Call for Papers

Journal of World Business Special Issue
Internationalization of Chinese Firms

Deadline for submissions: December 31, 2009

As China stays on course to become the largest economy in the world, its enterprises look to conquer global markets, outside the Asian-Pacific area. This rapid evolution of Chinese enterprises in global markets has drawn today’s authors to write about their development and impacts. Little is known however, in academic literature why and how Chinese firms internationalize, although some differences in patterns and motives for internationalization by Chinese firms compared with Western firms have been highlighted (Child and Rodriguez 2005). There may indeed be only one path to market development but this will still require the dedication of resources and management to succeed. Most studies of internationalization have been grounded in the paradigms of developed countries and the non-social market economy and raise once again the relevance of transference Western and mainly U.S. management theory to developing countries. The internationalization of Chinese enterprises is deserving of research in particular, in four major areas: the motives for internationalization by Chinese firms; the management styles, strategies and capabilities of Chinese firms in Chinese internationalization; the environmental barriers faced by Chinese firms in the internationalization process and the role played by the Chinese government in this process. Emphasis will be placed on conceptual and empirical papers that advance the theoretical development of internationalization of Chinese firms addressing a range of topics/issues, but not restricted to the following:

• Triggers and drivers of Chinese foreign direct investment.
• Chinese internationalization modes and motives. Will Chinese internationalization modes change in future?
• Does Chinese culture teach us anything about how Chinese firms will operate overseas? (E.g. Guanxi).
• Is partnership in foreign markets of continuing importance to Chinese firms?
• How is branding to develop in the Chinese context? How well developed at present are branding strategies on the domestic Chinese market and which Chinese brands are ready to internationalize?
• The continual search by Western consumers for value added and whether and how Chinese firms will continue to fulfill this expectation.
• Measuring the market orientation practiced by Chinese firms active internationally?
• Relationship management between Chinese suppliers and Western clients, towards forging long term relationships.
• Will the Internet give Chinese firms the boost that they need to develop internationally?
• Is entrepreneurship to be found amongst Chinese firms venturing overseas? China and its regional expansion into Asian markets.
• Chinese firms and their international success in the face of cultural challenges and economic embargoes.
• Is there a future for Chinese exports beyond low price and subcontracting the manufacturing process?
• Protectionism still exists in free markets but is it futile for Western economies to try to block Chinese imports? Will it simply just cost the Western consumer more in the short term and prove self defeating in the longer term?
• To what extent will the continued future success of Chinese firms internationally depend upon the economic policies and support of the Chinese government?

All articles should be original contributions and should not be under consideration for any other publication at the same time. All submissions will be reviewed in accordance with the established reviewing process of the Journal of World Business. They will be evaluated on the basis of originality, contribution and rigour. Manuscripts should not exceed 30 pages, inclusive of all text, references and endnotes. Submitted manuscripts should follow the format as indicated in the Submission Guidelines on the journal website:

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620401/authorinstructions.

Authors should submit an electronic copy of their manuscript as a word-file via email attachment to the guest editors Dr Sylvie Laforet at: s.laforet@sheffield.ac.uk and Professor Stan Paliwoda at: stan.paliwoda@strath.ac.uk

Reference:

Child, J., & Rodriguez, S. B. (2005). The Internationalization of Chinese Firms: A Case for Theoretical Extension? Management and Organization Review, 1:3, 392.

Special issue editors: Guest co-editor:

Dr Sylvie Laforet
Management School
The University of Sheffield
9 Mappin Street
Sheffield S1 4DT
England, United kingdom
Tel: +44(0) 114 2223341
Fax: +44(0) 114 2223348
Email: s.laforet@sheffield.ac.uk

Professor Stan Paliwoda
Department of Marketing
University of Strathclyde
Stenhouse Building
173 Cathedral Street
Glasgow, G4 0RQ
Scotland, United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0)141 548 5843
Fax: +44(0)141 552 2802
Email: stan.paliwoda@strath.ac.uk

Dr Junsong Chen
China Europe International Business School,
699 Hong Feng Road
Pudong
Shanghai, 201206
P.R. China
Tel: +86(0)21-2890
Fax: +86(0)21-2890
Email: cjunsong@ceibs.edu

doi:10.1016/S1090-9516(08)00090-4
Journal of World Business 44 (2009) I–II

Journal of World Business
journal homepage: www.socscinet.com/bam/jwb