IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v88y2011i1d10.1007_s11192-011-0372-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The evolution of the international business field: a scientometric investigation of articles published in its premier journal

Author

Listed:
  • Peter W. Liesch

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Lars Håkanson

    (The University of Queensland
    Copenhagen Business School)

  • Sara L. McGaughey

    (University of Strathclyde Business School)

  • Stuart Middleton

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Julia Cretchley

    (Leximancer Pty. Ltd)

Abstract

Macro-environmental trends such as technological changes, declining trade and investment barriers, and globalizing forces impacting both markets and production worldwide point to the heightened importance of international business (IB) and the relevance of IB research today. Despite this, a leading scholar has expressed concerns that the IB research agenda could be ‘running out of steam’ (Buckley, Journal of International Business Studies 33(2):365–373, 2002), prompting on-going introspection within the IB field. We contribute to this debate by investigating the evolution of the IB field through a scientometric examination of articles published in its premier journal, the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) from 1970 until 2008. We introduce a new analytical tool, Leximancer, to the fields of international business and scientometry. We show an evolution from an initial and extended emphasis on macro-environmental issues to a more recent focus on micro-economic, firm-level ones with the multinational enterprise (MNE) as an organizational form enduring throughout the entire period. We observe a field that has established a justifiable claim for relevance, participating actively in the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter W. Liesch & Lars Håkanson & Sara L. McGaughey & Stuart Middleton & Julia Cretchley, 2011. "The evolution of the international business field: a scientometric investigation of articles published in its premier journal," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(1), pages 17-42, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:88:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-011-0372-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-011-0372-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-011-0372-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-011-0372-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oded Shenkar, 2004. "One more time: international business in a global economy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 161-171, March.
    2. Mike W Peng, 2004. "Identifying the big question in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 99-108, March.
    3. Alan J Dubinsky & Ronald E Michaels & Masaaki Kotabe & Chae Un Lim & Hee-Cheol Moon, 1992. "Influence of Role Stress on Industrial Salespeople's Work Outcomes in the United States, Japan and Korea," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 23(1), pages 77-99, March.
    4. Peter J. Buckley & Donald R. Lessard, 2010. "Regaining the Edge for International Business Research," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Foreign Direct Investment, China and the World Economy, chapter 2, pages 7-13, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Lawrence G Franko, 1975. "Patterns in the Multinational Spread of Continential European Enterprise*," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 6(2), pages 41-53, June.
    6. Jongmoo Jay Choi & Murli Rajan, 1997. "A Joint Test of Market Segmentation and Exchange Risk Factor in International Capital Market," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 28(1), pages 29-49, March.
    7. Richard W Wright & David A Ricks, 1994. "Trends in International Business Research: Twenty-Five Years Later," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(4), pages 687-701, December.
    8. John A Mathews & Ivo Zander, 2007. "The international entrepreneurial dynamics of accelerated internationalisation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(3), pages 387-403, May.
    9. Vern Terpstra, 1973. "The Future of the International Business Professor," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 4(1), pages 67-78, March.
    10. John H Dunning, 1989. "The Study of International Business: A Plea for a More Interdisciplinary Approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 20(3), pages 411-436, September.
    11. Lorraine Eden, 2008. "Letter from the Editor-in-Chief," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(6), pages 937-939, September.
    12. Earl Naumann, 1993. "Organizational Predictors of expatriate Job Satisfaction," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 24(1), pages 61-80, March.
    13. Andrew C Inkpen & Paul W Beamish, 1994. "An Analysis of Twenty-Five Years of Research in the Journal of International Business Studies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(4), pages 703-713, December.
    14. Loet Leydesdorff & Iina Hellsten, 2006. "Measuring the meaning of words in contexts: An automated analysis of controversies about 'Monarch butterflies,' 'Frankenfoods,' and 'stem cells'," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 67(2), pages 231-258, May.
    15. David A Ricks, 1985. "International Business Research: Past, Present and Future," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 16(2), pages 1-4, June.
