by Danny Van Den Bulcke

After our conference in Catania, Italy, next December, we will be heading for Tallinn, Estonia, for our 34th Annual Meeting. Until last May it was not really sure where EIBA would gather in 2009. Several locations were considered such as Dublin, Leeds, Porto, Uppsala, Vienna… However, during the Spring Board meeting in Catania last May, Juan Duran, the National Representative for Spain, proposed Valencia on behalf of José Pla Barber from the University of Valencia as the venue for 2009. Although this decision, which was unanimously approved by the Board, still has to be submitted to the General Assembly, it is unlikely that many EIBA members will object to this new Mediterranean destination for our yearly ‘rendez-vous’ two years after Sicily.

Tallinn-2008

Together with Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia became independent in 1991. In the same year EIBA held its 17th Annual Conference in Copenhagen. From an EIBA perspective this was about half way in our history, as Tallinn will host the 34th yearly meeting of EIBA next year. Since the Baltic countries joined the European Union their economic expansion has continued. Tallinn, the Estonian capital city, was part of the so-called Hanseatic League with a.o. Riga (Latvia), Gdansk (Poland, known as Danzig, when it was part of Germany) and Hamburg (Germany), which dominated east west trade during almost 400 years and was the world’s first free trade alliance. This was international business ‘avant la lettre’ to use a French expression. Estonia and its neighbours are living through a renaissance that will interest international business scholars and EIBA members.

Enn Listra, National Representative of Estonia, has been preparing for EIBA-2008. His personal efforts and the fact that he is getting academic support from Vaasa University and Tartu University guarantees a successful meeting. More details about the Tallinn Conference will be provided during the December Conference in Catania.

Valencia-2009

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and according to some sources has surpassed Barcelona as the most vibrant place in the country. This year Valencia hosted the legendary sailing contest  known as the America Cup and apparently there are negotiations about having  Formula 1 motor car races there in the near future. Clearly a city which hosts the fastest sailing ships and fastest cars  in the world and has become  a touristic magnet is the ‘place to be’ for EIBA.

José Pla Barber is Head of the Department of Business Administration of the University of Valencia and Programme Director of the MBA University of Valencia-Ford Spain. He has been Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Reading, the Norwegian School of Management and the Instituto Technologicó de Costa Rica (TEC). He has been Visting Professor in several Latin American countries, such as Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico as well as Spanish universities. He has published in many refereed international business and marketing journals as well as refereed Spanish reviews. And of course, over the years he has been a regular participant and contributor to EIBA conferences. All of this should make him and his university ideal hosts for the 2009 conference.

 “IB and the catching up economies – Challenges and opportunities” is the title approved  by the EIBA Board for the Tallinn Conference. It will be EIBA’s 34th Annual Meeting and the fist time ever that it will take place in the Baltic region.

The preliminary track list includes:

1. International Business in Catching Up Economies (Emerging Markets)
   - Business opportunities and obstacles on emerging markets
   - Catching up process as the opportunity for international business
   - The role of China and other Asian countries in international business
   - Changing role of Central and Eastern European countries in international business
   
2. Internationalisation Process and International Entrepreneurship
   - Contemporary stages and directions of internationalization process
   - Internationalization patterns of SMEs
   - International entrepreneurship and international new ventures
   
3. Knowledge Management in International Business
   - Learning organisations in international business
   - Internal and external knowledge sources for international companies
   - Development of international knowledge management systems
   
4. Corporate Strategies in International Business
   - transnationalism and other MNC strategies
   - international mergers, acquisitions and formation of strategic alliances
   - subsidiary roles and performance determinants
   
5. Technology Development and Innovation
   - Technology development in MNCs and in international SMEs
   - Technology brokering and international diffusion of new technologies
   - Innovation management in international business context
   
6. Human Resources Management
   - Regional differences in international human resource management
   - Human resource management policies and corporate performance
   - Impact of EU enlargements on human resource management practices
   
7. International Marketing and Cross Cultural Issues in International Business
   - Complexities of international marketing and distribution
   - Usage of marketing or procurement subsidiaries
   - International supply chain management
   - International mergers and acquisitions as sources for cultural conflict
   - Cultural diversity as an opportunity for international business
   - Cultural issues in the context of enlarged EU
   
8. Management Control, International Finance and Accounting
   - Contemporary issues in international finance
   - International differences in accounting practices
   - Risk exposure and tax obligation management in international business   
   - Contemporary governance issues in international companies
   - Social responsibilities of MNCs
   - Ownership as a source for management conflicts in international business
   
9. Contemporary Issues of International Business Theory and Methodology
   - IT and service sector internationalisation
   - Internet-based research methods in international business studies
   - Enlargement of regional cooperation and international business
   
10. Foreign Investment, Trade and Policy Issues
    - The changing pattern of FDI and trade flows
    - Development level as determinant of FDI and trade flows
    - Policies concerning core and periphery problem in Europe 

The final list of tracks and  more detailed subjects will be available in December during the Catania conference.