Industry 4.0 in international business research

Yadong Luo () and Shaker A. Zahra ()
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Yadong Luo: University of Miami
Shaker A. Zahra: University of Minnesota

Journal of International Business Studies, 2023, vol. 54, issue 3, No 1, 403-417

Abstract: Abstract The advent of Industry 4.0 promises to transform the global business landscape, the nature of markets and industries, and the way multinationals organize their operations as well as how and where they compete. These changes will have important – indeed profound – implications for IB scholarship. In this article, we explain Industry 4.0 and its distinguishing characteristics; discuss its organizational and strategic implications for multinationals; and outline the fundamental questions it raises for future IB research. To spur future analysis, we also present a conceptual foundation that articulates the new features, processes, and capabilities that support MNEs’ pursuit of Industry 4.0-related opportunities surrounding digitalization, intelligence, technology, and innovation. We also discuss what Industry 4.0 means for IB research concerning social engagement, environmental sustainability, and international entrepreneurship. We elucidate how this new landscape shapes the extant IB literature and how future research can push it further along.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; Digitalization; Intelligence; MNE strategy; New IB landscape (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1057/s41267-022-00577-9

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