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The social responsibility of international business scholars

Mike W. Peng (School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA)
Sunny Li Sun (University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA)
Dane P. Blevins (University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA)

Multinational Business Review

ISSN: 1525-383X

Article publication date: 17 June 2011

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to argue that the social responsibility of international business (IB) scholars is to seek truth, disseminate learning, and make a difference on issues crucial to the global economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Instead of making philosophical and abstract arguments on the importance of the social responsibility of IB scholars, this article focuses on a leading debate of the times: how to view the rise of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI)? The article argues that the so‐called “China threat” brought by such OFDI, as it is often portrayed by the (Western) media, is a myth that cannot be substantiated by evidence‐based scholarly analysis.

Findings

At present, China's OFDI stock represents a mere 1.21 percent of global OFDI stock. It would be absurd to believe that such a tiny sum can “buy up the world”. Based on findings, three hypotheses on what is behind the myth about China's OFDI are offered.

Practical implications

Although some IB (and management) scholarships have been criticized for their alleged lack of relevance to practitioners and policymakers, this paper disagrees. IB scholars need to engage with issues of grave importance not only to the IB field but also to the wider world, such as China's OFDI.

Social implications

The article ends with a series of suggestions on how IB scholars, driven by social responsibility, can shed light on, clear the air, and steer the course of public perception, by drawing on time‐honored, evidence‐based scholarly tradition.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first article in the literature on IB scholars' social responsibility.

Keywords

Citation

Peng, M.W., Li Sun, S. and Blevins, D.P. (2011), "The social responsibility of international business scholars", Multinational Business Review, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 106-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/15253831111149753

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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