MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: SPECIAL JOINT CONFERENCE

A special joint conference of the AIB-Africa and the AIB-US-Northeast Chapters will be held at Nairobi, Kenya from January 6 – 9, 2020. The conference will be hosted by the Chandria School of Business at the United States International University - Africa (USIU-A).

CALL FOR PAPERS

While much of the business world is facing unprecedented disruptions due to a combination of factors such as climate change, growing protectionism across the world, gradual erosion in the authority of international trade bodies, and the rise of technologies that threaten millions of jobs, the continent of Africa is experiencing rapid economic growth. Together with a few East- and South-Asian countries, several African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania rank among the fastest growing economies in the world. Despite this impressive economic performance, the continent of Africa has not received as much attention from academia as some other regions of the world. The conference will bring together the latest research on the prospects and perils of doing business in Africa and also feature the current thinking on how the business world can cope with the disruptions unleashed by forces beyond the control of individual firms or governments.  

Competitive papers, extended abstracts, work-in-progress papers, and proposals for special sessions are invited for the topic areas listed below. Papers, cases and proposals in pedagogy related areas are welcome as well. While submissions from all business disciplines will be considered, those focusing on the conference theme and the continent of Africa will be given special consideration. Doctoral and other students are encouraged to submit papers. There is a special discount on registration fee for students. A limited number of invited papers will also be presented by some distinguished academics and business executives.

All submissions will be blind reviewed, and a select number of papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Publication in the proceedings does not preclude subsequent publication in other journals when proper acknowledgements are made.  By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) certifies that it is not copyrighted or previously published, has not been presented or accepted or is not currently under review for presentation at another professional meeting. At least one author must register for the conference. If more than one author presents the paper, each presenter must register.

BEST PAPER AWARD

The Best Paper Award, based on the recommendations of reviewers, will be given during the Gala Dinner on January 8, 2020.  All full-length papers related to Africa and/or the conference theme submitted before the deadline will automatically be considered for the Best Paper Award.

PROGRAM TRACKS & CHAIRS

  • Track 1: International Marketing & Entrepreneurship
    • Track Chair: Dr. Michael Ngoasong, Open University, UK
  • Track 2: Ethics, Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Quinnipiac University & Oxford Consortium
  • Track 3: Business & Economic History and International Business
    • Track Chair: Professor Macharia Munune, United States International University-Africa, Kenya
  • Track 4: Governments, NGOs, Global Institutions & State-Owned Enterprises
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Beatrice Maisori, Riara University, Kenya
  • Track 5: Cross-Cultural Management, International HRM & Leadership 
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Raphael Oseghale, Swansea University, UK
  • Track 6: International Accounting, Economics and Finance
    • Track Chair: Dr. George Achoki,  United States International University-Africa, Kenya
  • Track 7: Strategic Management
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Veronica Kaluyu, United States International University-Africa, Kenya
  • Track 8: Cases and Pedagogical Innovations
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Xiaohong He, Quinnipiac University.
  • Track 9: Foreign Direct Investment Theory and Practices
    • Track Chair:  Professor Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
  • Track 10: Student Papers
    • Track Chair:  Dr. Martin Kang'ethe, Riara University, Kenya

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Following the AIB “rule of three”, no author should be associated with more than three submissions. The manuscripts should be typed in a single Microsoft Word document containing all exhibits and figures.

  1. All competitive papers should be double-spaced, NOT to exceed 25 pages (excluding the Title page and references) and follow APA writing style (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style ).
  2. Abstracts (up to one page) and work-in-progress papers (3-4 pages) describing an ongoing research project can be submitted. However, such papers will not be considered for best paper awards.
  3. Proposals for special sessions (symposia or panels) focusing on a single issue, single country, or single region are welcome. Any such special session would have a moderator and 3-4 presenters offering their unique perspectives. A proposal for a special session should not exceed three pages and should include the topic and purpose of the session, the names and affiliations of participants, complete address of all presenters including phone number and email address. All presenters of a special session must register for the conference and be present at the time of the presentation.
  4. All submissions must have a SEPARATE title page with the title of the paper, the name(s), affiliation(s), and complete address of all authors including phone number and email address.
  5. In case of multiple authors, the name of the correspondence author should be clearly indicated.

All submissions must be submitted by November 15, 2019 to AIBNEA@quinnipiac.edu. Electronic submissions will be acknowledged by return e-mail upon receipt. Acceptance decisions will be made by November 30, 2019. Specific instructions will be sent to the authors of accepted manuscripts along with the acceptance notification. The tentative conference program will be uploaded on the website of AIB-Africa and AIB-US-NE by December 15, 2019.

REGISTRATION

The deadline for pre-registration is December 15, 2019. The pre-registration fee is $175 (Ksh 17,500/-) and $75 for students (Ksh 7,500).

An additional $50 will be charged for registration after December 15. Registration includes a copy of conference proceedings, most meals during the conference, a reception, refreshments between sessions, and the Gala Dinner. Some sightseeing and tours to Maasai market and factory/tea garden will be organized.

Those wishing to join AIB or renew their membership must do so online through the AIB Webpage (https://aib.msu.edu/membership/).

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES (SEPARATE FEES APPLY)

Wild Safari tour to Nairobi National Park (half-day) – $50 USD on January 6 morning.

Seven-day Trip to Masai Mara /Amboseli National Park – $620 USD (either before or after the conference)

HOTEL AND TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

The host university, USIU-A, has made special arrangements with two nearby hotels that will provide a special discount to conference attendees. Conference attendees must make their own reservation using a code to be provided with the acceptance letters by the conference organizers.

Safari Park Hotel:  $140/day (including breakfast and tax) 

Kenya Utalii Hotel: $ 80/day (including breakfast and tax)

For more information, please contact Professor Mohammad Elahee (AIB-US-NE) mohammad.elahee@quinnipiac.edu; Professor Abel Kinoti (AIB-Africa) akinoti@riarauniversity.ac.ke; or Dean Teresia Linge (USIU-A) aib@usiu.ac.ke.