Call for papers: "New Business Paradigms in a Time of Constant Turbulence"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business.

We are living in a time when change is the only constant in our lives. Never before have everyday things changed so quickly and never before have we been so globally interconnected. We have seen an “excellent” example of this during the recent economic crisis, which is sadly still taking place in some parts of the world, and which has shown that actions in some places have huge impacts on actions on the other side of the world. All of these factors represent new rules for companies, organisations, individuals and their behaviour.

It is often said that smaller companies and organisations are more flexible and thus are better off in these fluid kinds of environment. But is that really true? Or have the big players already adjusted?

Undoubtedly, you have to be flexible in this time of rapid changes, no matter from which perspective you are looking, whether large or small. It is therefore not a surprise that in the recent decade we have seen the rise not only of many small organisations, but also of numerous giants such as Apple, Google and Facebook, which can be in no way defined as small, but which are very well known for their flexibility and adaptability.

In this call for papers we are therefore interested in observing reactions of companies, their management and their organisational structure reorganisations in regard to all of these globalisation factors (e.g. turbulent, ever-changing and dynamic environments; everyday change and interconnectivity; new media). These new factors also require new management skills, new leadership paradigms and new organisation structures, which are included in the focus of special issue.

Theoretical, research and case study papers are welcome. Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Change management
• Small businesses and change
• The role of management in a changing environment
• New leadership paradigms in companies
• New leadership paradigms in smaller organisations
• Organisational structures in organisations
• Flexibility of an organisation or company (large vs. small)
• Working and developing in a changing environment
• Globalised leadership
• New media and leadership in organisations
• Decision making in a changing environment

Important Dates

Submission (online) of full papers following acceptance of abstracts: 1 October, 2014
Notification of acceptance, refusal or revision of full papers: 1 November, 2014
Submission of accepted and revised final papers: 1 December, 2014