Thunderbird International Business Review
Calls for Papers - Forthcoming Special Issues and Submission Deadlines

Current Calls For Papers

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Competitive Climate Strategy in Multinational Corporations

Guest Editors: Andreas Schotter, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona & Michael Goodsite, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Traditionally, corporations have taken mostly reactive positions on climate change by applying mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to current or future risks. Few corporations have taken a pro-active, opportunity-seeking, strategic approach to improve competitiveness over and above the mitigation and adaptation requirements set by policymakers, industry norms or shifting consumer preferences. The discussion should no longer focus on whether or not human activity has an impact on a changing climate, or how much impact it has, but rather on how to maximize competitiveness while mitigating the change.

The purpose of the current special issue is to stimulate an interdisciplinary, integrated discussion across a wide range of issues related to climate change and multinational corporations.

We strongly encourage submissions from physical science and social science collaborations. We solicit both conceptual and empirical contributions related to practice that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Adaptation and mitigation actions are complementary and mutually achievable.
    • How can or do MNCs capitalize on this synergy?
    • When is it advantageous to focus exclusively on mitigation and/or adaptation?
    • What adaptation and mitigation dimensions should be incorporated into the strategic management process?
  • A key challenge faced by MNCs is to ensure concrete solutions for adaptation to the dual impact of climate change and climate policy.
    • How do MNCs assure visibility and influence with regulatory decision makers in formulation of policy?
    • What should every MNC know about mitigation and adaptation from the business viewpoint?
    • How should return on investment (ROI) in adaptation and mitigation be measured? What are the appropriate metrics?
    • How do MNCs influence relevant stakeholders and bring them into the climate strategy process?
  • What are current best practices in pro-active climate strategy that go beyond adaptation and mitigation? Is there room for arbitrage?
  • What are the effects of the increasing pressures put on MNCs operating in emerging markets, including China?
  • At the country level, China is developing a significant position in solar and other energy and climate mitigation technologies. Will they also lead in pro-active climate strategy that goes beyond mitigation?
  • What can MNCs learn from the historically leading markets, Germany for example, with respect to climate adaptation and mitigation?
    • How can developed country MNCs build on new climate mitigating technologies in competing developing economies?
  • Can climate strategy practices of developed country MNCs be appropriated by developing country MNCs? Should they be?

Studies from different scientific streams have generally failed to step into each other’s areas of research, hence missing opportunities for cross-fertilization. Although scholars raised this issue earlier (e.g., Hoffman, 2000; Kolk & Pinkse, 2007), there has not been a systematic attempt in the literature to address this important issue. Therefore, a major goal of this special issue is to encourage articles that apply new and innovative ways to inform practice.

This special issue supports approaches that might face challenges in more traditional outlets. We seek breakthrough ideas. Shorter pieces are also welcome. Case studies should go beyond descriptive approaches by including a substantial discussion section that emphasizes generalizability and potential transferability to the target audiences’ domains.

Submissions for this issue should be submitted electronically to TIBR.


Important Dates

  • Submission deadline: February 15, 2012
  • Publication release: 2013

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page.  Improperly formatted papers will be un-submitted for correction by the contact author.

For questions regarding this special issue, authors are invited to contact Dr. Andreas Schotter, andreas.schotter@thunderbird.edu or Prof. Michael Evan Goodsite, mgo@dmu.dk.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please indicate that the submission is for this special issue. Do NOT include your identifying contact information in your manuscript when uploading it into the submission system.

Socio-cultural Integration in Mergers & Acquisitions

Socio-cultural Integration in Mergers & Acquisitions

Guest Editors: Yaakov Weber, Rishon Lezion School of Business & Israel Shlomo Yedidia Tarba, Open University, Israel

At times the need to move rapidly is indeed essential throughout the consummation of the M&A deal, but post-merger integration approach and its speed must be balanced against other considerations. On some issues it is advisable to move deliberately; on others, more trenchant action may be necessary, depending on a variety of factors such as strategic fit, synergy potential, and cultural differences between amalgamating entities (Deloitte Research & Economist Intelligence Unit, 2007).

The purpose of the current special issue is to stimulate discussion across a wide range of issues related to the process of socio-cultural integration in mergers and acquisitions. We encourage both conceptual and empirical contributions related to practice that may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • What insights from international management, strategic management, organizational behavior and other disciplines contribute to understanding the socio-cultural integration processes in M&A?
  • What are the critical stages in the integration process? How do the socio-cultural integration processes contribute to the realization of synergies in M&A?
  • What factors affect the success of the capability transfer, resource sharing, and learning in M&A?
  • Do the differences between cross-border and domestic M&A, and differences at the national and organizational levels affect M&A outcomes differently?
  • What are the antecedents and consequences of trust in M&A context? How is trust created between amalgamating entities and sustained over time?
  • What is the impact of acquisition experience on M&A success? How can serial acquirers capitalize on their experience gathered over the years? 
  • What is the importance of pre- and post-merger identification processes in the combining entities, and their influence on the resultant M&A deal success/failure?
  • What is the influence that leadership has on the pre- and post-merger integration processes and the overall M&A deal's eventual success?
  • What are the reactions of employees (stress, negative attitudes, commitment, cooperation, employee turnover) to changes occurring in the different stages and different types (for instance, high-tech vs. traditional industries) of M&A?

Studies from different scientific streams have generally failed to step into each other’s areas of research, hence missing opportunities for cross-fertilization. Although scholars raised this issue earlier (e.g., Weber, Shenkar & Raveh, 1996; Weber, Tarba, and Reichel; 2009), there has not been a systematic attempt in the literature to address this important issue.

Therefore, a major goal of this special issue is to encourage articles on how underlying concepts in post-merger socio-cultural integration of M&A can enhance our understanding of factors affecting M&A success, and relate those factors to practice.

Submissions for this issue should be submitted electronically to TIBR.

Important Dates

  • Submission deadline: February 29, 2012
  • Publication release: 2013

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page.

For questions regarding this special issue, authors are invited to contact Dr. Shlomo Yedidia Tarba
Email: tarba2003@gmail.com or Mobile: +972-547936947.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please indicate that the submission is for this special issue. Please Do NOT include your identifying contact information in your manuscript when uploading it into the submission system.

Forthcoming Articles:

Head in the Clouds or Feet on the Ground?  CEO Perspectives and the IB Research Agenda

Authors:
J. Michael Geringer and William Pendergast

Mobile Marketing:  A Comparative Study of Youth Markets in the U.S. and China

Authors:
Tao (Tony) Gao, Andrew J. Rohm, Fareena Sultan and Suping Huang