g., global NGOs) complement or catalyse MNEs’ efforts to reconfigure GVCs for circularity (e.g., in components/materials, water, chemicals, and renewable energy)?

Keywords: Circular economy; Circular innovation; Climate change; Global sustainability strategies; Corporate social innovation; Corporate social responsibility; Global value chains; Green development; National and transnational institutions; Sustainable development goals; Sustainability reporting.

Kristin Brandl (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark and University of Victoria, Canada)
Ari Van Assche (HEC Montreal, Canada)

Track description: 

This track explores the evolving intersections between institutions, legal frameworks, treaties, and multilateralism in the field of international business (IB). 

It invites research examining how national, international and supranational institutions, IB-related laws, and multilateral agreements shape and are shaped by the strategies and responsibilities of multinational enterprises (MNEs). 

We welcome contributions addressing the role of multilateralism in contemporary times of nationalism and global challenges, intergovernmental organisations and how they shaped or are shaped by global business, the governance of foreign direct investment (FDI) within and across borders, MNE legal astuteness and capabilities to navigate global institutions, as well as the liability of foreignness and mechanisms of corporate accountability.

Emphasis is placed on how institutional complexity influences policy outcomes and business behaviour across borders, especially in the domains of trade, investment, and intellectual property. 

The track intersects international business research, political economy, business strategy, and international law.

Keywords: National, international, and supranational institutions; Policies; Regulations; International trade, investment, intellectual property, extraterritorial law; Transnational regime; Multilateralism; Intergovernmental organisations; Multinational enterprise; Foreign direct investment, Legal astuteness and capabilities; Liability of foreignness; Accountability.

Olli Kuivalainen (Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland)
Miguel M. Torres (University of Kent, United Kingdom)

Track description: 

This track explores the dynamic processes of the internationalisation of multinational enterprises (MNEs), focusing on strategies, challenges, and outcomes in an interconnected economy under world-wide poly-crisis. 

We invite submissions that examine entry modes; location choices; subsidiary management; knowledge transfer; the impact of digitalisation, sustainability, and geopolitical factors on MNEs’ internationalisation. 

Theoretical and empirical contributions from various contexts, including but not limited to emerging markets and digital MNEs, are encouraged to advance our understanding of how MNEs manage complex international environments striving for competitive advantages.

Keywords: Multinational enterprises, Internationalisation strategies, Entry modes, Subsidiary management, Knowledge transfer, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Geopolitical risks.

Niina Nummela (University of Turku, Finland)
Jonas S. Eduardsen (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Victor Martin-Sanchez (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)

Track description: 

SMEs increasingly internationalise to improve performance, enhance competitiveness, and reinforce sustainable growth, yet their internationalisation journeys are progressively shaped by a fickle world marked by sustainability imperatives, geopolitical tensions, and technological disruption. 

This track invites contributions examining how SMEs and new ventures internationalise, compete, and create value across borders in contexts characterised by uncertainty, volatility, and new opportunities. We particularly welcome submissions exploring how SMEs and new ventures leverage limited resources to achieve sustainable growth, contribute to social value creation, and adapt to global challenges despite resource constraints and global uncertainty.

The track also embraces research on international entrepreneurship explicitly addressing cross-border activities. Submissions here include work based on comparative international entrepreneurship, migrant and diaspora entrepreneurship, as well as other forms of entrepreneurial activities where the international dimension is at the forefront. Suggested topics include, but not limited to the following:

• The impact of geopolitical tensions and crises on SMEs internationalisation, de-internationalisation, and re-internationalisation.
• The role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in enabling SME international growth and innovation.
• Internationalisation of social ventures.
• Social and environmental value creation through SME internationalisation and entrepreneurship.
• International entrepreneurs’ cognitive characteristics.
• International opportunity discovery, creation, and exploitation in entrepreneurial firms.
• Networks, ecosystems, and platforms in shaping SME international trajectories.
• Resilience, learning, and capability development of international SMEs.

We particularly welcome empirical and conceptual papers that place SMEs and new ventures at the centre of the analysis emphasising the international dimension in entrepreneurship research.

Keywords: SME and new venture internationalisation, International entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial internationalisation, International new ventures, Born globals, International opportunity, International entrepreneurial cognition, Comparative entrepreneurship, Diaspora and migrant entrepreneurship.

