Abstract
Advanced digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, blockchain, big data analytics and augmented reality, are gradually transforming the way multinational firms do business. Due to the extent of this transformation many scholars argue that the integration of these technologies marks the commencement of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). However, the question how these advanced technologies impact international business activities needs further attention. To this end, we adopt a multidisciplinary approach to review the related literature in international business (IB), general management, information systems, and operations research. We include the two latter fields, because advanced technologies have received more attention in these bodies of literature. Based on our analysis, we discuss the implications of these technologies for international business. Further, we highlight the drivers of technology utilisation by multinational firms and likely outcomes. We also provide future research avenues.
Highlights
We focus on relevant studies in the infor mation systems and operations research domains that have paid more attention to advanced technologies. We argue that such a multidisci plinary approach develops the potential for knowledge integration and enhances our insights into the relevance for and applicability of these technologies in international business (IB) research (c.f., Cheng, Henisz, Roth & Swaminathan, 2009; Shenkar, 2021; Sinkovics & Reuber, 2021)
We describe the main themes of the articles, the theoretical framework adopted, a summary of the key findings ob tained and cite the representative articles
IB research on cybersecurity is in its infancy, risk and security are a significant concern in the IB field and is becoming more important (Buckley & Casson, 2021; Pezderka & Sinkovics, 2011) and in the management of global supply chains (Ghadge et al, 2020)
Summary
Advanced digital technologies (hereafter, advanced technologies) are developing rapidly They are impacting nearly every industry by changing the way firms operate in the global economy (Alcacer, Cantwell, & Piscitello, 2016). These technologies shape how firms integrate their geographically dispersed strategic partners, speci alised suppliers and customer bases into complex structures, referred to as global value chains (Kano, Tsang, & Yeung, 2020).
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