PhD Specialization in International Business

The primary goal of the Management and Human Resources PhD program is to develop top-class researchers in the field of management, with specializations in the areas of entrepreneurship, human resource management, international business, organizational behavior and strategic management.

The specialization in International Business (IB) is designed to help students

1. understand the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of IB,
2. understand how the body of work in this discipline has developed over time, and
3. create a strong foundation for continued scholarly research on IB.

More than other areas of business, IB is highly multidisciplinary and draws upon principles of economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, among others. Students of IB will benefit significantly from broadening their exposure to these principles. Nonetheless, the field of IB is motivated by its own set of questions, approaches and domains, which differ from those of these disciplines. Generally speaking, the field of IB is interested in understanding both how and why the conduct of business activity differs across national contexts and the effects of these differences for both multinational and domestic firms.

To address these questions, our faculty conducts research on such diverse topics as the effects of cultural variations on the conduct of business, multinational firm-host government relations and political risk, globalization of business and global strategies, international strategic alliances, corporate governance, networks and knowledge management within the multinational firm. These topics are examined in the context of a variety of emerging markets and developed economies. The College has been federally designated as a Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), which facilitates such research. Potential areas of study include the effects of cross-national differences (cultural dimensions, institutions, etc.) on the conduct of business, the effects of globalization on industries and firms, multinational
firm strategies and structures, entry modes, international strategic alliances including international joint ventures, managing knowledge within the multinational firm and across national contexts.