International business and Africa: Theoretical and applied challenges, and future directions

Abstract

In response to Nachum et al.’s (J Int Bus Stud, 2023) call for further research in Africa by international business (IB) scholars, we argue that while IB scholars may have been slow to engage with Africa, the same cannot be said of related and IB-relevant business and management scholarship. There is already a substantial body of work on Africa in other domains of business and management scholarship – and relevant theorizing – that represents an important resource for IB scholarship. In contextualizing the ‘interesting’, we identify several contemporary theoretical strands that have so far characterized ‘Africa research’, interrogate ongoing challenges that mitigate these efforts, and suggest ways in which further research that speaks to theoretical, practical, and policy issues might inform IB researchers’ engagement with Africa. Specifically, we set out the broader scope of the African business/management debate that might inform IB research, re-examine African diversity through the prism of ‘theoretical tensions and puzzles’, and consider the role of emergent indigenous theorizing such as ubuntu and Africapitalism that make Africa both ‘interesting’ and worthy of IB inquiry.

Knowledge Transfer From Business Schools to Firms Through Academics: An AMO Perspective in an Emerging Economy

“…Firms collaborate with academics and universities to appear "socially responsible" by addressing societal problems through these partnerships (Ankrah and Al-Tabbaa 2015). In doing so, international firms fulfill their transformational role in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting the notion of Africapitalism (Kamoche and Wood 2023). This finding implies that international firms enhance their image, reputation, and legitimacy in the eyes of stakeholders by associating with business school academics.…”

Business environment and adoption of AI: Navigation for internationalization by new ventures in emerging markets

“…The study responds to the call for more research on Africa‐to‐Africa Internationalization (Owusu‐Yirenkyi et al, 2023) by investigating how technological innovation, particularly through AI, influences the expansion strategies of new ventures in the African context. It addresses the scarcity of comprehensive studies in formal sectors within Africa (Kamoche & Wood, 2023), offering insights into the role of technology‐driven ventures in shaping the continent's global business presence (Farinloye et al, 2024; Owusu‐Yirenkyi et al, 2023).…”

“…The present research was prompted by a recognition of both the increasing attention devoted to global business strategies and the digital revolution sweeping across industries (Chalmers et al, 2021; Dwivedi et al, 2021; Loureiro et al, 2021) and playing an increasingly integral role in international business by enhancing efficiency and introducing complexity in business simultaneously (Chen et al, 2022). Notably, the majority of studies in this realm have predominantly centred on developed countries, leaving a critical void in our understanding of the unique challenges faced by emerging economies in implementing AI practices (Kamoche & Wood, 2023) and the call for exploring more of Africa‐to‐Africa Internationalization (Owusu‐Yirenkyi et al, 2023). Moreover, in the African context, while an increasing body of research has been focusing on digital technologies within the informal market (Boafo et al, 2022; Boafo et al, 2023; Dana & Ratten, 2017), there is a notable scarcity of comprehensive studies addressing the formal sectors (Mogaji & Nguyen, 2022).…”

The Role, Nature and Contribution of Indian Emerging Market Multinational Companies in African Countries

“…These are key to the effective development, growth and sustainability of EMNCs in emerging markets. This combination of both flexibility and resilience, and an ability to improvise in turbulent, institutionally ambiguous—even dysfunctional and weak—regulatory environments in Africa, is supported by the work of Cooke et al (2015), Kamoche and Wood (2022), Munene (1991) and Nachum et al (2022), and has been identified as a fruitful avenue for further research (Cunha et al, 2022).…”

“…With 54 countries, Africa is culturally and ethnically diverse, socio-economically heterogenous and a politically complex continent, offering significant opportunities for foreign direct investment increasingly from Asia as well as research in international business and management. Whilst some observers argue that Africa has been relatively neglected particularly in international business (e.g., Nachum et al, 2022; Zoogah et al, 2015), others point to significant developments in related management fields (Kamoche & Wood, 2022). Traditionally, the dominant interest has been Western MNCs and the suitability of western management practices.…”