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This study aims to investigate current deglobalization against globalization and to hypothesize reasons and drivers of deglobalization. In addition, the study suggests an empirical model to test whether deglobalization exists in the world economy. The consequences of deglobalization are discussed.

Various measures for deglobalization are introduced for monitoring the deglobalization of a country, and statistical measures are reported. The research framework for deglobalization and empirical models are suggested. The relationship between deglobalization and globalization is being modeled using three KOF globalization indexes: economic, political and societal. This study used panel data from 1970 to 2017 for developed and developing countries to determine the degree of deglobalization.

Deglobalization has been found empirically since the global financial crisis. Deglobalization is estimated by the decreasing trend of import share in a country's gross domestic product and is influenced by manufacturing imports, country's income divide and political globalization. Both economic and societal globalizations have negative influence on deglobalization. Deglobalization is more apparent in developed countries than in developing countries, and the deglobalization trend will continue in diverse formats.

This study limits the use of few variables to test the antecedents of deglobalization. Another study can be done to extend preceding variables and estimate the consequences of deglobalization, which may segregate the globalization effect. The international business executive should understand the complexity of deglobalization and consider business benefits and risks to be encountered.

This study used panel data from 1970 to 2017 for developed and developing countries to determine the degree of deglobalization.

The psychic distance often hinders the interaction between cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) and consumers. This paper aims to discuss the issues of psychic distance of consumers in the CBEC. In addition, it attempts to explain the factors that affect psychic distance from three dimensions of culture, economy and politics and the two different shopping behaviors caused by psychic distance.

This research incorporates both theoretical and empirical studies. In this study, 249 validated questionnaires were selected from 300 Chinese CBEC consumers by snowball sampling, and the relationship between variables was tested using structural equation model (SEM). This was done through online research, and it is ensured that the data obtained are first-hand information.

The paper suggests the theoretical model operationalizing CBEC psychic distance and the empirical analysis results show that all the six influencing factors have a positive impact on the psychic distance of consumers. Logistics infrastructure barriers in the economic dimension are confirmed as the major influencing factor, and the significance of the political dimension is relatively small. Based on consumers' uncertainty of various kinds of information, psychic distance subconsciously causes consumers to deviate in the cross-shopping process.

Currently, research on e-commerce mainly focuses on saving trade costs and improving consumer welfare, while research on the internal impact of CBEC on consumers is insufficient. Psychic distance is a new concept in the field of cultural and social research. The originality of this paper is that the concept of psychic distance has been extended from overseas invested enterprises to research with CBEC consumers as the selected object. The obstacles of CBEC have been widely studied, but few are related to the closeness of consumers, or the inner feelings of consumers are ignored. In the context of CBEC, this paper lists the actual external factors and potential threats that may affect consumers' consumption concerns of CBEC from three dimensions. The real emotions of consumers in the face of these difficulties indirectly affect the purchase satisfaction and reduce the purchase desire. Consumer psychic distance is a real phenomenon in cross-border shopping, and it is almost inevitable for these difficulties. On the premise of inevitability, high psychic distance will slow down cross-border shopping in the eyes of consumers.

E-Trade (paperless trade or cross-border e-commerce in B2B format) does not necessarily show positive results. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize why and how such happens and furthermore, has two research purposes. First is to explain why studies in e-Trade performance show controversial results, such as some showing positive while others are not. Second is to investigate the relationship among research constructs such as e-Trade benefits, e-Trade use, asset specificity, and exporting firm’s capability.

This study considers multiple dimensions and evolutionary perspective of e-Trade performance. Structural equation model adopts the measures of firm’s capability, e-Trade use, and benefits to analyze e-Trade performance. Performance was divided into organizational net benefits (ONB) and industrial net benefits. Several hypotheses were suggested to test the relationship among the variables in the model. Basic moderator effect represented as an interaction between asset specificity and other constructs. In total, 295 exporting firms have participated in the survey and their responses were utilized for analysis.

This study shows that e-Trade performance should consider maturity as well as multiple stages among constructs. Critical paths were found among capability factors, process use (PU), ONB, and asset specificity. Results also show that information capability and marketing capability (MC) are determinant factors on e-Trade performance. In addition, MC and level of PU are read to be determinant factors of ONB. Furthermore, small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) asset specificity, with level of capability and e-Trade use moderates their e-Trade performance.

Asset specificity of SMEs has to be managed in a positive direction. Government’s e-Trade supporting programs for SMEs should be transformed in a way that can foster the growth of capability and self-sustainment. It reads to be inevitable to amend the current characteristics of e-Trade services. Furthermore, developing a specialized e-Trade service for large firms will also be in need. And utilizing exporting firm’s financial data would be more advisable testing the hypotheses.

Most works in information system as well as in e-Trade area report controversial performance results and this paper suggests an alternative model by combining asset specificity into capability and e-Trade use. Study on e-Trade performance is complicated and needs to consider multiple dimensions as well as their stages. This study envisions firm’s capability, asset specificity and at the same time contributes in e-Trade benefits.