Publication Type

Transcript

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

6-2026

Abstract

The influence of international business (IB) scholarship is an active debate (e.g., Bello & Kostova, 2012; Cantwell et al., 2014, 2016; Doh et al., 2023; Tung et al., 2023). Although IB research has expanded in the number of publications, in its sophistication of research design, and in its thematic breadth over the past decades, questions remain regarding its influence beyond the core ecosystem of IB journals. Anecdotally, a pessimistic view has become more commonplace. The concern is that IB has become increasingly self-referential, relying more heavily on IB-related theory extensions and context-specific settings, which could limit its resonance in the business and management field (e.g., Bello & Kostova, 2012; Buckley et al., 2017; Shapiro et al., 2007). That said, others are optimistic. The optimistic argu ment is that IB scholarship plays a central role in advanc ing knowledge on contemporary phenomena such as glo balization, cross-border strategy, and institutional diversity (e.g., Cheng et al., 2014; Tung, 2023; Verbeke et al., 2018). Moreover, IB scholarship is inherently interdisciplinary and outward-looking (e.g., Cantwell & Brannen, 2011; Cantwell et al., 2014; Cheng et al., 2014; Shenkar, 2025; Tung, 2023). To move beyond anecdotes about IB’s influence, we use data on article influence to address the empirical question: To what extent does contemporary IB research shape conversations outside the IB ecosystem?

Keywords

International business, academic research

Discipline

International Business | Strategic Management Policy

Research Areas

Strategy and Organisation

Publication

Journal of International Business Studies

First Page

1

Last Page

13

ISSN

0047-2506

Identifier

10.1057/s41267-026-00882-7

Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

Copyright Owner and License

Publisher

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-026-00882-7

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