Call for Papers
Global Security Risks and International Competitiveness
April
2, 2005
8:00am - 5:00pm
Main Campus, Temple University
Terrorism used to be considered a random political risk of relatively insignificant proportions. However, it seems to have gradually escalated in the last decade or so. It culminated on September 11, 2001 in New York City and Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, when massive terrorist attacks occurred. The assault stunned Americans and the world not only because of the terror attacks themselves, but also because of the vulnerability it revealed. The terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and the military actions afterwards have heightened the uncertainty and gloom over the world economy. Falling consumer demand in the world's strongest economies and the decline in investment have compounded the problems of many emerging countries. Tighter security measures have since disrupted not only international movement of supplies and merchandise but also international financial flow as well as tourism. These measures threaten the smooth functioning of international business activities we had taken for granted in the last thirty years.
As a result, the larger problem of security, terrorism-induced and otherwise, has now entered directly and fully into the competitive business strategy equation. Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) at eight universities [1] across the nation recently initiated a move to develop a research stream in global security risks and international competitiveness. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the CIBERs responded to this need in international business and believe that this initiative should help produce some valuable contributions to both national policy and practical business strategy on a global basis and disseminate knowledge on the international and management aspects of this problem.
In this research forum we wish to foster a dialogue among scholars studying issues related to global security risks and international competitiveness and their implications on IB strategy and theory development. About twelve papers will be selected for presentation at the 6 th Annual IB Research Forum at Temple University, scheduled for April 2, 2005. Subsequently, the best papers from the research forum will be published in a Special Issue of the Journal of International Management .
Temple CIBER will be hosting the event at The Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University, 349 Speakman Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122, U.S.A. Additional information will be available on the Temple CIBER website http://sbm.temple.edu/ciber/ or by contacting Kim Cahill at 215.204.3778 or kcahill@temple.edu .
[1] The eight lead CIBERs on this research project were Indiana University, Temple University, Thunderbird, UCLA, University of Connecticut, and University of Illinois., University North Carolina, and University of Southern California.