Extension of Submission Deadline
Special Collection: Managerial practices in cooperation between developing and developed countries
Revised closing date for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2023
South African Journal of Business Management
Guest Editors:
Rafael Roina-Ramirez: University of Extremadura (Spain)
Marta Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado: Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain)
Elena Kurowska: WSB University (Poland)
Suzette Viviers (South Africa)
Introduction
Today's environment of continuous change and Industry 5.0 is widening the gap between developing and developed countries (Xu et al., 2021). However, the world is becoming increasingly connected and digitised, which can help companies from both developed and developing countries to establish easier and more efficient relationships and collaborate more effectively (Deonarain, 2019; Taylor, & Gibson, 2017). Engagement between developed and developing companies can be an important strategy to grow together and compete in a global market. This allows for different types of cooperation between them (Alam, 2011).
Currently, the most common reasons for cooperating are access to new markets, sharing resources such as technology and expertise, better access to economic resources, reputation enhancement, efficiency gains, and risk reduction (Hit et al., 2020; Todeva, & Knoke, 2005). By cooperating with companies in other countries across the economic divide, companies can gain access to new markets for their products and services to expand their customer base, increase sales, and generate more revenue.
Companies can benefit from cooperating across the economic divide by sharing resources, such as technology, sources of financing, research, and development, and manufacturing capabilities gaining access to new ideas and expertise (Bayona, Garcı́a-Marco, & Huerta. 2001). Cooperation between developing and developed countries can develop new innovations and improve the quality of their products and services reducing the risk by sharing the costs and risks of research and development, marketing, and distribution. Such collaboration can improve a company's reputation as a global player enhancing its image and brand recognition and leading to increased trust and loyalty from customers.
Managerial practices in cooperation generally refer to individuals or groups working together by each contributing their efforts towards a common goal, but without necessarily sharing a common vision or actively engaging in joint decision-making, communication process, leadership, and outcomes (De Klerk, & Jooste, 2020; De Klerk, Smith, & Bam, 2022; De Klerk, & Swart, 2022; Gajda, 2004; Heath, & Frey, 2004) In that sense, management practices to link developing and developed country companies can be developed through mergers, acquisitions, and alliances. Entrepreneurs, businessmen, buyers, and sellers participate in the new trends of cooperative business management between developed and developing countries.
On the one side, developing countries have achieved, thanks to the rapid development of technology, considerable advances in their integration into the traditional channels and institutions of international trade and finance (Surugiu, & Surugiu, 2015). As a result, emerging market companies are becoming more adapted to acquiring companies from developed economies.
On the other side, many developed economies introduce policies that not only enable their growth, but also promote more independence from developed economies (Bértola, & Ocampo, 2012; Nnadozie, & Jerome, 2019; Sergi, et al., 2019). Nevertheless, there is a growing interdependence between developed and developing economies and both economies can advantage of this interdependence to achieve closer cooperation and prosperity around the world.
Companies from developed countries are becoming the target of other companies that have the capital and know-how to reshape them internationally. Current events lead to rethinking the challenges and opportunities posed by modes of cooperation in a tumultuous global business environment, from organizational, financial, and cultural perspectives. A fuller understanding of the cooperation process should be a priority for both practitioners and academics calling for a reinterpretation of existing paradigms and the development of new ones.
Objectives:
Research on managerial practices in cooperation between developing and developed countries can help to meet challenges such as:
1. The engagement between developing and developed countries provides experience and expertise among companies, gaining valuable insights into best practices, emerging trends, and industry standards.
2. Better access to resources from both types of countries, such as capital, technology, and infrastructure to support their mutual growth and development.
3. Develop networks, distribution channels, and customer bases to leverage and expand their market reach, accessing new markets and customer segments more quickly and effectively.
4. Partnering with companies in developing and developed countries to build trust with customers and investors more easily, which can be critical for their success.
5. Boost innovation between both by sharing resources and expertise which frequently ends up in innovative new products, services, and technologies.
Recommended Topics
- Cooperation between developed and developing countries, including those managerial practices that promote it or present challenges and opportunities.
