Julian Birkinshaw, Ivey Business School

Valérie Duplat, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Saeed Khanagha, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Oli Mihalache, Athabasca University

Shaker Zahra, University of Minnesota

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping how multinational enterprises and international new ventures compete globally. This special issue seeks research exploring how AI technologies—particularly generative AI—enable new competitive strategies, from building proprietary AI capabilities to deploying AI tools for market analysis and decision-making. The call welcomes papers examining AI's impact on firm competitiveness, internationalization strategies, organizational transformation, and resilience in volatile environments.

The issue addresses three core dimensions through which AI influences global strategy. First, it considers how firms develop AI-centric capabilities that serve as sources of competitive advantage across borders. Second, it explores how organizations strategically deploy AI to interpret global markets and make faster, more informed decisions. Third, it examines how firms must redesign governance structures and navigate complex international regulatory frameworks to effectively harness AI across multiple countries and institutional contexts.

Appel publié par Global Strategy Journal. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How do proprietary generative-AI capabilities influence entry mode choice in different host-country contexts?
• What factors affect location for AI-centric MNEs and INV founders seeking global scale?
• How do AI-centric firms calibrate the balance between global standardization of models and local adaptation to institutional and cultural distance?
• How do AI-centric INVs build and scale proprietary capabilities to compete globally, and how do these digital-born assets challenge traditional views on firm-specific advantages and gradual internationalization?
• How do AI-centric MNEs and INVs manage international scaling of generative-AI capabilities, and what role do global knowledge-transfer mechanisms play in enabling rapid diffusion across subsidiaries?
• How do AI-centric MNEs manage cross-border complementarities between firm-specific data and host-country capabilities to build sustainable competitive advantage?
• To what extent do open-core versus fully proprietary model strategies shape the boundary decisions (make, buy, ally) of AI-centric firms in different regulatory environments?
• How do AI-centric firms mitigate liability of foreignness in AI ethics and bias by embedding local data and diverse cultural inputs into their global model-training pipelines?
• How can AI-enabled research methods be leveraged by firms to better understand foreign market reception and inform internationalization strategies?
• How do MNEs use generative-AI tools to refine entry-mode strategies (i.e., exporting, licensing, or FDI) by dynamically assessing host-market demand and regulatory complexity?
• Under what conditions can AI-driven scenario planning replace or complement traditional market-selection frameworks (e.g., CAGE) for entering new countries?
• How do firms leverage generative-AI-enabled localization (e.g., product design, marketing copy) to navigate cultural distance and strengthen local responsiveness in global integration strategies?
• What capabilities must regional subsidiaries develop to interpret and act on AI-generated market insights, and how does this reshape subsidiary autonomy versus headquarters control?
• How does generative AI affect the integration-responsiveness trade-off in global operations under geopolitical or natural-disaster shocks?
• In what ways do AI-mediated customer-interaction platforms alter traditional service subsidiary roles and the governance of cross-border service delivery?
• How do firms combine human judgment and AI recommendations in cross-border new product development alliances to balance exploration and exploitation?
• How do AI-enabled INVs sense and respond to global market signals differently than incumbents, and how do AI tools help them to overcome limited experience in culturally or institutionally distant markets?
• In what ways do AI-driven analytics of cultural signals and media content reshape how MNEs and INVs interpret foreign consumer preferences and adapt entry strategies?
• How can methodological advances in AI-based content analysis contribute to more fine-grained monitoring of cultural distance and liability of foreignness in real time?
• How do MNEs structure global AI governance bodies to balance headquarters-led oversight with subsidiary-level discretion across divergent institutional environments?
• What alliance governance mechanisms (joint ventures, co-development agreements) best facilitate GDPR-compliant data-sharing for generative-AI co-creation between European and Asian partners?
• How do emerging global AI regulations reshape MNEs' decisions on center-of-gravity for model deployment (cloud vs. on-prem) across host countries?
• How do entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging markets influence the design of cross-border data trusts and co-governance structures for INV-led AI initiatives?
• How do platform partnerships with regional software ecosystems (e.g., Midjourney in European design suites, Eleven Labs in Asian media platforms) alter inter-firm governance and value-capture?
• In what ways do pre-competitive data trusts and industry consortia mitigate institutional voids and enable co-governance of domain-specific generative models in emerging markets?
• How must performance metrics and incentive systems evolve to reward cross-border AI collaboration while managing moral-hazard and knowledge-leakage risks?
• What role do board-level AI oversight committees play in enforcing a cohesive global AI ethics framework amid diverse local legal and cultural norms?
• How can AI-based methods be leveraged to examine how firms navigate cross-border governance and regulatory environments?

