About International Business Today

Professor Vasyl Taras discusses the nuances of and best practices for global teams and describes the efficacy of crowd-based problem-solving. He shares fascinating insights from the cutting-edge X-Culture Project to foster the development of competencies needed for cross-cultural collaboration.

About the guest: Taras, an Associate Professor of International Business at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, holds a Ph.D. in International Human Resources and Organizational Dynamics from the University of Calgary, Canada. He is the Founder of the X-Culture Project, focusing on cross-cultural and global virtual teams and experiential international business education. His research team explores the potential of global crowds in problem-solving.

Professor Mila Lazarova shares her insights on leveraging international experience for career advancement. She highlights the nuances of global identity, cultural intelligence, and the strategic role of international human resource management in fostering career growth and success in an increasingly globalized professional landscape.

About the guest: Lazarova is a Professor of International Business in International Business at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Her research is in the areas of repatriation and international assignments' impact on careers and work/life balance, HR transformation, and comparative HRM. Mila holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Workforce Management.

D'Amore-McKim's Dunton Family Dean David De Cremer delves into the evolving role of business leaders as AI is integrated into various aspects of global business operations and leadership. He explores AI's influence on job roles, illustrating how businesses can harness AI correctly to drive innovation, efficiency, and positive workforce transformation.

About the guest: De Cremer, a leading behavioral scientist, specializes in managing and guiding transformations in the AI era. He is the Dunton Family Dean at D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University. Previously, he held prestigious positions at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Professor Eddleston discusses some of the benefits and disadvantages of family businesses, myths surrounding family business, issues relevant to family business growth such as succession, and reviews opportunities and challenges facing family business. She draws on her wealth of experience and examples to illuminate her insights and advice.

About the guest: Eddleston is the Schulze Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. She's a recognized expert in family and small business management, with numerous articles published in top management journals. Her numerous awards include the Raymond E. Miles Distinguished Scholar Award, and she serves as Editor-in-Chief of familybusiness.org and holds editorial roles at several other esteemed academic journals.

Professor Barboza discusses doing international business in small emerging markets, with a spotlight on Costa Rica. He discusses Costa Rica's attractiveness as a location for manufacturing and foreign direct investment, and how multinationals such as Intel have entered and evolved their strategy in Costa Rica. With insights into the country's economic growth, regulatory environment, and workforce skill development, combined with real-world examples, the conversation offers a comprehensive view of a small emerging economy (Costa Rica) and its attempts to establish itself in the global business landscape.

About the guest: Barboza holds the Jack and Vada Reynolds Endowed Chair of International Business, Loyola University of New Orleans, with a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois. His research interests cover international economics, macroeconomics, and economic development, and he has emphasized startups, knowledge spillovers, and technology transfer in emerging markets.

Professor Newburry extensively examines corporate reputation, covering its definition, measurement, and factors that lead to a positive reputation. He discusses how firms can manage their global reputation, highlighting the impact of digital platforms and social media. He also explores the complexities of shared value in global supply chains and joint ventures, offering insights on how companies can successfully navigate challenges to uphold and elevate their reputation.

About the guest: Newburry is the Ryder Eminent Scholar of Global Business at Florida International University, and a Fellow of the Academy of International Business (AIB).  His research focuses on multinational firm strategy, and on Corporate Reputation.  He has published numerous articles, and several books, his most recent being Building Strategic Capabilities in Emerging Economies, published by Cambridge University Press.

Professor Puffer, explores the importance of sustainability, stressing its relevance across society, and using the international construction industry as a context for understanding the ramifications of sustainability. She also analyzes how a firm communicates its sustainability stance and actions, using a firm's social media posts as one vehicle for such communications. She also examines the complementary roles of Governments and NGOs, and combined action for advancing sustainability goals.

About the guest: Puffer, a University Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business is a leading scholar on business in Russia, Eastern Europe, and other emerging markets, with her more recent work focuses on sustainability across industries and firms. She has made significant contributions to our understanding of international business,  addressing a wide range of topics including leadership, strategy, entrepreneurship, corporate governance, informal networks, ethics, and migration. 

Professor George S. Yip discusses strategy and innovation in Chinese firms, and the lessons that Western multinationals can learn from them. He notes that Chinese innovation is now the source of new knowledge, including superapps and retail process innovation, such as at TikTok and Alibaba. He also dissects and explains Chinese organizational innovation, which he describes as Digitally Enhanced Directed Autonomy.

About the guest: Yip is an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College Business School, London, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at D'Amore McKim Business School, is a renowned expert in strategy, innovation and Chinese business practices, having previously taught at institutions such as Harvard, London Business School and CEIBS. He has written over a dozen books including “Total Global Strategy,” and “Pioneers, Hidden Champions, Change Makers and Underdogs: Lessons From China's Innovators”, and is recognized for his outstanding teaching and research. 

Mr. Frederick Brodsky recounts his entrepreneurial journey, from his early career working in Europe, then an Army stint, followed by education at Northeastern and pivotal co-op (work internship) experiences, leading to top management executive roles, before starting up and establishing himself as a real estate entrepreneur. He discusses adversity, the centrality of relationships, and understanding numbers and analytics, in building a business, as well as the importance of having caring but demanding mentors.

About the guest: Brodsky, a successful top management executive and entrepreneur, is a D'Amore-McKim Business School (DMSB) graduate and has served Northeastern University as an Overseer, as a Trustee, and currently as Trustee Emeritus.  He founded International Investment Advisors, Inc., a real estate investment and development corporation serving global corporate and private clients. As an educational benefactor, he has endowed the Darla and Frederick Brodsky Trustee Professor in Global Business at DMSB.

Professor Koen Pauwels discusses the ways in which digital marketing has introduced new avenues for reaching customers in the context of the important fundamentals of human behavior and marketing. He describes how digital marketing trends vary across industries and countries. He also advises on how companies can better understand their target customers, set clear goals, and choose the right digital channels to connect with and engage their audience.

About the guest: Pauwels, Distinguished Professor of Marketing at D'Amore-McKim, co-directs the Digital, Analytics, Technology, and Automation (DATA) Initiative. He is the Senior Editor for the Journal of Marketing and the International Journal of Research in Marketing and is the President-Elect of the Academic Council of the American Marketing Association among other notable recognitions.