The New International Business Landscape Following the Emergence of Covid-19

The Covid pandemic is profoundly affecting economic, social and political structures. Businesses are facing many changes that lead to new developments in the way they organize their activities within and across national borders. These changes create numerous challenges and opportunities for MNEs. Companies are having to rethink their value chains’ configuration and location as well as their technological organization by giving even greater priority to the digitalization of their activities.

International entrepreneurs do have to embark on new ways to innovate, operate and compete in international markets. They will need to rethink their internal and external networks in particular as far as innovation networks are concerned. They will have to rethink how to strengthen their specific advantages at a time when the comparative advantages of countries have changed paradigm. Relations with governments have changed in this time of pandemic, redistributing roles and power plays. These developments will have an effect on the future strategies that companies will develop to manage their relationships with governments. It is not excluded that further measures under national and international law may be taken in the future to protect States from risks such as those associated with domestic shortages of essential goods.

The objectives of this track is to stimulate scientific and prospective debate on the new international business landscape following the emergence of the covid-19. It will be interesting to examine inter alia the extent to which the traditional tools of IB theory can contribute to serious insights into the future strategies adopted by entrepreneurs in terms of innovation, product and process development, external relations with other companies and governments? Multidisciplinary research is also welcome.

Keywords:
supply chain management; location and re-location; pattern of international operations; Innovation strategies; digitalization of value chains; government policies; international flows of persons, good and capital.