Countries, Within-Country Regions, and Multiple-Country Regions in International Management: A Functional, Institutional, and Critical Event (FICE) Perspective

Abstract

We introduce the focused issue by offering a functional, institutional and critical event or FICE perspective on the relationship between cultural boundaries and the boundaries of modern nation states (termed countries here). Our perspective draws from three kinds of theory that suggest how governmental boundaries have come to be connected in different degrees and in different ways to cultural groups. We use the FICE perspective to integrate the four articles in the focused issue that speak to whether boundaries around countries matter as compared to boundaries around religious groups, within-country geographic regions, and groups of multiple countries.