    16. Vijay Pothukuchi & Fariborz Damanpour & Jaepil Choi & Chao C Chen & Seung Ho Park, 2002. "National and Organizational Culture Differences and International Joint Venture Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 243-265, June.
    17. Robert G Hawkins, 1984. "International Business in Academia: The State of the Field," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 15(3), pages 13-18, September.
    18. Marlene Ervin & Brain Toyne, 1987. "The AIB Membership: Who We Are, An What We Are Interested In," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 18(2), pages 89-100, June.
    19. Masaaki Kotabe & Glenn S Omura, 1989. "Sourcing Strategies of European and Japanese Multinationals: A Comparison," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 20(1), pages 113-130, March.
    20. John D Daniels, 1991. "Relevance in International Business Research: A Need for More Linkages," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(2), pages 177-186, June.
    21. Uma Sekaran, 1983. "Methodological and Theoretical Issues and Advancements in Cross-Cultural Research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 14(2), pages 61-73, June.
    22. Arie Y Lewin, 2003. "Letter from the new Editor," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(1), pages 1-4, January.
    23. Gunter Dufey, 1970. "The Eurobond Market: Its Significance For International Financial Managements*," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 1(1), pages 65-81, March.
    24. Brian R Chabowski & G Tomas M Hult & Tunga Kiyak & Jeannette A Mena, 2010. "The structure of JIBS's social network and the relevance of intra-country variation: A typology for future research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(5), pages 925-934, June.
    25. Jean J Boddewyn, 1981. "Comparative Marketing: The First Twenty five Years1," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 12(1), pages 61-79, March.
    26. Robert M Everett & Abraham M George & Aryeh Blumberg, 1980. "Appraising Currency Strengths and Weaknesses: An Operational Model for Calculating Parity Exchange Rates," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 11(2), pages 80-90, June.
    27. X Martin & R Salomon, 2003. "Knowledge transfer capacity and its implications for the theory of the multinational corporation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(4), pages 356-373, July.
    28. Brian Toyne & Douglas Nigh, 1998. "A More Expansive View of International Business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(4), pages 863-875, December.
    29. A Y Lewin, 2003. "Letter From the Editor," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(5), pages 413-415, September.
    30. Jeffrey S Arpan & Edward B Flowers & David A Ricks, 1981. "Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: The State of Knowledge in Research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 12(1), pages 137-154, March.
    31. Richard E Caves, 1998. "Research on International Business: Problems and Prospects," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(1), pages 5-19, March.
    32. Anisya S Thomas & Oded Shenkar & Linda Clarke, 1994. "The Globalization of our Mental Maps: Evaluating the Geographic Scope of JIBS Coverage," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(4), pages 675-686, December.
    33. M. R. Davarpanah & S. Aslekia, 2008. "A scientometric analysis of international LIS journals: Productivity and characteristics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 77(1), pages 21-39, October.
    34. Peter J Buckley, 2002. "Is the International Business Research Agenda Running Out of Steam?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 365-373, June.
    35. Ernest W Ogram, 1981. "The Early Days of JIBS at Georgia State University, 1970–1975," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 12(1), pages 7-10, March.
    36. Katharina Maria Hofer & Angela Elisabeth Smejkal & F. Zeynep Bilgin & Gerhard A. Wuehrer, 2010. "Conference proceedings as a matter of bibliometric studies: the Academy of International Business 2006–2008," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(3), pages 845-862, September.
    37. Daniel P Sullivan & John D Daniels, 2008. "Innovation in international business research: a call for multiple paradigms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(6), pages 1081-1090, September.
    38. Tony W Tong & Jeffrey J Reuer, 2007. "Real options in multinational corporations: organizational challenges and risk implications," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(2), pages 215-230, March.
    39. Donald R Lessard, 1983. "Suggestions for Research Themes and Publications," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 14(2), pages 9-13, June.
    40. P Doyle & J Saunders & V Wong, 1986. "Japanese Marketing Strategies in the U.K: A Comparative Study†," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(1), pages 27-46, March.
    41. Alan C Shapiro, 1984. "The Impact of Taxation on the Currency-of-Denomination Decision for Long-Term Foreign Borrowing and Lending," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 15(1), pages 15-25, March.
    42. Srilata Zaheer, 1995. "Circadian Rhythms: The Effects of Global Market Integration in the Currency Trading Industry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(4), pages 699-728, December.