Timeline

• September 15, 2026: Submission window opens
• October 15, 2026: Deadline for submissions

Associate editors

• Qian (Cecilia) Gu, Georgia State University

Seong-jin Choi, Hanyang University

Khan-Pyo Lee, Sogang University

Chris Rowley, University of Oxford

The global business environment is undergoing a major transition where geopolitical considerations and economic security now shape corporate strategy alongside market factors. South Korea and China represent critical contexts for studying how businesses respond to institutional uncertainty, particularly in strategic sectors like semiconductors and EV batteries. This special issue examines how firms in these countries manage their strategic responses amid shifting state policies, regulatory changes, and rising protectionism that demand significant organizational adaptation.

Appel publié par Asia Pacific Business Review. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How firms in South Korea and China navigate institutional uncertainties created by geopolitical tensions and shifting industrial policies
• Evolution of political engagement and non-market strategies in response to macro-political environments and state-firm relations
• Strategic change and corporate decision-making in response to institutional instability and regulatory tightening
• Impact of rising nationalism and geopolitical rivalry on international human resource management practices
• Resource reconfiguration and organizational responses to techno-nationalism and protectionism in strategic industries such as semiconductors, EV batteries, and AI
• Universal non-market strategy frameworks derived from Korean and Chinese business experiences applicable to Asia-Pacific and global contexts

Timeline

• June 15, 2026: Extended abstracts or draft manuscripts submission window for workshop consideration
• July 1, 2026: Guest editors' workshop (venue and format to be announced)
• November 25, 2026: Full manuscript submission deadline

This special issue examines how multinational enterprises navigate and adapt their strategies in response to an increasingly fragmented and complex global institutional environment. The focus is on understanding the mechanisms and approaches MNEs employ to manage institutional diversity across different markets and regions.

Appel publié par International Business Review. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Timeline

• May 1, 2027: Submission deadline

Huda Khan, University of Aberdeen

Hussain Rammal, Adelaide University

Pervez Ghauri, University of Birmingham

Zaheer Khan, University of Aberdeen

Martin Meyer, University of Vaasa

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, provide a comprehensive global agenda addressing critical social, economic, and environmental challenges, with the target of achieving these goals by 2030. These 17 interconnected goals range from eradicating poverty and ensuring quality education to combating climate change and fostering sustainable economic growth. As the global community works toward this ambitious target, the role of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) has become increasingly vital. MNEs, with their significant financial resources, innovation capabilities, and extensive global reach, are uniquely positioned to contribute meaningfully to the realization of these global objectives. However, integrating the SDGs into business strategies presents considerable challenges, especially in light of evolving institutional, political, and social dynamics.

