Global Competitiveness

What makes some organizations more competitive than others in the global marketplace? Is the "global competitiveness" of these organizations driven by structure, strategy, tactics, implementation, opportunities, or, very likely, a combination of one of more of these potential components?

Nowadays, business success depends on expanding the global reach of the organization. Marketing's contribution to the scholarship about what makes some organizations globally competitive is important and unique. In a global marketplace, which is converging in some customer needs and wants and market segments, but also diverging in others, marketing has an opportunity to be very influential in scholarship and practice. A number of articles and also special issues have tackled various topics related to the "competitiveness" theme.

The Special Issue on Global Competitiveness of the Journal of International Marketing aims to extend this literature by publishing a set of articles that will shed greater insights into how marketing can help describe, explain, and predict issues within the scope of organizations being globally competitive. In global markets, there is greater divergence in environmental imperatives and different sets of competitors are typically present. Additionally, it is more common for organizations to have simultaneous competitive and cooperative relationships and/or relationships with multiple partners, who could potentially be direct adversaries to each other. The Special Issue specifically targets "marketing strategy" and "strategic marketing" topics, but with a core focus on global competitiveness.

To address these strategy issues, the Journal of International Marketing is issuing a call for papers for the purpose of advancing international marketing knowledge on firm and SBU-level global competitiveness. In terms of content, papers may be either conceptual or empirical in nature and pursue either theory-building or theory-testing. Topics include (but are not limited to) innovation, entrepreneurship, culture, social, human, and relational capital, knowledge and learning, branding, CSR and sustainability, and internationalization in relation to global competiveness. In terms of methodology, papers may be based on empirical techniques (e.g., case, survey, archival research) or on modeling techniques (i.e., optimization or simulation). Papers that integrate multiple perspectives and/or multiple methodologies are especially encouraged.

Papers targeting the Special Issue should be submitted using the JIM submission system and will also undergo the same review process as regularly submitted papers. The deadline for submission is June 27, 2016. Questions pertaining to the Special Issue should be directed to:

Special Issue Editors:

G. Tomas M. Hult, Ph.D.

Professor and Byington Endowed Chair

Director, International Business Center

Broad College of Business

Michigan State University

645 North Shaw Lane, Room 7

East Lansing, MI 48823-1122

U.S.A.

T: + 1- 517-353-4336 

E: hult@msu.edu

and

Professor Constantine S. Katsikeas

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Marketing

Associate Dean (Faculty)

Chair of the Marketing Division

Arnold Ziff Endowed Research Chair in Marketing & International Management

Leeds University Business School

Maurice Keyworth Building

University of Leeds

Leeds LS2 9JT

U.K.

T: +44-(0)-113-343-2624

E: csk@lubs.leeds.ac.uk