OBJECTIVE
Eighteenth World Business Congress of the International Management Development Association (IMDA) devoted to Management Challenges in an Environment of Increasing Regional and Global Concerns will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia from July 1st through 5th , 2009 in cooperation with International Black Sea University in partnership with Georgian Ministry of Economic Development. Scholarly papers, panel/special session proposals, and case study exercises for presentation and subsequent publication in the refereed congress proceedings are invited. In addition to sharing scholarship regarding global business issues, the congress offers an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world and exchange of information and ideas on a variety of global business topics.

OBJECTIVE
Eighteenth World Business Congress of the International Management Development Association (IMDA) devoted to Management Challenges in an Environment of Increasing Regional and Global Concerns will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia from July 1st through 5th , 2009 in cooperation with International Black Sea University in partnership with Georgian Ministry of Economic Development. Scholarly papers, panel/special session proposals, and case study exercises for presentation and subsequent publication in the refereed congress proceedings are invited. In addition to sharing scholarship regarding global business issues, the congress offers an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world and exchange of information and ideas on a variety of global business topics.

SPECIAL SESSIONS AND PANELS
Proposals for special sessions and/or panels are invited and must include: a) a short summary of the issues to be discussed, b) rationale for inclusion of the topic in a special session/panel, c) names, addresses, and qualifications of participants, and d) a letter indicating that session/panel participants’ approval has been obtained. Special session/panel presentation papers will not be published in the congress proceedings unless they go through the usual blind review process. Submit your proposals by March 15, 2009 to Dr. Richard Nelson, Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, 220 Johnson Hall, Fieldhouse Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-7202, USA, Tel: (225) 578-6686, Fax: (225) 578-2125, E-mail: rnelson@lsu.edu

TOPICS
Each paper submitted for consideration should have a global/international orientation and must be scholarly in content. Manuscripts submitted must be complete papers, ready for blind review, to be included in the congress proceedings. A work-in-progress may be reviewed and considered for presentation, included in the program even though not published in the Congress proceedings. Manuscripts should be submitted to the appropriate track co-chair by March 15th, 2009 in a form outlined in the Call for Papers (http://www.imda.cc ) .

ANNUAL YEARBOOK
The Congress proceedings are published in a refereed yearbook made available after the Congress in Tbilisi, Georgia. IMDA Annual Yearbook is listed in Cabell’s Directory 11th Edition. It is also intended that selected papers from the Congress proceedings will be published in a hardbound book form after the Congress as well as in special issues of marketing and international business journals In addition to these, papers selected to receive the Congress Best Paper Awards will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Transnational Management (JTM) – a quarterly official publication of the IMDA.

LIST OF TRACKS, PANELS AND SPECIAL SESSIONS
1. Company Internationalization: Global Perspectives
2. Consumer Behavior: Cross-Cultural/National Issues
3. Country Specific Cases of Globalization
4. Cross–National/Cultural Marketing and Communication
5. Current Issues in Trade and Development
6. Organizational Development Issues
7. Global Business and Development
8. Marketing and Development
9. Global Management Development
10. Global Marketing Management and Strategy
11. Global Business Development
12. Global Training and Development
13. International Business Competitiveness
14. International Business Development
15. International Finance and Risk Management
16. Managing in the Global Marketplace
17. Organizational Development and Business Enterprises
18. Business Education Development
19. Technology Transfer and Foreign Direct Investment
20. New Perspectives on Global Corporate Responsibility and Business Ethics
21. New Developments in Global Business Education
22. Small State Challenges in International Business Development
23. Keynote Addresses

Hope to see you in Tiblisi.