Ulrike Mayrhofer (Université Côte d'Azur, France)
Ernesto Tavoletti (University of Macerata, Italy)

Track description: 

In today’s fast-moving global environment, the field of international marketing is facing new challenges linked to digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability and geopolitical tensions. Considering these developments, customer behaviours are constantly changing across international markets and companies need to develop new marketing policies to create value for their customers. 

This track welcomes submissions focusing on the analysis of cross-cultural customer behaviours and the implementation of international marketing strategies and marketing-mix decisions. Important questions are: How do customer behaviours evolve across countries with digitalisation, AI and sustainability trends? How can companies adapt their marketing strategies to both mature and emerging markets? How can companies successfully co-ordinate and implement product, pricing, distribution and communication policies? What is the impact of cross-cultural issues on marketing decisions? How do digitalisation, AI and sustainability shape international marketing policies in B2B and B2C sectors? 

Comparative studies are especially suitable for this track.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the evolution of customer behaviours across countries; AI and global market analysis; standardisation vs adaptation of international marketing strategies; implementation and coordination of international marketing-mix decisions; impact of cross-cultural issues on marketing decisions; global virtual marketing teams; digitalisation, AI and international marketing; sustainability and international marketing; comparative studies.

Keywords: International market studies; Cross-country comparisons of customer behaviours; International marketing strategies; International marketing-mix policies; Marketing across cultures; Global virtual marketing teams; Digitalisation, AI and international marketing; sustainability and international marketing; Comparative studies.

Marian Gorynia (Poznan University of Economics and Business, Poland)
 Bersant Hobdari (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
Daojuan Wang (Aalborg University, Denmark)

Track description: 

Recently, emerging markets (EMs) have received increasing attention in international business (IB) research, resulting in an extensive body of literature challenging existing IB theories and stimulating the creation of new perspectives

The global economy has lately faced profound challenges and transformations. Traditional engines of economic growth and development have become instable, advanced technology of various nature penetrates more and more aspects of human life, while geopolitical tensions are driving deepening world-wide fragmentation, all causing shocks for firms and countries alike. Challenges are forcing managers and entrepreneurs to search for new, innovative business and governance strategies, originating from both advanced and emerging markets. Scholars seek not only to understand the impacts that these dynamics and challenges, but also to outline strategies needs for navigating the new, complex environment and the responses of firms to the new realities within heightened institutional complexities.

We invite submissions of papers exploring the impact of global comparative macroeconomic developments, institutional dynamics, regulatory challenges, geopolitical developments and competition, regional trade and economic agreements, innovation and technology, and other related aspects, on doing business in EMs by emerging economy firms and firms from developed economies. We also invite submissions focusing on, but not limited the following:

• Does the term ‘EMs’ still have a meaning today? Can we research all EMs as a consistent and interconnected group of countries?
• The roles of EM multinationals in international value chains.
• Impacts of adoption of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) on industry transformation in EMs.
• Institutional issues and corporate policy in EMs.
• Financial management in EMs.
• EMs and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Environment, Society and Governance (ESG) in EMs.

Keywords: Global comparative dynamics; Trade agreements; Ethics across cultures; Organisational power across regions and cultures, Internationalisation of EM firms, Institutional environment in EMs; Foreign direct investment (FDI) in and out of EMs; Corporate political activity in EMs; EM state-owned enterprises; Geopolitics and intergovernmental pressures in EMs; Competitive (dis)advantages of EM firms; EM firms under economic sanctions, Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) in EMs; Response to sustainability pressure, green transition, and ESG in EMs.

 

Jens Gammelgaard, (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
Thomas Lindner, (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
Der-Ting Huang, (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)

Track description: 

Geopolitics has re-emerged as a central force reshaping international business. This track examines how strategic rivalry, security logics, and the politicisation of interdependence alter firms’ opportunities, constraints, and responsibilities across borders. 

We welcome work on bifurcation, decoupling and regionalisation, on the rise of industrial policy, investment screening, sanctions and export controls, and on their implications for MNE strategy, performance, legitimacy, and societal impact. We encourage studies on how firms assess, price and manage geopolitical risk, how they redesign global value chains via diversification, nearshoring and friendshoring, and on how MNEs reconfigure entry, exit and location choices. 

