Views from global thought leaders – IV

Citation

Svensson, G. (2009), "Views from global thought leaders – IV", European Business Review, Vol. 21 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2009.05421daa.001

Views from global thought leaders – IV

Article Type: Editorial From: European Business Review, Volume 21, Issue 4

This special issue – No. 4 of a series – by personal invitation from the editor includes articles from a group of “global thought leaders.” This selected group consists of academics that have a long-term experience in their field of expertise.

The contributors are distinguished and well-known members of academia or business. The purpose of this special issue series is to document and share parts of their accumulated knowledge. Their insights and reflections will be valuable to the research community worldwide. Their ideas should also be of great importance to business. The special issue series will provide a unique source of their thoughts of the past, the present and their beliefs about the future.

The views of these scholars are published in an unbiased manner, because their thoughts are based upon their long-term expertise. I am convinced that their expertise is indisputable and it does not need to be blind reviewed! Furthermore, their thoughts might inspire current and forthcoming generations in academia and business to unprecedented achievements in research and practice. So, this special issue consists of a selection of distinguished contributions as follows.

The first article entitled “American culture and the 2008 financial crisis” is authored by Professor Geert Hofstede (Emeritus) of University of Maastricht and Fellow, Center for Economic Research, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands. He traces the cultural roots of the presently ongoing crisis.

The second article entitled “Macromarketing, controversy and economic development: just before and now during the global meltdown” is co-authored by Professor Stanley J. Shapiro (Emeritus) of Simon Fraser University, Canada and Professor Clifford J. Shultz II of Arizona State University, USA. They familiarize readers with the nature and scope of the current global economic crisis, its implications for economic development, and what macromarketing can contribute both to better understanding and solutions.

The third article entitled “Critical times in business relationships” is co-authored by Professor Bo Edvardsson of Karlstad University, Sweden and Professor Tore Strandvik of Hanken School of Economics, Finland. They develop a theoretical framework for and an initial understanding of critical times in business relationships.

The fourth article entitled “An anthology of codes of ethics” is authored by Professor Gael M. McDonald of Deakin University, Australia. She examines the motivations for the adoption of codes of ethics, their frequency of use and content, which naturally also includes international codes.

The fifth article entitled “Can business learn from the public sector?” is co-authored by Professor Loizos Heracleous and Professor Robert Johnston of University of Warwick, UK. They challenge conventional wisdom suggesting that private sector entities should learn from the public sector, and to state some potential lessons for business based on case study research in leading edge public sector entities.

The last article entitled “Creative restruction – how business services drive economic evolution” is co-authored by Professor Jochen Wirtz of National University of Singapore, Singapore and Professor Michael Ehret of Nottingham Trent University, UK. They explore the widely underestimated role of business services in driving the growth of the service sector, and the increasing specialization and productivity of our economies.

I truly wish that you – the reader of European Business Review (EBR) – will find the six contributions of this special issue of great intellectual interest and stimulation. I also believe that both scholars and practitioners will find them valuable, because they are based upon thorough expertise and deep insights communicated by highly knowledgeable and well-known professors in academia. In fact, their articles may be used for teaching purposes in higher education and doctoral programs, as well as at higher research seminars in academia.

Keep an eye out for other special issues that will appear in EBR during 2009 and onward. For example, other forthcoming special issues in progress are on: “Business research in Taiwan” (Co-Editor, Professor Tzong-Ru Lee of National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan), and “Business ethics – through time and across context” in 2010 (Co-Editor, Professor Gael McDonald of Deakin University, Australia).

Welcome to the thought-provoking and challenging world of EBR!

Yours sincerely.

Göran Svensson