AIB Journals Podcast

Foreignness as a double edged sword for internationalizing cultural goods: Hollywood movies in China

This podcast explores how the concept of "foreignness" impacts the performance of Hollywood movies in China, revealing that a moderate level of foreignness in movie posters leads to better box office sales. Using advanced analysis techniques, the podcast shows that while poster foreignness significantly influences audience appeal, the same is not true for movie synopses. Ultimately, managing foreignness effectively can enhance a film's success in international markets.

Citation: Gu, Q.C., Wang, Y. & Zhang, J. 2025. Foreignness as a double-edged sword for internationalizing cultural goods: deep learning–based semiotic analysis of Hollywood movies in China. Journal of International Business Studies.

Challenging the deglobalization narrative

This podcast raises arguments against the idea that the world is currently experiencing deglobalization, suggesting instead that international trade and investment flows remain resilient despite recent global disruptions. It highlights that while there are concerns about geopolitical tensions, the actual patterns of global interaction show no clear shift towards reduced globalization. The podcast emphasizes the importance of not misinterpreting public sentiment or policy changes as evidence of a decline in globalization, as this could lead to costly decisions by governments and businesses.

Citation: Altman, S.A., Bastian, C.R. & Fattedad, D. 2024. Challenging the deglobalization narrative: Global flows have remained resilient through successive shocks. Journal of International Business Policy 7, 416–439. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-024-00197-0

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: pros and cons for managers of multinationals (AIB Insights)

This article explores how the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) helps multinational companies support global sustainability efforts. While the goals offer a useful framework and encourage responsible business, they can also be misused for superficial branding or for being too complex to apply effectively. Companies should focus on genuine impact, avoid cherry-picking easy goals, and work with partners to make meaningful progress.

Citation: Cuervo-Cazurra, A., Doh, J. P., Giuliani, E., Montiel, I., & Park, J. 2022. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: Pros and Cons for Managers of Multinationals. AIB Insights, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.46697/001c.32530.

Innovative teaching in international business (AIB Insights)

This podcast explores how international business education is evolving with creative, real-world teaching methods. It looks at how tools like videos, AI, hands-on community projects, virtual exchanges, and experiments are making learning more engaging and practical for students. The goal is to help future global leaders learn through experience, collaboration, and reflection—not just textbooks.

Citation: Special issue on "Innovative Teaching Strategies in International Business." 2025. AIB Insights, 25(1). https://insights.aib.world/issue/11684

Prosocial motivation and lending to the poor: evidence from an international crowdfunding platform (JIBS)

The podcast discusses how crowdfunders’ prosocial motivation shapes their decisions to lend money to poorer borrowers on international crowdfunding platforms like Kiva. It shows that higher prosocial motivation indeed leads to the lending choice of poorer borrowers across borders. However, cultural distance weakens this relationship by creating cognitive and emotional barriers, while crowdfunders’ platform experience and women-owned businesses strengthen it. It indicates how digital platforms facilitate the expression of prosocial motivations across national boundaries in efforts to reduce poverty, while also uncovering the factors that hinder or support cross-border prosocial lending. These insights can help policymakers develop frameworks that amplify the impact of prosocial crowdfunding on poverty alleviation.

Citation: Xie, L., Ding, Y., Li, J. et al. 2025. Prosocial motivation and lending to the poor: evidence from an international crowdfunding platform. Journal of International Business Studies 56, 530–541. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-024-00751-1

Artificial states, ethnicity, and the survival of private participation infrastructure projects in Africa (JIBS)

This study explores how colonial-era borders in Africa, which often split ethnic groups across countries, continue to cause conflicts that harm infrastructure projects today. The finding is that these divisions increase project failures, although strong institutions can reduce the negative impact. This research highlights the importance of understanding historical legacies when doing business in Africa.

Citation: Zhang, S., Lu, J.W. 2025. Artificial states, ethnicity, and the survival of private participation infrastructure projects in Africa. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00772-4

A finance perspective on multinational enterprises and climate change (JIBS)

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have an evolving role in addressing global challenges like climate change. This podcast discusses a series of articles recently published in JIBS that focus on the critical interplay between MNCs and climate financing, shedding light on both the potential and the challenges corporations face as they strive to contribute to global sustainability efforts.

Citation:

Allen, F., Barbalau, A., Chavez, E. & Zeni, F. 2025. Leveraging the capabilities of multinational firms to address climate change: a finance perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 461–480. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-024-00748-w

Senbet, L.W. 2025. Multinational enterprises and climate action: a low-income perspective with Africa focus. Journal of International Business Studies 56, 481–490. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-024-00764-w

Zaheer, S. 2025. The sustainability of MNE sustainability initiatives.  Journal of International Business Studies 56, 491–500. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-024-00760-0

Zahra, S.A. 2025. MNEs and financing climate change transitions: the challenge of collective action. Journal of International Business Studies 56, 501–509. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-024-00757-9

 

Crafting impactful articles that resonate with policy actors (JIBP)

This podcast discusses the JIBP editors' ideas for creating impactful research that resonates with policymakers and influences public policy discussions in international business. It highlights the need for researchers to engage with various policy actors, understand the policy process, and communicate their findings in clear, accessible language. Additionally, the editors encourage authors to tailor their work to address current policy issues and provide actionable insights to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of their research.

Citation: De Marchi, V., Van Assche, A., Cernat, L. et al. 2025. From the editors: Crafting impactful articles that resonate with policy actors. Journal of International Business Policy 8, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-024-00205-3