Humanistic Perspectives on International Business and Management

The world is witnessing a number of severe crises including climate change, rise of international terrorism, social inequities, food shortage, material and spiritual poverty. Some argue that globalization has exacerbated these crises, while others argue globalization can be part of the solution. Globalization, understood as the cross-border integration of markets for products, labor, capital and knowledge, clearly is a force that has the potential to change the experience of human existence as well as its consequences for current and future ecosystems.

These changes are driven by the increasing interconnectedness of financial systems, international trade, increased labor mobility, information and communications technology, and foreign direct investment. Some scholars argue that we have moved beyond the age of globalization towards an age of globality. In such an age, individual actions, local business practices and national politics all have global impact. It therefore matters on more than one level about how we think about business in a global community. In Humanistic Perspectives on International Business and Management, the contributing authors provide space to global perspectives on how we can rethink and reposition international business and management practice to be a part of the solution to our global problems. These contributions provide impetus for further research, practice and pedagogy development.