The state of international management research in South African management journals

Adolf J Vögel

doi:10.4102/ac.v15i1.262

Abstract

Orientation: It is considered important to take stock periodically of the present channels available for communication of scholarly discourse and research, something that has not been done in international management in South Africa.Research purpose: This study aimed to not only identify the gaps in South African international management research, but also to serve as a source of international management research with a South African focus in order to aid future South African international management research.Motivation for the study: As South African business become more global and international management plays a more central role in business practice, the importance and relevance of international management increases, thus necessitating a greater research focus on international management.Research design, approach and method: A content analysis was conducted on the 1313 articles published in the seven South African management journals between 2004 and 2013.Main findings: Not only is a mere 2.7% of all articles published in the seven South African management journals between 2004 and 2013 focused on international management, but there was also a decline in the number of international management articles published.Contributions/value-add: This study will not only help to identify the gaps in international management research in South Africa, but will also serve as a source of South African international management research for future researchers and academics.

Highlights

According to Holsapple et al (1993:232), it is considered important to take stock periodically of the present channels – books, journal articles and conference proceedings – available for communicating scholarly discourse and research
In identifying the international management (IM) research published in South African management journals over the last decade (2004–2013), this study focused on the seven South African management journals accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (Department of Higher Education and Training 2012), namely, Acta Commercii, Journal of Contemporary Management, Management Dynamics, South African Journal of Business Management, South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, SA Journal of Human Resource Management and Southern African Business Review
Privatisation and acquisition strategies for multinational enterprises. This shortage of South African research supports the finding of Newa and Fillippaios, who state that there is a lack of IM research on lesser-developed economies such as South Africa. This means that South African enterprises have to base their internationalisation and international management decisions on research originating predominantly in the United States of America (USA) and Western Europe; and that our tertiary institutions have to rely on research findings from the USA and Western Europe in their IM courses

Summary

Introduction

According to Holsapple et al (1993:232), it is considered important to take stock periodically of the present channels – books, journal articles and conference proceedings – available for communicating scholarly discourse and research. The majority of the IM research originates in the United States of America (USA) and Western Europe (Kriek, Beaty & Nkomo 2009:126; Lau 2002:171; Tsui 2004:492), whilst there is a lack of hard research in lesser developed countries (LDCs) in general, and in Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa in particular (Newa & Fillippaios, in Oosthuizen 2005:77). This does not mean that these LDCs are less important in terms of IM research. According to Akbar and Samii (2005:389), emerging markets are an important testing ground for existing theories, models and concepts of business and management and can offer an opportunity for developing new theoretical contributions in the fields of management and business studies

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