An analysis of globalisation in international business research 1993–2018: rise of the sceptics

Abstract

Purpose The rise of the global economy has been an essential element in the international business (IB) agenda since the 1980s, and the topic of globalisation has not failed to captivate the attention of IB researchers and practitioners alike. Globalisation has impacted on such diverse issues as trade relations, geopolitical boundaries, social class, human rights, environmental commitments, religion, ethnicity, sovereignty and conservation of culture. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the current state of IB research on the topic of globalisation and to guide researchers who are new to IB research as to which journals and authors to consult when studying this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database. A multiple correspondence analysis provides a map of keywords and authors, as well as a framework to track the globalisation literature over the 26-year period, 1993–2018. Findings The findings identify several fundamental themes and significant gaps in the extant literature; the most alarming gap centres around the effect of globalisation on social issues and, consequently, the rise of the anti-globalisation crusaders. Research limitations/implications The literature review produced 529 articles listed only in the Web of Science Core Collection in the period 1993–2018. Practical implications A distinctive contribution of this study is that it investigates the intersection between globalisation and IB. This paper seeks to expose the intellectual structure of globalisation research, identify existing and emerging themes of globalisation research and discuss future research streams. Social implications The findings show the rise of the globalisation sceptic and reveal the mounting concerns regarding the unequal benefits of globalisation. Originality/value There are two key benefits of this review. First, the theory extends by identifying a swing from an alignment with the transformationalist theory to sceptical theory. Second, the review has the potential to guide scholars on precisely what needs to be explored in IB globalisation research.