International Business Today Podcast - D'Amore-McKim School of Business

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International Business Today is a podcast produced by the International Business & Strategy group at Northeastern University. Made for global business professionals—and any student who hopes to work for a multinational organization in the future, our hosts and their guests share what's proven through research and highlight what's really working in practice.

The podcast, released in seasons of six or more episodes, is currently in Season Two and hosted by Ravi Sarathy. Join him and his guests as they share their experience and insights on succeeding in emerging markets and being effective across different cultures. Speakers include Paula Caligiuri, Michael Enright, Ravi Ramamurti, Anna Grosman, Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra and others.

In Season One, host Paula Caligiuri discussed cutting-edge business research with thought leaders in blockchain technologies, workforce analytics, corporate governance, and more.

Season Two
Season One

About the host

Ravi Sarathy, Professor in International Business & Strategy, teaches at the D'Amore-McKim School of business at Northeastern University. His research interests are in global strategy, technology strategy and family business. He is the author of “Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain”, published by MIT Press in Oct. 2022, and “Firms within Families: Enterprising in Diverse Country Contexts”, Edward Elgar Publishing 2015. He holds a Ph.D., from the University of Michigan, and is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

He has conducted executive education programs for companies such as BAE Systems, and LG Electronics (S. Korea), and published in journals such as Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management Studies, Sloan Management Review, and California Management Review. He was a Fulbright scholar, as the Fulbright-Flad Chair in Strategic Management at the Technical University of Lisbon, and has served as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan, Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney, Fundação Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo, and other institutions.

Season Two Episodes

Cultivating cultural agility: collaborating across cultures with Paula Caligiuri

Professor Paula Caligiuri discusses how to effectively build a pipeline of successful global professionals who possess the critical competency of cultural agility. She talks about the myths and realities of how people can build trust, communicate, and collaborate in different countries and with people from different cultures.

About the guest: Caligiuri is a Distinguished Professor of international business and strategy at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. She is also the founder of Skiilify and has been named one of the most prolific authors in international business for her work in the areas of expatriate management, global leadership development, and cultural agility.

Navigating the Chinese market: insights from Professor Michael Enright

Professor Michael Enright shares business strategy in complex and uncertain environments, emphasizing developments in China and other countries in Asia. He offers insights on how China seeks to conduct and benefit from international business, and how multinational companies can succeed in their Chinese operations through a better understanding of Chinese national interests.

About the guest: Enright shares business strategy in complex and uncertain environments, emphasizing developments in China and other countries in Asia. He offers insights on how China seeks to conduct and benefit from international business, and how multinational companies can succeed in their Chinese operations through a better understanding of Chinese national interests.

Competing with emerging market firms: a Western perspective with Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra

Professor Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra discusses how multinationals from emerging markets compete, first in their domestic markets, and then build on their learning and success to expand in globally. He discusses the unique advantages of emerging market multinationals, and how Western competitors can learn from their strategies and unique competencies.

About the guest: Cuervo-Cazurra is a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University. He studies the internationalization of firms, with a special interest in emerging market multinationals; their capability upgrading, particularly technological capabilities; and governance challenges, including issues of corruption in international business. He has published widely, in numerous academic journals, is the co-editor of the Global Strategy Journal, and recently published Innovating for the Middle of the Pyramid in Emerging Markets, Cambridge University Press, and co-authored the Oxford Handbook of State Capitalism and the Firm, Oxford University Press, 2022. Bachelor of Science in International Business program at Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. He is an expert in global strategy, blockchain development, and implementation strategy.

Leveraging state ownership: the competitive advantages of state-owned enterprises with Anna Grosman

Professor Anna Grosman discusses the specific case of state-owned enterprises, how they compete globally, and leverage state ownership and domestic market privileges to develop advantages in in raising capital, competing in their home market, and then expanding internationally.

About the guest: Grosman is a professor at Loughborough University London where she lectures on corporate finance and digital finance. She is the Director of the MSc in Digital Entrepreneurship program, and the Research Lead for the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is co-author of the recently published Oxford Handbook of State Capitalism and the Firm, Oxford University Press, 2022.

Get Episode 5: June 14 release date

Global supply chain strategy: navigating geopolitical turbulence with Nada Sanders

Professor Nada Sanders talks about strategy and efficiency of global supply chains. She discusses how geopolitical considerations influence the evolution of global supply chains and draws on examples from fast fashion and other industries to highlight key elements of supply chain strategy at a time of turbulence in the global environment.