    43. Richard W Wright, 1970. "Trends in International Business Research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 1(1), pages 109-123, March.
    44. Thomas W Dunfee & David A Ricks, 1971. "Joint-Efforts Programs: A Proposal for Integration of International and Functional Concepts," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 2(2), pages 61-70, June.
    45. Peter J Buckley & Mark C Casson, 2009. "The internalisation theory of the multinational enterprise: A review of the progress of a research agenda after 30 years," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1563-1580, December.
    46. David A Griffith & Salih Tamer Cavusgil & Shichun Xu, 2008. "Emerging themes in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(7), pages 1220-1235, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Seno-Alday, Sandra, 2010. "International business thought: A 50-year footprint," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 16-31, March.
    2. Nielsen, Christine & Thangadurai, Mohan, 2007. "Janus and the Delphi Oracle: Entering the new world of international business research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 147-163, June.
    3. Michael-Jörg Oesterle & Joachim Wolf, 2011. "50 Years of Management International Review and IB/IM Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 735-754, December.
    4. Calma, Angelito & Suder, Gabriele, 2020. "Mapping international business and international business policy research: Intellectual structure and research trends," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    5. Acedo, Francisco José & Casillas, José Carlos, 2005. "Current paradigms in the international management field: An author co-citation analysis," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 619-639, October.
    6. Engwall, Lars & Pahlberg, Cecilia & Persson, Olle, 2018. "The development of IB as a scientific field," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 1080-1088.
    7. Ilgaz Arikan & Oded Shenkar, 2022. "Neglected elements: What we should cover more of in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1484-1507, September.
    8. Bo Bernhard Nielsen & Catherine Welch & Agnieszka Chidlow & Stewart Robert Miller & Roberta Aguzzoli & Emma Gardner & Maria Karafyllia & Diletta Pegoraro, 2020. "Fifty years of methodological trends in JIBS: Why future IB research needs more triangulation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(9), pages 1478-1499, December.
    9. Rolv Petter Amdam & Gabriel R. G. Benito & Birgitte Grøgaard, 2023. "The untold story: Teaching cases and the rise of international business as a new academic field," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(7), pages 1313-1331, September.
    10. Ferreira, Manuel Portugal & Li, Dan & Guisinger, Stephen & Serra, Fernando A. Ribeiro, 2009. "Será o ambiente internacional de negócios o contexto efetivo para a pesquisa em negócios internacionais?," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 49(3), July.
    11. Herman Aguinis & Kelly P. Gabriel, 2022. "International business studies: Are we really so uniquely complex?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 2023-2036, December.
    12. Li, Peter Ping, 2010. "Toward a learning-based view of internationalization: The accelerated trajectories of cross-border learning for latecomers," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 43-59, March.
    13. Cristina López-Duarte & Marta M. Vidal-Suárez & Belén González-Díaz & Nuno Rosa Reis, 2016. "Understanding the relevance of national culture in international business research: a quantitative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1553-1590, September.
    14. Gerhard A. Wuehrer & Angela Elisabeth Smejkal, 2013. "The knowledge domain of the academy of international business studies (AIB) conferences: a longitudinal scientometric perspective for the years 2006–2011," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(2), pages 541-561, May.
    15. Chabowski, Brian R. & Samiee, Saeed & Hult, G. Tomas M., 2017. "Cross-national research and international business: An interdisciplinary path," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 89-101.
    16. Manuel Portugal Ferreira & Dan Li & Stephen Guisinger, 2007. "Is the 'International Business Environment' the Actual Context for IB Research?," Working Papers 2, globADVANTAGE, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.
    17. Klarin, Anton & Inkizhinov, Boris & Nazarov, Dashi & Gorenskaia, Elena, 2021. "International business education: What we know and what we have yet to develop," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    18. Fetscherin, Marc & Voss, Hinrich & Gugler, Philippe, 2010. "30 Years of foreign direct investment to China: An interdisciplinary literature review," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 235-246, June.
    19. Chandra, Ramdas & Newburry, William, 1997. "A cognitive map of the international business field," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 387-410, August.
    20. Birgitte Grøgaard & Michael A. Sartor & Linda Rademaker, 2022. "What merits greater scholarly attention in international business?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1508-1518, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:88:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-011-0372-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.