Call for Papers
For a Special Issue of the TIM Review: Digitalization and its impact on the international growth of SMEs
Scheduled for publication in April 2020
The objective of this call for papers is to invite scholarly contributions addressing the issue of digitalization and how it affects the international growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) interested to grow internationally. Digitalization is “a sociotechnical process of applying digitizing techniques to broader social and institutional contexts in a way that renders digital technologies infrastructural” (Tilson et al., 2010). Digital technologies are interactive technologies that have an impact on multiple business model elements and create opportunities for strategic alliances and co-creation (Autio, 2017). In the field of entrepreneurship, Nambisan (2017) suggests that digital technologies are characterized by three distinct but related elements: digital artifacts (digital components integrated into a new product or service), digital platforms (shared, common set of services and architecture that serves to host complementary offerings, including digital artifacts) and digital infrastructure (digital technology tools and systems that offer communication, collaboration, and/or computing capabilities to support innovation and entrepreneurship). There is already preliminary but relatively scarce research indicating that companies will benefit from the use of the above three elements if they can rapidly master and integrate them into their internationalization process: “The faster a company understands the benefits of the use of digital infrastructures, the faster it can improve its decision-making processes and accelerate its internationalization speed” (Herve et al., 2019). There are however many open questions and little knowledge about the relation between digitalization and internationalization (Manyika et al., 2016).
The special issue of the TIM Review invites contributions by scholars in the fields of international business and entrepreneurship, technology innovation management, digital innovation strategy, and all other related fields to submit contributions to the theme of the special issue by focusing on some of the following questions:
• What are the effects of digitalization on companies’ internationalization process?
• How does digital infrastructure influence companies’ international growth models and strategy?
• What are the risks of digitalization in international business operations and cross-border trading?
• How does digitalization affect internationalization in firms interested to operate in the complex competitive environments of emerging foreign markets?
• What is the specificity of the relation between digitalization and international growth in the context of emerging economies?
The Editorial Team welcomes contributions based on different research perspectives – business models, resource-based view, strategic capabilities etc. A special attention will be expected on using research insights to articulate practical insights for scholars and managers. Submission Guidelines
• Manuscripts should be submitted by e-mail to: [email protected]
• Manuscripts should follow the TIM Review Author guidelines: https://timreview.ca/authorguidelines.
Additional information about the special issue and the TIM Review Christophe Schmitt, University of Lorraine (France), Guest Editor Rico Baldegger, Fribourg School of Management (Swizerland), Associate Guest Editor E-mail: [email protected]
About the TIM Review: The Technology Innovation Management Review (TIM Review) provides insightful content about the issues and emerging trends relevant to launching and growing technology businesses. The TIM Review focuses on the theories, strategies, and tools that help small and large technology companies succeed. Our readers are looking for practical ideas they can apply within their own organizations. The TIM Review brings together diverse viewpoints – from academics, entrepreneurs, companies of all sizes, the public sector, the community sector, and others – to bridge the gap between theory and practice, with a particular focus on the topics of technology and global entrepreneurship in small and large companies.
References
Autio, E. 2017. Digitalisation, Ecosystems, Entrepreneurship and Policy. Perspectives into Topical Issues Is Society and Ways to Support Political Decision Making. Government’s Analysis, Research and Assessment Activities Policy Brief, 20.
Herve, A., Schmitt, Ch. & Baldegger, R. 2019. Internationalization and digitalization of micro-small and medium-sized enterprises: a literature review. Proceedings of the 23rd McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference, August 27-30, 2019, Odense, Denmark: 275-301.
Manyika, J., Lund, S., Bughin, J., Woetzel, J. R., Stamenov, K., & Dhingra, D. 2016. Digital globalization: The new era of global flows (Vol. 4). San Francisco: McKinsey Global Institute.
Nambisan, S. 2017. Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(6): 1029-1055.
Tilson, D., Lyytinen, K., & Sørensen, C. 2010. Research commentary-Digital infrastructures: The missing IS research agenda. Information systems research, 21(4): 748-759.