- New business management practices of engagement between developing-developed countries.
- New trends in communication and leadership between developing-developed countries.
- The role of technology in developing-developed countries' engagement and cooperation.
- Engagement in innovations to provide new trends in products and services across developing and developed countries.
- Global business environment and management practices in developing-developed countries cooperation.
- The role of the management scientific system and scientific journals to enhance cooperation between developed and developing countries.
Timelines:
Deadline for submission: November 30th, 2023
Expected Publication Date: May 2024
Journal accreditation
The SAJBM is accredited by most international Journal rating bodies. More information can be found here.
Submission Procedure
To submit your article to the special collection, go to https://sajbm.org. When you submit the article, select "Original Research – Special Collection: Responsible leadership in emerging economies, especially in Africa" as the article type. Click here for more details on the submission procedure and please consult the journal's guidelines for the manuscript guidelines. All submissions will undergo anonymous review to guarantee high scientific quality and relevance to the subject. The final decision regarding acceptance/revision/rejection will be based on the reviews received from the reviewers and at the sole discretion of the Guest Editor and/or Editor-in-Chief.
Reference list
Alam, I. (2011). Exploring cross‐national differences in service innovation process and strategy in developing and developed nations. Journal of Service Management, 22(5), 586-606.
Bayona, C., Garcı́a-Marco, T., & Huerta, E. (2001). Firms' motivations for cooperative R&D: an empirical analysis of Spanish firms. Research Policy, 30(8), 1289-1307.
Bértola, L., & Ocampo, J. A. (2012). The economic development of Latin America since independence. OUP Oxford.
De Klerk, J. J. & Jooste, M. (Unpublished, 2020). The meaning of responsible leadership and its place in the leadership discourse: A synthesizing systematic review. Masters research, University of Stellenbosch Business School.
De Klerk, J.J. & Swart, H. B. (2022). Responsible leadership dilemmas in emerging economies – it is complex. Paper presented at the Responsible Leadership Conference – Responsible Leadership Reimagined. Stellenbosch, South Africa.
De Klerk, M., Smith, M., & Bam, A. (2022). A responsible leadership blind spot – where are the emerging economies? Global Focus - The EFMD Business Magazine. https://www.globalfocusmagazine.com/a-responsible-leadership-blind-spot-where-are-the-emerging-economies/
Deonarain, B. (2019). Technological change and sustainable mobility: An overview of global trends and South African developments. Pretoria: TIPS.
Gajda, R. (2004). Utilizing collaboration theory to evaluate strategic alliances. American Journal of Evaluation, 25(1), 65-77.
Heath, R. G., & Frey, L. R. (2004). Ideal collaboration: A conceptual framework of community collaboration. Annals of the International Communication Association, 28(1), 189-231.
Hitt, M. A., Dacin, M. T., Levitas, E., Arregle, J. L., & Borza, A. (2000). Partner selection in emerging and developed market contexts: Resource-based and organizational learning perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, 43(3), 449-467.
Nnadozie, E., & Jerome, A. (Eds.). (2019). African economic development. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Sergi, B. S., Popkova, E. G., Bogoviz, A. V., & Ragulina, J. V. (2019). Entrepreneurship and economic growth: the experience of developed and developing countries. In Entrepreneurship and Development in the 21st Century (pp. 3-32). Emerald publishing limited.
Surugiu, M. R., & Surugiu, C. (2015). International trade, globalization and economic interdependence between European countries: Implications for businesses and marketing framework. Procedia Economics and Finance, 32, 131-138.
Taylor, J., & Gibson, L. K. (2017). Digitisation, digital interaction and social media: embedded barriers to democratic heritage. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 23(5), 408-420.
Todeva, E., & Knoke, D. (2005). Strategic alliances and models of collaboration. Management decision, 43(1), 123-148.
Xu, X., Lu, Y., Vogel-Heuser, B., & Wang, L. (2021). Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0-Inception, conception and perception. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 61, 530-535.
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Mias De Klerk
Professor
University of Stellenbosch
Bellville
+27-21-918 4139
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