Theme: Opportunities and Challenges in the Global Arena: Technology, Digitalization, & Business
Proposal Abstract Submission Deadline: September 5, 2021 (extended)
Registration Opens: August 15, 2021
Early Bird Registration Deadline: September 25, 2021 (extended)
Regular Registration Deadline: October 12, 2021 (extended)
Overview: The increasing integration of digitalization in today’s global economy and the constant technological innovation from all sectors have profoundly transformed the face of international business activities. The development of digital technologies disrupts and destabilizes existing business models, competitions, industry boundaries by changing the game rules and altering relationships among businesses, suppliers, customers, and other entities, including local, national, international, government, and NGOs. This wave of change is characterized as “the fourth industrial revolution” (Schwab, 2016) and the “new logic of competition” (Kimura, Reeves, and Whitaker, 2019). During the pandemic, many companies have expedited the speed of adopting digital technologies, and many changes could stay for the long haul. Indeed, competitiveness in the 2020s has become digitally global, interdependent, and interpenetrating across all industries, sectors of economics, and national borders.
This wave of technology change has undoubtedly impacted the global business environment and operations in many significant ways. Researchers in the international business field have been called to investigate such impact theoretically and empirically (Tulder, Verbeke, and Piscitello, 2019). Continuing this scholarly pursuit, we welcome scholars and practitioners around the world to join us in person, in Connecticut, during the peak of beautiful foliage season, to discuss the theme topic.