Research in the Department of Strategy and International Business

Members of the department publish in world-leading journals such as Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Journal of Management, Research Policy. Our publications are highly cited, and our researchers successfully gain funding for a wide range of research and impact projects. We translate our insights into our teaching through our postgraduate programmes and undergraduate modules that combine excellent research with real-life business experience and innovative teaching methods.

Research undertaken in SIB covers four broadly defined areas:

Organisations and Sustainable Development in the World Economy 

Our research addresses some of the global challenges in terms of achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in the international economy, such as the role of MNCs in the transition towards more sustainable strategies through capability development for international business and entrepreneurial co-creation opportunities. This involves strategic change to adapt to the UN SDGs, for example zero-waste policies and circular economies, climate change, clean air and green energy. We focus on the role of organisations and technology in solving societal problems and facilitating positive change, but also address corporate social (ir-)responsibility, misconduct and organizational corruption. Our research examines issues ranging from base-of-pyramid business approaches and the role of business in poverty reduction to the wider political, economic and social issues in cities and regions across the world, critically reflecting on the role of the natural and built environment.   

Innovation and Collaboration in Global Value Chains and Multinational Strategies

Academics in the Strategy and International Business Department focus on management innovations and collaborative strategies in the global economy, including international strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, global value chains and lean production, outsourcing and reshoring. Our global strategy research addresses issues such as strategic agility and resilience, corporate governance, global innovation networks, with a particular focus on emerging economies and emerging MNCs. We consider issues in global business from an interdisciplinary lens, critically investigating current issues such as political activities of multinationals or the impact of digital strategy and AI-applications on organizations and industries.

SMEs and International Entrepreneurship  

International expansion is increasingly undertaken by Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and our researchers are internationally recognised for their work on how SMEs make decisions and develop their networks when internationalizing, as well as how they develop business models and international new ventures. Staff also address the specific challenges faced migrant entrepreneurs and other types of diaspora networks as well as returnee entrepreneurship – a major driver of economic development in emerging economies. 

Living in a World of Global Organizations 

Academics in the Department are experts in international negotiations and the role of language and culture in multinationals. Multi-linguality and cross-cultural management can be challenging to manage for international organizations. Our researchers also continuously develop and approve research methods to better appreciate the changing global environment, including, cross-country surveys, qualitative multilingual and secondary qualitative research. These insights contribute to our teaching practice and are further developed through purposeful educational research, focusing on the internationalisation of higher education, the impact of digital technology on student learning and the role of executive education.  

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Interested in a PhD in Strategy and International Business? 

The Department of Strategy and International Business welcomes applications from students intending to research strategy and international business in different contexts and drawing upon a range of theories and methodological approaches. Applicants are advised to consult the staff profiles in the department to identify a possible supervisor, and to consult our dedicated research profile.

View details of our PhD in Strategy and International Business. For general information on applying for a PhD at Birmingham Business School, please visit the school doctoral research pages.

Latest departmental research publications

Rowlinson, M, Decker, S & Hassard, J 2023, A narrative of the historic turn in organization studies. in S Decker, WM Foster & E Giovannoni (eds), Handbook of Historical Methods for Management. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 64-79. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800883741.00012

Dong, L, Hudson, B, Moura, D & Jarvis, L 2023, 'Amplifying stigmatization: Owlcatraz and the naming of a football stadium', Organization Studies, pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406231162000

Rodgers, W, Murray, JM, Stefanidis, A, Degbey, WY & Tarba, SY 2023, 'An artificial intelligence algorithmic approach to ethical decision-making in human resource management processes', Human Resource Management Review, vol. 33, no. 1, 100925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2022.100925

Decker, S 2023, Archival Historical Research in Management. in SAGE Research Methods Cases: Business & Management. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529667714

Nix, A, Decker, S, Kirsch, DA & Venkata, SK 2023, Archival research in the digital era. in S Decker, WM Foster & E Giovannoni (eds), Handbook of Historical Methods for Management. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 156-172. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800883741.00019

Liu, B, Bryson, JR, Sevinc, D, Cole, M, Elliott, R, Bartington, S, Bloss, W & Shi, Z 2023, 'Assessing the Impacts of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone on Air Quality: Estimates from a Machine Learning and Synthetic Control Approach', Environmental and Resource Economics, vol. 86, no. 1-2, pp. 203-231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-023-00794-2, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-023-00794-2

Song, C, Liu, B, Cheng, K, Cole, MA, Dai, Q, Elliott, RJR & Shi, Z 2023, 'Attribution of air quality benefits to clean winter heating polices in China: combining machine learning with causal inference', Environmental Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c06800

Zahoor, N & Adomako, S 2023, 'Be open to failure: Open innovation failure in dynamic environments', Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 193, 122632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122632

Adomako, S & Tran, MD 2023, 'Beyond profits: The linkages between local embeddedness, social legitimacy, and corporate philanthropy in the mining industry', Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2585

Bryson, JR 2023, Cloud based services, digital platforms, and internationalization. in F Gallouj, C Gallouj, M-C Monnoyer, L Rubalcaba & M Scheuer (eds), Elgar Encyclopedia of Services. Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 466-466. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802202595.Cloud-Based.Services.Digital

Edacherian, S, Richter, A, Karna, A & Gopalakrishnan, B 2023, 'Connecting the right knots: The impact of board committee interlocks on the performance of Indian firms', Corporate Governance: An International Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12523

Edacherian, S & Bapuji, H 2023, Corporate Governance and Inequality. in T Talaulicar (ed.), Research Handbook on Corporate Governance and Ethics. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

View all Strategy and International Business publications in research portal