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The purpose of this paper is to explore the perspectives of workers in one of the least developed economies (Cambodia) on the creation of new job and livelihood opportunities created by foreign firms or foreign investment.

Qualitative: randomly selected interviews of individuals.

Individuals working in international organizations find international business activities increase their livelihood options and therefore help to improve their lives.

An exploratory approach using convenience sampling was taken which limits generalizing the results to a broader population.

The concepts explored can be used by individual firms when formulating their social responsibility programmes and the ethical implications of their business practices in emerging markets as well as by governments in creating public policies concerning poverty reduction.

Presents and respects the views of lower income individuals working in the tourism industry whose voices are often overlooked when corporate social responsibility and public policies are designed.

Provides a perspective about poverty reduction of individuals from low-income backgrounds whose lives are directly impacted by international investment and trade.

This paper aims to explore different possible economic narratives concerning trade, which may emerge based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis and likely effects of these differing narratives would have on global poverty reduction.

This is a conceptual paper based on original analysis of selected literature.

The global response to the COVID-19 crisis of severely restricting international travel and business operations has been accompanied by slowing economic growth and increased levels of global poverty. Due to the nature of the crisis, it is not currently clear, even with hindsight, whether the measures taken have produced more benefits than problems. However, the pace and direction of the economic recovery and the effect on future levels of global poverty will likely depend to some extent on which narratives go viral and become accepted.

Members of academia as well as others have a role to play in creating and spreading narratives about economic activities and focusing on narratives, which do not ignore the plight of the global poor in the aftermath of the current crisis might have a positive effect on the living standards of the hundreds of millions of people living in poverty who have been affected by the current global economic slowdown.

The paper uniquely links ideas associated with behavioral economics, international business theories and empirical evidence with reducing poverty as we move past the COVID-19 crisis.

The purpose of this study is to explore and compare the perceptions of workers in the tourism industry in Thailand in foreign-owned and locally owned firms to provide an underrepresented perspective in the debate over whether international trade and tourism primarily exploits workers or provides valuable opportunities.

A matched-pairs comparative analysis was used.

Workers at foreign-owned companies showed slightly, although statistically insignificant, more positive attitudes toward tourism as a means of creating opportunities for themselves. Workers in foreign-owned companies showed a statistically significant more positive attitude toward the impact of tourism on the country. It appears the vast majority of the workers interviewed did not feel exploited, but empowered by opportunities to engage in employment in the tourism industry.

The use of self-reported measures has been acknowledged to be problematic and the size and composition of the sample limit the ability to generalize the findings to a broader population.

Understanding the perspectives of the workers in an industry can be useful in policy development and implementing corporate social responsibility programs. The results suggest workers would support programs which encourage increases in tourism and foreign investment in the industry. Social implications reflect the perceptions of an under-represented segment of society.

The intention is to help bring into the debate the perspectives of individuals who are most directly affected by these activities.

Increases in international tourism have been associated with increased livelihood opportunities and the creation of microenterprises in developing and less developed economies. An exploratory study examining the motivations for engaging in a microenterprise and the perceptions of the benefits of tourism was conducted with participants from Vientiane, Laos. It was found the microentrepreneurs in the study were mostly pushed into engaging in microenterprises due to the lack of employment opportunities and thus were creating their own jobs as opposed to being pulled into starting a business in search of wealth or lifestyle benefits. All participants of the study believed international tourism created more benefits than problems for both themselves and the country.

The special issue aims to look into what it means to be critical in relation to international business.

Gives an overview of articles submitted by experts in the field.

Finds that old practices of international trade are out of touch in the modern world and that new practices need to be agreed in order to make international trade work for all.

Collectively, these papers provide a response to what it means to be “critical” in relation to international business and in doing so will provide a useful touchstone to those who wish to make contributions to this new journal.

The purpose of this article is to address the question of what it means to be critical in relationship to international business.

Explores the underlying assumptions and objectives in the debates involving international business and trade.

The emotional aspects of the debate have resulted in obscuring the objectives and underlying assumptions of those involved in the discussions. It is proposed that the underlying assumptions are reevaluated and there is a refocusing of objectives in order to produce more productive results from being critical of international business. The debate should resume with an acceptance of well established principles supported by decades of empirical research and history by all parties and the debate should focus on the actual practices of international businesses in an attempt to make international trade work for all rather than attacking international business as an institution.

Explores the overlooked underlying assumptions and differing objectives of those involved in criticizing international business. Focusing on the prime objective of being critical of international business, lessening poverty around the world, rather than on the debate and one's perceived opponents, will lead to academia better fulfilling its role of being an objective observer and reporter of international business activities in the debate and lessen the risk of academia becoming a biased participant.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mode of entry decisions of firms owned by individuals from a developing country, Thailand, when establishing business operations into a lesser developed country, Cambodia.

The study uses a case study method, using interviews which were held with owners, managers and employees of eight Thai‐owned companies operating in Cambodia.

The paper funds that existing internationalization theory and mode of entry frameworks were useful for classifying the two largest firms in the study, however the smaller entrepreneurial firms could not be accurately categorized according to the existing classifications and therefore an additional category, the born foreign firm, was identified.

As small enterprises are responsible for the vast majority of business activities in lesser developed economies, understanding the nature of born foreign firms can provide policy makers and educators with information to build policies and educational program upon.

The phenomenon of the born foreign firm was identified and explored.