Key Concepts in International Business and Digital Economy

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on International Business and the Digital Economy, highlighting the significance of digitalization, cultural dynamics, and organizational strategies.

Bolwijn, Casella & Zhan (2019)

Core idea: Digitalization restructures global value chains toward intangible assets, platforms, and fine-sliced activities.
Why it matters: It explains why coordination, not physical production, becomes the central challenge for modern MNCs.

Brett, Behfar & Kern (2006)

Core idea: Cultural differences create predictable misunderstandings unless actively managed.
Why it matters: Shows that diversity does not automatically improve performance — it requires deliberate integration.

Campbell (2019)

Core idea: AI infrastructure is a strategic resource shaping global power and competition.
Why it matters: Highlights how digital capabilities—not geography alone—determine global advantage.

Das & Teng (2001)

Core idea: Trust and control are alternative mechanisms to manage risk under uncertainty.
Why it matters: Virtual collaboration increases uncertainty, making trust design a core organizational issue.

Dasí et al. (2017)

Core idea: Digital transformation reshapes business models, not just processes or technology.
Why it matters: Explains why organizational redesign is required alongside digital tools.

Dery, Sebastian & van der Meulen (2017)

Core idea: Digital workplaces enable innovation by simplifying work and supporting autonomy.
Why it matters: Innovation depends on how digital work environments are designed, not just on technology access.

Jimenez et al. (2017)

Core idea: Global virtual teams span multiple boundaries (geographic, cultural, organizational).
Why it matters: Boundary complexity explains why coordination costs rise in global virtual work.

Lenovo–IBM Case

Core idea: Post-merger performance depends heavily on cultural and organizational integration.
Why it matters: Shows how cultural misalignment can undermine strategic synergies.

Leonardi (2021)

Core idea: Remote work produces digital traces that enable monitoring, prediction, and control.
Why it matters: Raises issues of power, surveillance, and fairness in digital organizing.

Meyer & Peng (2023)

Core idea: Firms must balance global integration with local responsiveness.
Why it matters: Provides the core framework for understanding MNC organization and strategy.

Neeley (2015)

Core idea: Effective global teams require clarity, communication norms, and inclusive leadership.
Why it matters: Distance amplifies ambiguity, making leadership and structure essential.

Newell et al. (2020)

Core idea: Knowledge is created through social interaction, not just stored in systems.
Why it matters: Innovation depends on how knowledge flows, not just on technology.

Nonaka & Konno (1998)

Core idea: Knowledge is created in shared spaces (‘ba’) where interaction occurs.
Why it matters: Highlights the need to design spaces—physical or virtual—for knowledge creation.

Razmerita et al. (2022)

Core idea: Trust is central to effective collaboration between humans and AI systems.
Why it matters: AI reshapes coordination, decision-making, and accountability in organizations.

Stahl et al. (2010)

Core idea: Cultural diversity produces both performance gains and losses through team processes.
Why it matters: Explains why diversity must be actively managed rather than assumed beneficial.

Taras et al. (2019)

Core idea: Different types of diversity have different effects on team outcomes.
Why it matters: Encourages more precise analysis of diversity in global teams.

Zakaria & Yusof (2015)

Core idea: Trust in virtual teams forms quickly based on roles and expectations rather than relationships.
Why it matters: Explains how collaboration can begin without prior social ties.

Zander et al.

Core idea: MNCs are evolving from hierarchical structures toward team-based global organizing.
Why it matters: Positions global virtual teams as central—not peripheral—to future MNCs.