About the guest: Sanders, Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at D'Amore-McKim School of Business, is an internationally recognized expert in forecasting, predictive analytics, risk management, and supply chain management, having authored numerous books and articles. Her research includes identifying best practices in forecasting, developing a corporate technology strategy, and creating a resilient supply chain, and she has consulted for corporations such as Nike, AT&T, CIBA Corning, Mattel, and Dell.

Get Episode 6: June 28 release date

From India and China to the World: the impact of reverse innovations with Ravi Ramamurti

Professor Ravi Ramamurti discusses the phenomenon of reverse innovations, where multinational companies develop low- cost and effective innovations in domestic markets such as India and China, and then leverage these innovations across global markets. He also discusses the work of the Center of Emerging Markets at Northeastern University, which he founded in 2007, and which serves as a continuous source of insights into the changing role of emerging markets.

About the guest: Ramamurti is the University Distinguished Professor, International Business and Strategy, at Northeastern University, and Director of the Center for Emerging Markets. He has published several books, including Reverse innovation in health care: Making value-based delivery work, with Prof. V. Govindarajan, Harvard Business Review Press, 2018, as well as articles on healthcare in the Harvard Business Review. He researches and consults with many organizations on their strategy and innovation in emerging economies, and has served as a consultant to several governments, and agencies such as USAID and the World Bank.

About the host

Paula Caligiuri is a Distinguished Professor of international business and strategy at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. She is also the founder of Skiilify and has been named one of the most prolific authors in international business for her work in the areas of expatriate management, global leadership development, and cultural agility. She has authored or co-authored several articles and books – including Cultural Agility: Building a Pipeline of Successful Global Professionals, Build Your Cultural Agility, and Get a Life, Not a Job.

Caligiuri is an instructor for a LinkedIn Learning course entitled Managing Globally. She holds a Ph.D. from Penn State University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is a Fellow in both the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of International Business.

Season One Episodes

Unleashing the power of blockchain for global enterprise strategy

Ravi Sarathy shares insights from his new book; focusing on blockchain technologies, digital currencies, and what these mean for international business.

About the guest: Sarathy directs the Bachelor of Science in International Business program at Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. He is an expert in global strategy, blockchain development, and implementation strategy.

The essentials of workforce analytics for global business success

Mark Huselid discusses a number of significant changes on the horizon for global workforce analytics.

About the guest: Huselid is the chair of the International Business & Strategy academic group at Northeastern. He is an expert in global workforce analytics and talent strategy.

Global leadership insights

Lauren States shares her advice and insights as a successful global business leader in data technology and strategy.

About the guest: States has held numerous executive positions for IBM, including Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Strategy and Transformation for IBM's Software Group. She was recently named one of the Most Influential Black Corporate Directors by Savoy Magazine.

How corporate governance can help achieve environmental, social, and governance goals

Ruth Aguilera talks ESGs and their growing impact on companies around the world.

About the guest: Aguilera is a Distinguished Professor and the Darla and Frederick Brodsky Trustee Professor in Global Business at Northeastern University. She is one of the world's leading experts in comparative corporate governance and corporate sustainability.

The future of remote work: predictions and trends

Barbara Larson takes stock of the key practices that help make globally distributed, remote working teams most effective.

About the guest: Larson is an Executive Professor in the Management and Organization Development group at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on the personal and interpersonal skills that people need to work effectively in virtual environments.

The value of gender diversity for corporate boards and social performance

Valentina Marano discusses the role national culture and women directors play in shaping firms' environmental and social impact.

About the guest: Marano is an Associate Professor of International Business at Northeastern University. Her work focuses on the practice adoption, organizational legitimacy, and performance of multinational corporations from both emerging and advanced economies, and broader issues of comparative corporate governance and corporate sustainability.

Start-Up Success in an Uncertain Global Economy

Andy Palmer shares his insights on successfully launching, operating and investing in start-ups amidst economic instability. He also addresses the challenges of layoffs and the decline of Silicon Valley Bank, providing expert advice for entrepreneurs navigating these uncertain times.

About the guest: Andy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tamr and has funded or founded over 100 companies through his seed fund, Koa Labs. He has been awarded Angel Investor of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year.

Comments? Questions?

We hope you're enjoying the show! Please email us at IBTpodcast@northeastern.edu with any feedback.

Email Us

Contact Us: IBTpodcast@northeastern.edu