Appel publié par Business & Society. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• MNEs' Evolving Role in the SDGs' Agenda: Achievements, Gaps, and Future Directions - How can MNEs evaluate their contributions to the SDGs and adjust their strategies to meet the 2030 targets? What opportunities and challenges will MNEs face post-2030 in continuing to support the SDGs' agenda? How can MNEs address the lagging targets of the SDGs in their operations?
• Managing ESG Backlash and its impact on MNEs' SDGs' Alignment - How does the ESG backlash impact MNEs' strategies for achieving the SDGs? In what ways do political and institutional pressures shape MNEs' SDG agendas? How can MNEs maintain their commitment to the SDGs amidst the growing scepticism toward ESG?
• Institutional Dynamics and MNEs' SDGs' Engagement - How do formal and informal institutional logics influence MNEs' strategies for addressing SDGs in different host countries? How do institutional voids in emerging markets shape MNEs' SDG engagement? What roles do institutional actors (governments, NGOs, civil society) play in shaping MNEs' SDG commitments?
• Business and Society Perspectives on MNEs and SDGs: Bridging IB and B&S Literature - How can IB literature inform B&S's understandings of MNEs' contributions to SDGs? How do MNEs reconcile profit motives with societal goals in their SDGs' strategies? What are the synergies between business model innovation and sustainable development in the context of the SDGs?
• Leveraging Global Value Chains for Sustainable Development - What practical strategies can MNEs adopt to integrate sustainability into their global value chains to meet SDGs' targets? What are the opportunities for MNEs to collaborate with supply chain partners on SDGs' initiatives? How can knowledge transfer across value chains improve SDGs' outcomes?
• Organizational Forms and Alliance for SDGs: Bridging IB and BAS Perspectives - How can MNEs and their partners in cross-sector alliances navigate the challenges of aligning values, beliefs, and power dynamics in SDG-driven initiatives? In what ways can partnerships between MNEs, governments, NGOs, and CSOs enhance the achievement of SDGs, particularly in areas such as inclusive development and climate action? What role do MNE headquarters play in supporting subsidiaries and local network partners to integrate global sustainability principles into their operations? How can MNEs collaborate with SMEs to achieve SDGs, and what benefits does this collaboration bring to local communities? How do strategic alliances contribute to the long-term sustainability of SDG initiatives, and what organizational forms are most effective in fostering these collaborations?
• Micro-foundations of MNEs' Engagement with SDGs: Motivations, Leadership, and Human Capital - How do the personal experiences and values of top management, including the CEO, influence MNEs' strategies for addressing the SDGs? What role does diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) play in shaping top management's engagement with sustainability goals and advancing SDGs? How do leadership styles and top management teams influence employee engagement with SDG initiatives within MNEs? What mechanisms within MNEs' governance structures support or hinder the integration of SDGs into business models, particularly in the areas of poverty eradication, climate action, and social equity? How do individual decision-makers contribute to business model innovations that advance SDGs, and how do these innovations affect the company's long-term sustainability efforts?

Timeline

• October 1, 2026: Submission window opens
• October 30, 2026: Submission window closes

Associate editors

• Maoliang Bu, Nanjing University

S. Tamer Cavusgil, Georgia State University

Marleen Dieleman, IMD Business School

Md. Tareq Hossain, Thammasat University

Ruey-Jer "Bryan" Jean, National Taiwan University

Destan Kandemir, Georgia State University

Suntichai Kotcharin, Thammasat University

Hussain Rammal, Adelaide University

Southeast Asia represents a significant yet theoretically under-explored region in international business research. With ten ASEAN economies forming the world's fifth-largest economic bloc and attracting substantial foreign investment, the region presents unique phenomena including supply chain reconfiguration driven by China-plus-one strategies, the emergence of regional multinationals, and institutional diversity across countries with different political systems and development stages.

Despite its empirical importance, Southeast Asia remains underrepresented in leading international management journals, where research focuses predominantly on China and India. This special issue seeks contributions that treat Southeast Asian phenomena as theoretically generative rather than merely illustrative. It particularly encourages submissions from scholars based in the region and aims to develop international management theory beyond existing BRICS-centric frameworks by leveraging the region's distinctive features including family capitalism, ethnic-Chinese business networks, state-linked enterprises, and ASEAN-level institutional structures.

Appel publié par Management International Review. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• The rise and internationalization of Southeast Asian multinationals, including digital-native champions, conglomerate-based regional players, and state-linked enterprises
• Supply-chain reconfiguration, maritime connectivity, and regional supply-chain governance in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines
• Cross-border trade, geopolitics, and strategies of Southeast Asian firms hedging between major power blocs
• Indigenous theorizing and methodological innovation drawing on Southeast Asian intellectual traditions and fieldwork methods

Timeline

• March 30, 2027: Submission deadline

Srividya Jandhyala, École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales

Vera Kunczer, Copenhagen Business School

Jonas Puck, Vienna University of Economics and Business

Harald Puhr, Universität Innsbruck

Michael Wolfesberger, Vienna University of Economics and Business

This focused issue addresses how multinational enterprises navigate environments characterized by fragmented, conflicting, and overlapping institutional and stakeholder pressures arising from national security concerns, populist movements, and societal disruptions. The call recognizes that while international institutions like the UN SDGs and Paris Agreement shape MNE decision-making, domestic resistance in some countries creates institutional conflicts that MNEs must resolve through their strategic choices.

