Introduction from the Editors

Citation

Cairns, G. and Roberts, J. (2009), "Introduction from the Editors", Critical Perspectives on International Business, Vol. 5 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib.2009.29005caa.001

Introduction from the Editors

Article Type: Introduction from the Editors From: critical perspectives on international business, Volume 5, Issue 3

Welcome to the first general issue of Critical Perspectives on International Business for 2009. We are pleased to present another exciting collection of articles considering a diverse range of issues, from transnational criminal enterprises and the impact of private and public sector transparency on foreign direct investment to intercultural communication research and the relationship between globalization and national policy formation. The peer reviewed academic articles are accompanied by a reflection on Formula 1 Grand Prix racing as an international business (IB).

Four academic papers are included in this issue. First, we present “Applying the eclectic framework: The strategy of transnational criminal enterprises in the global era”, in which Peter Enderwick considers the value of Dunning’s eclectic approach in explaining the strategy of cross-border criminal enterprises. Crime has grown and internationalized alongside legitimate business, yet little attention has been devoted to understanding the development, operations or strategies of transnational criminal enterprises. Although conventional IB theory may help us to understand the growth of transnational criminal organizations, Enderwick finds that it provides few lessons on how to confront the growth of cross-border criminal activity.

This is followed by Belay Seyoum and Terrell G. Manyak’s exploration of “The impact of public and private sector transparency on foreign direct investment in developing countries”. The findings of this empirical study show that, while both private sector and public sector transparency have significant and positive effects on inward FDI flows to developing countries, it is private sector transparency that has the greater influence.

In the third paper, “A critical analysis of intercultural communication research in cross-cultural management: introducing newer developments in anthropology”, Toke Bjerregaard, Jakob Lauring and Anders Klitmøller outline developments in anthropological theory with a view to inspiring a more dynamic and contextual approach for understanding intercultural communication research in cross-cultural management (CCM). Promoting new directions for theoretical developments concerning intercultural communication in CCM, the authors forward a view of culture as dynamically enfolded in practice and socially situated in specific contexts.

In the final academic paper, “Globalization and national policy formation: an exploratory analysis”, Donald Feaver investigates the relationship between levels of human development and the extent to which countries pursue national policy objectives disciplined by the universal values underlying the process of globalization. The analysis suggests a link between higher levels of human development where countries’ normative policy settings align with world society values.

This issue also includes a position paper from George Cairns, entitled “Personal reflections on attending the Australian Grand Prix”. Cairns provides a critical reflection on the relationship between IB and climate change, finding that the various options for the “greening” of Formula 1 may be largely symbolic. However, he goes on to contemplates the (im)possibility of “greening” any organization that is embedded in resource consumption and to warn that, if we are serious about addressing environmental issues, we must look beyond the obvious target of motor sport and confront our own ambivalence.

With contributions from authors in North America, Australasia and Europe, this issue demonstrates our continued commitment to producing a truly international journal. This international content is matched by our ability to reach readers across some 970 institutions worldwide. Since its launch in 2005, CPoIB has enjoyed considerable success, with 14,000 article downloads in 2008 and more than 5,000 downloads in the first three months of 2009. In addition, CPoIB is included in the journal rankings of the Australian Business Deans Council and the UK Association of Business Schools.

We hope that you will enjoy reading this issue of CPoIB, that it will provoke further critical discussion about key issues of relevance to IB and, importantly, that it will stimulate further responses in the academic community, in the classroom and in the wider context of global society. As always, we encourage readers to participate in ongoing debates and to raise new issues through contributions to the journal. We welcome academic paper submission, viewpoint pieces, reviews and review essays as well as suggestions and proposals for special issues.

George Cairns, Joanne Roberts