Fast Facts
- Workshop Date & Time: June 28th 2025, 1:30-4:30 pm EST
- Workshop Theme: Global Digitalization Research Ideation
- Extended Submission Deadline: 30 April 2025 (formerly 25 March)
- Workshop Chair: Fernanda Cahen, ESPM, Brazil (fernanda.cahen@espm.br)
What is the Purpose of This Workshop?
This workshop sets out to explore early-stage research of global digitalization issues and its implications for IB studies. This session will bring together a team of IB researchers representing the AIB’s new Shared Interest Group (SIG) on Digitalization. The workshop seeks to help early-stage projects gain insightful feedback and enhance research skills around aspects of theoretical development, methods, and other practical challenges, such as collaborative projects in global digitalization issues.
What Topics Will be Covered in This Workshop?
The year 2025 has begun with a technology war of a new kind. The Chinese company DeepSeek is shaking up Silicon Valley’s dominance with its generative AI (GenAI), an open-source innovation that is more cost-efficient than ChatGPT. AI is expected to contribute over $15 trillion to global GDP by 2030 (PwC, 2025), and its rapid advancement—along with other digital innovations—is redefining corporate strategies and global power dynamics. As digitalization accelerates, it drives a sociotechnical transformation, integrating advanced internet infrastructure, cloud computing, global digital platforms, and AI to reshape business strategies. This digital evolution embeds product knowledge into algorithms, enabling seamless cross-border transfer and redefining competition. In this landscape, data has become a critical asset. Despite these shifts, scholars in International Business (IB) and International Entrepreneurship (IE) are still beginning to navigate the complexities of the digital domain and its profound implications for research and practice in these fields. In the workshop, we will explore the following themes:
Theoretical Advancements in Global Digitalization
Explore how digitalization transforms IB theories, from traditional internationalization models to new frameworks addressing AI-driven strategies, digital platforms, and data-enabled global competition. Discuss emerging theoretical gaps and opportunities.
Methodological Challenges in Digitalization Research
Address innovative methods for studying digital internationalization, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods. Discuss data accessibility, ethical considerations, and the limitations of traditional IB methodologies in the digital context.
Collaborative Research in Global Digitalization
Examine strategies for international research collaboration on digitalization topics. Discuss funding opportunities, interdisciplinary partnerships, and the role of AIB’s Digitalization SIG in fostering global academic cooperation.
Emerging Research Topics in Global Digitalization
Explore cutting-edge IB research areas, including AI-driven technologies and its impact in internationalization strategy, the impacts of global platforms and digital ecosystems on global business dynamics.
Bridging Research and Practice in Digitalization
Explore ways to make IB research on digitalization more impactful for businesses and policymakers. Discuss industry collaboration, practitioner engagement, and strategies to translate academic findings into actionable insights.
How is This Event Structured?
This workshop is structured to include the following programming:
- Introduction – 15 minutes
- Presentation of Key Issues in Global Digitalization Research (Faculty Panel) – 45 minutes
- Workgroups for Research Pitch of Participants (in Groups with Facilitators) – 90 minutes
- Wrap-Up – 30 minutes
How Can I Apply to Participate in This Workshop?
To participate in this workshop, please submit a one-page CV and a one-page research proposal (approximately 500 words) by 30 April 2025. Selected participants will be notified by 5 May 2025. If your project is accepted, you must prepare one slide for a three-minute presentation of your idea on the day of the workshop.
This workshop is limited to 20 participants. All accepted applicants must confirm their participation with the workshop chair, have a valid AIB membership, and be registered for the AIB 2025 Conference. Failure to meet these conditions will result in your spot being offered to another workshop applicant.