The issue seeks contributions exploring four main areas: the factors exposing MNEs to institutional fragmentation; how firms combine market and non-market strategies to respond to these pressures; how MNEs orchestrate responses across multiple jurisdictions; and how macro-level tensions affect internal organizational dynamics. The editors welcome conceptual and empirical papers using various methodologies, along with interdisciplinary work that incorporates political science perspectives.

Appel publié par Management International Review. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• What drives the exposure of MNEs to institutional fragmentation and fracturing?
• When and how do MNEs integrate market- and non-market strategies across global markets in response to fragmentated stakeholder and institutional pressures?
• How do MNEs manage and organize their response strategies across different markets?
• How do institutional fragmentation and geopolitical tensions shape interactions within firms?
• MNE strategy in response to fragmentation and conflicting institutional pressures
• Interdisciplinary approaches complementing business perspectives with political science

Timeline

• September 30, 2026: Submission deadline

,

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) face unprecedented challenges from exogenous shocks such as pandemics, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. These major disruptions test the resilience and adaptability of global business operations and require strategic responses that span multiple countries and business units.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and opportunities within global value chains and MNE operations. Understanding how MNEs learn from and adapt to such major disruptions is critical for both theory and practice in international business.

This special issue seeks to advance our understanding of how MNEs respond to, learn from, and build resilience against exogenous shocks. We welcome empirical and theoretical contributions that examine MNE adaptation strategies, organizational changes, and the factors that influence their ability to navigate major disruptions.

Appel publié par Journal of World Business. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How have MNEs adapted their global value chains in response to exogenous shocks?
• What organizational and strategic changes have MNEs implemented to build resilience?
• How has the pandemic affected MNE subsidiary autonomy, mandates, and roles?
• What is the role of digital transformation in MNE adaptation to exogenous shocks?
• How do institutional contexts shape MNE responses to major disruptions?
• What are the short-term and long-term implications of exogenous shocks for MNE competitiveness?
• How have MNEs managed stakeholder relationships during major disruptions?
• What lessons can be learned from MNE responses to past crises?

Timeline

• Invalid DateTime:

Florian Becker-Ritterspach, HTW Berlin

Raghda El Ebrashi, German International University (Cairo)

Jasper Hotho, Copenhagen Business School

Environmental degradation has become an urgent global concern, with emerging and developing economies facing a particularly complex set of challenges. While many of these countries are rapidly industrializing and increasingly integrated into global value chains, they often lack the regulatory infrastructures, institutional capacity, and enforcement mechanisms necessary to ensure environmentally responsible economic activity. These so-called environmental institutional voids amplify the negative externalities of business operations, threatening both ecological integrity and long-term development prospects.

Appel publié par Critical perspectives on international business. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Defining and conceptualizing environmental institutional voids in emerging markets, and assessing how these voids impact environmental outcomes and corporate behavior. What constitutes an "environmental" institutional void, and how do formal and informal institutions interact to exacerbate or mitigate negative externalities of business operations
• Examining how firms strategically respond to institutional voids to achieve environmental objectives, including circumventing strategies (bypassing institutional deficiencies), coping mechanisms (adapting to challenges in the absence of robust institutions), and compensating actions (offsetting negative environmental impacts when formal governance is lacking)
• Investigating the influence of multinational enterprises in host countries with weak environmental institutions. How do MNEs transfer environmental standards and best practices from developed to emerging markets, and with what effects? In what ways can MNEs act as catalysts for improved local environmental governance or institutional change?
• Investigating the emergence of environmental or "green" innovation in contexts of institutional voids. When formal support or infrastructure is lacking, how do companies and entrepreneurs innovate to solve environmental problems? Topics may include frugal innovation, social innovation partnerships, and novel business models that address institutional gaps
• Analyzing how institutional voids influence the transition towards sustainability (such as shifts to low-carbon energy, circular economy, or sustainable agriculture) in emerging markets. How actors adapt business models to propel sustainability transitions despite voids
• Exploring how state actors in emerging markets influence the persistence or reduction of environmental institutional voids. How different state configurations enable or constrain MNEs in implementing robust environmental strategies and how tensions between national sovereignty and transnational environmental standards shape corporate practices
• Identifying public policy frameworks and collaborative approaches that can help close environmental institutional voids. What roles can governments, international organizations, and civil society play in partnership with business to strengthen environmental governance?