Topics include firm-level perspectives on corporate diplomacy and government relations, stakeholder coalitions, technology and data governance, standards competition, critical raw materials and dual use sectors, as well as the reshaping of trade patterns and economic blocs. 

Conceptual, empirical and methodological contributions are welcome, including multilevel designs, counterfactual and quasi experimental identification, text as data, machine learning and agent-based simulations, alongside fieldwork and comparative cases. We especially welcome links to sustainability, ethics and responsible conduct, and perspectives on SMEs, emerging market multinationals, state owned or family firms, and sectors such as semiconductors, energy, healthcare and infrastructure.

Keywords: Geopolitics; US-EU-China relationship; Decoupling and regionalisation; Industrial policy; Sanctions and export controls; Corporate diplomacy and nonmarket strategy; Supply chain resilience.

Davide Castellani (Henley Business School, the United Kingdom)
Dmitrij Slepniov (Aalborg University, Denmark)

Track description: 

Innovation and knowledge creation lie at the heart of international business. In today’s volatile and fragmented global economy, firms must navigate complex technological, organisational, and institutional challenges when conducting research and development (R&D) as well as innovation across borders. Re-globalisation, rising protectionism, techno-nationalism, and geopolitical tensions are all reshaping the geography of innovation, the configuration of global value chains, and the governance of knowledge flows.

This track invites submissions that advance our understanding of how multinational enterprises, SMEs, and entrepreneurial ventures create, share, and appropriate knowledge in international contexts under these evolving conditions. 

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that address both traditional questions with new perspectives and novel issues arising from today’s rapidly shifting innovation landscape.

Track’s topics include but are not limited to:

• Internationalisation of R&D, innovation, and knowledge-intensive activities.
• The geography of innovation
• Clusters, global value chains, and innovation.
• Migration, mobility, and the role of global talent in innovation.
• University–industry collaboration for global innovation.
• Cross-border collaboration, global innovation networks, and strategic alliances.
• The role of digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies in shaping international innovation strategies.
• Knowledge transfer, recombination, and protection across subsidiaries, partners, and ecosystems.
• Geopolitics, techno-nationalism, and the decoupling/de-risking of value chains and innovation networks.
• Institutional, cultural, and policy influences on international R&D and innovation outcomes.
• International business and sustainability-driven innovation, including the green and digital transitions.

Keywords: International R&D; geography of innovation; Global innovation networks; Knowledge transfer; Digitalisation and emerging technologies; Sustainability-driven innovation; Cross-border collaboration; Global value chains; Geopolitics and techno-nationalism; Decoupling and de-risking.

Eric Milliot (Nantes Université, France)
Suzanne Apitsa (University of Clermont Auvergne, France)
Shlomo Tarba (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom)

Track description: 

The key aspects associated with international business logistics are of technical and commercial nature. Environmental challenges and growing public demand for more sustainable development are pushing companies to implement new policies for managing physical flows integrating social and societal management criteria. Intergatively, the issues of managing supply chains across national borders are of key importance. 

The main questions to be addressed in this regard are indicated below but not limited to them:

• What conditions are necessary for international business logistics to facilitate the endogenous development of the territories concerned?
• How can international supply chains be sustained?
• How does geostrategic intelligence assist innovations in international business logistics.
• What governance principles should be applied to address the societal challenges posed by international business logistics?
• What are the major challenges of digital transition related to international business logistics?
• What innovations are causing profound impacts on international business logistics?
• How can artificial intelligence (AI) help to optimise the management of flows of goods across national borders?

Keywords: Logistics, Supply chain management, Transportation, Sustainability, Endogenous development, Geostrategic intelligence, Digital transition, AI, Leadership and governance.

Stefano Elia (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
Kurt Y. Liu (Henley Business School, United Kingdom)

Track description: 

In today’s volatile environment, supply chains are confronted with unprecedented levels of disruption and complexity. Global crises, geopolitical conflicts, trade disputes, and the shifting dynamics of offshoring and reshoring have reshaped the way companies operate across borders. At the same time, rising concerns about cybersecurity and digital vulnerabilities expose supply networks to new forms of risk. These challenges highlight the urgent need for organisations to reconfigure their supply and value chains to become more agile, resilient, and sustainable.

