11^th MBAcademy International Conference on Management Businesses Organisation and Innovation (IMBAC2018)

16 and 17 August 2018

Barcelona, Spain

CALL FOR PAPERS

The playing field for managers and entrepreneurs has changed. Due to the technological advancements and social issues they have to deal with the international market has become increasingly complex. Bots are being used as artificial intelligence tools to create pathways into the private spaces of consumers allowing the application of Big Data Analytics as a marketing tool to improve business performance. Being computer savvy has become a must at all levels of the workforce. But, technological advancements are not the only ones challenging traditional management and organisational theories. Concepts like open innovation, the share economy and sustainability are also pushing practitioners to think innovatively.

The development of platforms and infrastructures such as social media, crowdfunding/crowdsourcing, Internet of Things, and virtual workspaces has improved, worldwide, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability in substantial ways with broad managerial, organizational and policy implications. The emergence of new digital technologies, awareness of corporate social responsibility and the greater need for innovation and problem-solving skills are becoming de-facto part of the everyday management agenda. Increasing globalization has made the world smaller and more competitive. Socio-cultural and socio-political issues affect businesses at an unprecedented speed, yet academic research is not evolving fast enough to develop concepts and techniques needed by practitioners, especially where it is needed in domains such as management. At the same time, management education is failing to provide the right skills, leaving the individual with the burden of constantly learning and adapting to the globalized business and social environment.

It is time for academics to push their imaginations and create insightful models and measures, which corporations could use for actively promoting social agendas such as innovation and the sharing economy by considering such factors as Big Data Analytics and Design. Unlike programmes that have been specifically written for technological advancements, valid measures for promoting innovation, social responsibility, the circular and sharing economy are not available to managers. Furthermore, operating in a dynamic environment that cannot be separated from terror and fear does not allow managers to focus on the consequences of decisions made at the macro level and take initiatives that will lead to sustainability. Therefore, a key question to be answered in these turbulent times is, how is it possible for corporations to incorporate safety, security, and satisfaction of stakeholders in the design of their business models while they are struggling to achieve sustainability goals related to the environment and climate change? Considering the multidimensionality of technological advancements and sustainability, it will be useful for managers to know how to direct their efforts towards social development issues in international market?

Research studies that have discussed social development challenges have failed to consider challenges faced by managers. There is scant recognition of the gap that exists between academics and practitioners. Therefore, it becomes a moral obligation for scholars to address this need for understanding the significance of technological advancements and big data analytics for innovation and socio-economic development of society. We have limited understanding of how big data will help firms to understand the needs of society, their stakeholders, streamline administrative complexities and identify new business opportunities when the circular and sharing economy has become more pervasive around the world. Therefore, it is important to know how organisations and their stakeholders can improve management practices and organisational strategies, resources and capabilities to succeed in maximizing the value of these new possibilities and, especially, what part business education can play. At present, these questions remain unanswered.

We hope that the theme of this call for papers will encourage academics and practitioners to use a multi-disciplinary approach to boldly bring together bodies of related knowledge to produce new insights and invites them to submit their works in the form of either full papers or extended abstracts by July 20, 2018. Papers selected for presentation at the conference will push our current thinking of links between digitalization and its impacts on innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability in international market from the academic and practitioner points of view. Selected academics will be invited to present their conceptualizations and empirical investigations on this topic. We anticipate that the insights proposed will help managers to perform their functions more efficiently. 

Keynote speeches delivered by leading industry and academic experts will acknowledge trends, patterns, business practices and requirements to stimulate the minds of current and budding scholars working in this area. The scope of this call is not limited to the following topics:

The impact of digitalization on

• Innovation and sustainability in international markets
• Organizational culture and change management
• Role of global culture in international market
• Social-entrepreneurship and innovation
• Entrepreneurial behavior
• International customer relationship management, corporate marketing and reputation
• International new product innovation
• International retailing innovation
• SME’s internationalization
• SME’s performance
• Human resource management
• International buyer-seller relationships
• Overcoming the barriers to socio-economic development
• Globalization, standardization, and adaptation
• Innovation management creative industries
• Ecosystems
• Ethical implications of big data

This conference will provide academics and practitioners with the unique opportunity to explore and discuss Digitalization: The Internationalization of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability in an open, friendly and informal atmosphere. Best papers will be selected for a fast-track review and potential publication in the Journal of International Journal of Emerging Markets and European Journal of International Management.

Format for Extended Abstract

Papers should follow the Conference style. English is the language of the Conference and all related publications.

Length
Extended abstract 1000 words.

Contend

• Purpose and objectives of the paper
• Originality – what is new about it?
• Research methodology
• Findings and discussion
• Theoretical and practical implications
• Research limitations
• Conclusion

Format for full Papers

Papers should follow the International Journal of Emerging Markets style. English is the language of the Conference and all related publications.

Length
Full-length articles: 6,000 words in total, including references and a maximum of 5 tables/figures.

Journal requirements for submitted papers:
Before submitting your paper to the journal special issue, you MUST ensure that you have fulfilled all of that journal’s style requirements. Consider hiring a professional copyeditor to assist with your revision if necessary. Please see the guideline for authors by clicking here.

Copyediting is mandatory for acceptance for publication in elite international journals. The ISI-ranked journal Editor-in-Chief and/or publisher will reject any paper that does not meet the journal’s style requirements.

KEY DATES

Submission of papers and registration opens: April 1

Deadline for the submission of abstract/papers: July 20

Feedback to papers: July 10

Deadline for submission of full papers: August 1

ORGANISING COMMITTEES

FURTHER INFORMATION

Conference Fees and Registration             

A selection of papers presented at the Conference will be invited to be reviewed for fast-track review and potential publication in one of the following journals and/or an edited book:

International Journal of Emerging Markets

European Journal of International Management