Timeline

• January 1, 2026: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• September 30, 2026: Closing date for manuscripts submission

This special issue aims to advance scholarly knowledge on how multinational enterprises (MNEs) form international partnerships to create social value. Research in multinational business scholarship has examined the international activities of MNEs in addressing the broader sustainability agenda. However, there remains limited understanding of the specific challenges, tensions, and opportunities MNEs face when engaging in multi-stakeholder international partnerships for social value creation. Given the increasing centrality of such partnerships in global sustainability efforts, addressing this gap is both timely and important. The motivation for this special issue is to advance new theoretical and empirical knowledge into how MNEs' international partnerships enable social value creation.

Appel publié par Multinational Business Review. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Which types of societal problems (e.g., poverty, food insecurity, public health) are best addressed through MNEs' international partnerships, and which forms of partnerships are most effective in tackling these problems and generating social value?
• How do MNEs' international and domestic partnerships create value for multiple stakeholders and communities?
• Under what circumstances do MNEs' international partnerships produce unequal social outcomes, and what social benefits—such as enhanced legitimacy—do they provide to participating firms?
• Are there limits to the types of social challenges that MNEs' international partnerships, or specific forms of such partnership, can effectively address?
• What inter-partner challenges arise in pursuing social value creation across cross-border settings, and how can these challenges be effectively managed?
• What internal and external drivers motivate MNEs to establish international partnerships for social value creation, and what are the boundary conditions that determine the effectiveness of these partnerships?
• Which dynamic capabilities are necessary for social value creation that can be developed through, or leveraged in, international partnerships, and how do these capabilities vary across different partnership types (e.g., equity vs. non-equity alliances, horizontal vs. vertical social alliances, and international joint ventures)?
• How can social purpose be integrated in MNEs' upstream (e.g., production) and downstream (e.g., marketing) value chain activities, and what roles do value-chain partners play, including the associated challenges and opportunities, in this process?
• What are the nature and consequences of institutional frictions that arise in social value creation through MNEs' international partnerships, and how can these challenges be effectively addressed?
• What roles do home and host market institutions play in facilitating MNEs' international partnerships for social value creation?
• What industry- or country-specific factors influence MNEs' multi-partner and cross-border social alliances?
• In the context of international partnerships involving platform firms and digital ecosystems, what unique challenges and opportunities do multi-sided networks present for MNEs in creating social value?
• How do governance structures and decision-making processes in MNEs' international partnerships influence the trade-offs between economic and social value creation?

Timeline

• January 3, 2027: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• March 31, 2027: Closing date for manuscripts submission

Achieving net-zero targets poses significant challenges for economies, governments, and societies worldwide. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are central actors in this transition, both as developers and adopters of renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. As primary boundary spanners, they manage global value chains and partnerships across diverse institutional contexts and consumer markets. MNEs increasingly navigate a complex landscape of incentives, sanctions, and regulatory barriers that vary by sector, technology platform, country, and region. Politically motivated disruptions—including shifting tariff and non-tariff barriers and uneven low-carbon policies—compound these challenges, placing premium value on managerial capabilities.

Two emerging developments motivate this Special Issue. First, digital technologies offer new potential to enhance firm-level capabilities for coordinating and adapting cross-border networks, while reshaping competitive dynamics between incumbents, startups, and scale-ups. Second, China's ascendancy as both innovator and regulator—particularly in new energy technologies—and its growing geopolitical influence demand renewed scholarly attention.

Appel publié par Multinational Business Review. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Multinational enterprises
• Sustainability
• Circular economy
• Global value chains
• Digitalization
• Geopolitics
• Institutions
• China
• Emerging industries
• How do MNEs navigate and shape the complex policy and stakeholder landscape accelerating net-zero goals?
• What roles do digital technologies play in advancing sustainability and circularity, and what new complexities do they introduce?
• How do governance differences and regulatory regimes affect firms, sectors, and stakeholders differently?
• Are international innovation races helpful or harmful, and to what extent are they regionally demarcated?
• Do MNEs customize practices locally or transfer superior practices across regions, and with what strategic implications?

Timeline

• January 7, 2026: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• October 20, 2026: Closing date for manuscripts submission