How can international business research contribute towards the sustainable development goals?
Critical Perspectives on International Business
ISSN: 1742-2043
Article publication date: 13 September 2021
Issue publication date: 15 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Realising the sustainable development goals (SDGs) will require substantial efforts from both governments, businesses, civil society and academic researchers. This paper aims to discuss the contributions that the international business (IB) discipline can make to promoting the SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is conceptual.
Findings
The authors argue that IB can contribute to promoting the SDGs, given IB’s expertise on the multinational enterprise (MNE) and knowledge that is relevant to the international dimensions that most SDGs have. However, paradigmatic features of IB such as a focus on firm-level financial performance and on the MNE as an organisation, and dominance of quantitative methods, may presently restrict the discipline’s contributions to the SDGs.
Originality/value
The authors present a set of recommendations for IB research on the SDGs, many of which imply an extension of the boundaries of the current IB paradigm.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Special Issue Editors and the anonymous reviewers for their guidance and constructive comments. This paper originates in a panel presentation at the 2018 EIBA Conference (Poznan, Poland), chaired by John Dilyard. We are grateful to the panel participants for helpful discussions. We also thank Shabneez Bhankaraully and participants at the 2020 EIBA Conference (Online) for helpful comments on a previous version, and the Alliance Manchester Business School Research Support Fund for financial support. The usual disclaimer applies.
Citation
Rygh, A., Chiarapini, E. and Segovia, M.V. (2022), "How can international business research contribute towards the sustainable development goals?", Critical Perspectives on International Business, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 457-487. https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib-08-2020-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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