Abstract
Purpose
Realising the sustainable development goals (SDGs) will require substantial efforts from both governments, businesses, civil society and academic researchers. This paper aims to discuss the contributions that the international business (IB) discipline can make to promoting the SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is conceptual.
Findings
The authors argue that IB can contribute to promoting the SDGs, given IB’s expertise on the multinational enterprise (MNE) and knowledge that is relevant to the international dimensions that most SDGs have. However, paradigmatic features of IB such as a focus on firm-level financial performance and on the MNE as an organisation, and dominance of quantitative methods, may presently restrict the discipline’s contributions to the SDGs.
Originality/value
The authors present a set of recommendations for IB research on the SDGs, many of which imply an extension of the boundaries of the current IB paradigm.
Realising the sustainable development goals (SDGs) will require substantial efforts from both governments, businesses, civil society and academic researchers. This paper aims to discuss the contributions that the international business (IB) discipline can make to promoting the SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is conceptual.
Findings
The authors argue that IB can contribute to promoting the SDGs, given IB’s expertise on the multinational enterprise (MNE) and knowledge that is relevant to the international dimensions that most SDGs have. However, paradigmatic features of IB such as a focus on firm-level financial performance and on the MNE as an organisation, and dominance of quantitative methods, may presently restrict the discipline’s contributions to the SDGs.
Originality/value
The authors present a set of recommendations for IB research on the SDGs, many of which imply an extension of the boundaries of the current IB paradigm.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 457-487 |
Number of pages | 31 |
Journal | Critical Perspectives on International Business |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 13 Sept 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Jun 2022 |
Keywords
- Corporate and social responsibility
- International business
- Methods
- Multinational enterprises
- Paradigm
- Sustainability
- Sustainable development goals
- Theories