Digital channels and technologies play an increasingly important role in a global economy where diplomacy is often the liaison between business, governments and non-governmental organisations.
The traditional diplomatic actors, nation-states, have seen new actors entering the international diplomacy arena, such as multinational enterprises (MNCs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), regional and local governments, multilateral organisations, and other international interest groups. They all claim stakes in today's global economy, and all are using digital channels including social media to express views, build reputations and reach out to and interact with the public. For example, MNCs use digital channels to build and secure their corporate image and to stay in touch with international stakeholders, and governments use digital channels to increase transparency and defend policy choices.
Digital communication channels are being used for commercial diplomacy too, and are already playing an important role, most often as a way to send information. For example, national governments reach out to businesses to inform them about upcoming export promotion programmes and trade missions to join. But what about virtual trade missions, business partner match-making and partner search? This manner of commercial diplomacy has not yet been explored seriously.
Furthermore, MNCs use digital communication channels for business diplomacy purposes, to establish long-term relationships with foreign governments, NGOs and interest groups, to build legitimacy, and to sustain a 'license to operate' in foreign markets (Ruël, et al. 2012). Social media and platforms have become major outlets for presenting the good intentions of a company, to get embedded in communities, to reach out and to be transparent for international stakeholders.
Research on the relationship between the economy, diplomacy and digital communication channels is still in its infancy. This needs to change as the role of digital communication channels in the global economy is already significant, and is still growing.
This special issue aims to fill this gap by contributing to an expansion of the body of knowledge on the relationship between the economy and diplomacy in the digital communication age.
In order to explore the possibilities of digital communication channels for the economy and diplomacy, to expand our understanding of the relationships between the economy, diplomacy and digital communication, and to improve our understanding of how the future of the economy, diplomacy and digital communication channels may develop, this issue calls for papers that address the following list of questions (not exhaustive):
- How do we conceptualise and theorise the relationship between diplomacy and the economy in a highly digitised global economy?
- How do the economy and diplomacy support each other via digital communication channels?
- What are the risks of linking economic and diplomatic aims via digital communication channels?
- How do MNCs, governments and NGOs use digital communication channels to reach out to stakeholders?
- What are the challenges that lie ahead for the economy and diplomacy in the digital communication age?
Important Dates
Full paper submissions deadline: 15 July, 2014
Notification to authors: 15 August, 2014
Revision deadline: 15 September, 2014
Acceptance notification: 15 October, 2014
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