Reconfiguration goes beyond addressing immediate disruptions; it involves redesigning networks, processes, and partnerships to capture long-term value. Organisations must rethink sourcing strategies, supplier diversification, and logistics structures to ensure continuity, while also embedding flexibility to adapt to future uncertainties. Increasingly, firms are exploring novel models such as nearshoring, regionalisation, and ecosystem-based collaborations to balance efficiency with resilience.

At the advent of new technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics, there is also a tremendous opportunity to transform supply chains into value-creating systems. Intelligent tools can enable real-time visibility, predictive insights, and data-driven decision-making, enhancing operational excellence and customer-centricity. Beyond efficiency, digital reconfiguration allows companies to integrate sustainability, circularity, and innovation as core drivers of competitive advantage. Moreover, industrial and trade policies, as well as regulatory frameworks, play a critical role in shaping the reconfiguration of global value chains, as they influence multinational firms’ sourcing strategies and support countries in achieving strategic autonomy, particularly regarding critical raw materials.

This track invites contributions that explore both the challenges and opportunities of supply and value chain reconfiguration. We welcome research and practice-oriented insights on strategies, models, technologies, and case studies that shed light on how organisations can navigate uncertainty while unlocking new sources of value.

Keywords: Global value chains reconfiguration; Supply chains management and transformation; Value chains agility; Resilient and sustainable value chains; Offshoring; Reshoring; Nearshoring; Backshoring; Friendshoring; Onshoring; Regionalisation; Supplier diversification; Digital supply chains; Artificial intelligence and value chains; Value chains and circular economy; Trade and industrial policies for resilience and strategic autonomy.

Maria Elo (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)
Agnieszka Urszula Nowinska (Aalborg University, Denmark)
Kenneth Nygaard (Aalborg University, Denmark)

Track description: 

Recruiting, rewarding, retaining, developing and managing staff across borders are central to multinational enterprise (MNE) performance, yet persistent barriers remain. Such concerns are even more crucial for internationally operating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources. Staffing host-country operations is complicated by limited local embeddedness, language and cultural distance; conversely, sourcing foreign talent from local labour markets raises integration, inclusion, and compliance challenges. Globally distributed and hybrid teams demand leadership that forges shared identity, coordinates across time zones, and manages digital communication. These organisational complexities intensify under uncertainty and geopolitical shocks, which reorder mobility regimes and talent flows and strain intercultural collaboration.

This track offers a forum for cutting-edge works on challenges in international human resource and intercultural management in MNEs and SMEs, including diaspora and transnational talent as strategic resources, migrant, self-initiated expatriate and refugee careers, the role of diaspora networks and intermediaries in talent acquisition and management, and IHRM in disrupted world. 

We welcome theoretically ambitious, policy-relevant, and methodologically diverse contributions that connect micro-level people practice to firm-level, societal and macro-level policy outcomes.

Keywords: Migrant talent, Diaspora talent, MNE/SME IHRM, International staffing, International talent management, Global careers, Migrant hiring, Cross-border/distributed/virtual teams, Diversity, Disrupted IHRM.

Filip De Beule (KU Leuven, Belgium)
Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki (University of Turku, Finland)
Erica Kovacs (Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, USA)

Track description: 

This track is designed to promote best practices in the field of international business (IB) education and research. On the one hand, the track places emphasis on innovative teaching methodologies, curriculum design, student engagement, teaching pedagogy, and the application of digital tools to improve IB teaching. On the other hand, the track also caters to advances in research methodologies and methods as well as theoretical frameworks in the domain of IB. It fosters innovative methodologies, interdisciplinary research, and context-relevant theorisation. 

Contributions are invited that explore, challenge, innovate and enrich the pivotal role that research plays in advancing IB scholarship, and that explore the intersection of research methods and theorising within the IB context. It also invites contributions that focus on research-based teaching, and how this can be best accomplished.

Keywords: Research methods, Theorising in IB, Methodological innovation, Interdisciplinary research, Authenticity and transparency, Contextuality, Research ethics and societal impact, Artificial intelligence and its literacy in IB teaching and research; Pedagogy, education and teaching; Continuous, lifelong learning in IB.