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The aim of this mixed methods study sought to investigate the preferences and challenges towards fourth industrial revolution (FIR) technologies adoption at hotels in Malaysia.

The study adopted partially-mixed concurrent quantitative-dominant mixed methods. The quantitative part of the study examined the preferred FIR technologies for hotels; whiles the qualitative part explored the challenges towards their adoption.

The results revealed that Internet of things, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and cyber physical systems were the preferred FIR technologies for hotels. The findings revealed significant relationships between respondents' socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, working experience, etc.) and preferred FIR technologies. Penultimately, challenges that affect the adoption of FIR technologies including investment cost, migration cost, trust, etc., were discussed.

In effect, findings from this study provide valuable information for policy makers (i.e. hotel owners, management, technology providers and future researchers). Most especially, the study unearths specific FIR technologies preferred by the hospitality and tourism industry. Also, the significant interplay of these preferences vis a vis respondents' socio-demographic characteristics, as well as challenges influencing their adoption also have major implications for policy makers. Another valuable contribution of this study lies in the research method utilised, since most studies on technology adoption either use quantitative or qualitative. These contributions for theory and practice have been thoroughly discussed.

This is the first volume of Advances in International Management under the new editorial team of Timothy Devinney, Torben Pedersen and Laszlo Tihanyi. We hope to continue the tradition established by our predecessors, Joseph Cheng and Michael Hitt, and also will work to bring a new perspective to the series. It is our intention to use the series less as a journal or book series and more as a forum for ideas and discussion – a view that builds on the tradition of the series but also aims to put it in juxtaposition to traditional publication outlets.

At the time of this writing, the medical and health-care professionals are joining forces worldwide trying to stop the global spread of SARS and avoid the devastating consequences that it brings to the affected areas. This event once again reminds us of the inter-connected world in which we all live and the importance of international collaboration to address pressing global issues. In this volume, we have included contributing chapters from authors based in Asia, Europe, and North America to examine an emerging topic in the international management field – managing multinationals in a knowledge economy. The chapters are selected to reflect the influences of three key factors – economics, culture, and human resources – on managerial decisions that affect multinationals and their effective operations. A review of these papers suggests that, despite all the technological advances in cross-border communication and coordination, social capital and human resources are the most critical factors possessed by multinationals.