Futures in Focus - Multidisciplinary Perspectives in I. B.

Futures in Focus - Multidisciplinary Perspectives in International Business

Dr. Claudio Correa – Full professor, Escola de Guerra Naval, correa7claudio@gmail.com

Dra. Karin Brondino-Pompeo – Associate Professor, ESPM/Brazil, kbrondino@espm.br

 

As guest editors of this Special Issue, we invite you to submit your papers to INTERNEXT for the Special Issue in Future Studies.

INTERNEXT is an indexed Latin America journal sponsored by ESPM – Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, a not-for-profit organization in São Paulo/Brazil. Broadly, the journal aims to open possibilities to articles about theoretical discussions with bibliographical content, understanding that critical thinking in the international field is as essential as empirical research. Nowadays, INTERNEXT is indexed at Readalyc, Thompson Reuters (under evaluation), Redib, EbscoHost, Spell, Gale Cengage Learning, Doaj, PKP, Latindex, Google Scholar, OpenAire, Miar, Diadorm, Dialnet, and EconLit. 

 

Background

Considering the fast-forward process of interaction and complexity of the world society in a diversity of fields, such as politics, economy, and environment, Future Studies bring together a vast framework of theoretical lenses to think about the design of futures and thus outline forms of anticipation, i.e., acts on the present to create potential futures as well as to improve the decision-making process, enabling better preparedness to deal with next threats and opportunities (Corrêa & Cagnin, 2016; Poli, 2019). This approach also requires research on futures seeds, i.e., from small signs to trends or facts and traces already existing in the past and present that signal possibilities of future events (Marcial et al., 2022). As advocated by UNESCO, it also includes debates on competencies or literacies on future diagnosing, forming critical consumers in the way thoughts about the future are produced, as well as how the relationship between present and future can interfere with the choices of human beings (Bell, 2017). 

Theorizing futures (Bell, 2017), the change in consumption practices (Shekhar, Manoharan, & Rakshit, 2020), and transformation in markets (Cochoy, Trompette, & Araujo, 2016; Nenonen et al., 2014) are fundamental not only for the business field in general and marketing in particular but also for public policy agendas, bringing the sphere of regulation closer to movements that lead and frame new configurations in the markets (Brondino-Pompeo, forthcoming) and other environments as international relations of power (Lauro & Corrêa, 2022; OECD, 2021). For example, understanding how new consumption routines are formed (Shove, 2003) or how the dynamics between market actors unfold to construct or transform markets (Onyas, McEachern, & Ryan, 2018) are essential to addressing climate emergencies. Additionally, forecasting possible futures is essential for companies—and even countries—to prepare for otherwise unexpected trends, which may change the face of their economy and businesses. It is no coincidence that the field of trend forecasting and hunting is growing rapidly, involving consultancies firms, educational institutions, and companies in various fields seeking to anticipate futures to outline effective actions.

 

This special issue seeks to bring together research broadly discussing trend forecasting, futures studies methodologies, and futures prospection to support strategy design in uncertainty (Janick, Leite, & Martins, 2021; Popper, 2008). It is also interested in research that theorizes patterns of change in consumption that pave the way to new possible futures, i.e., we are interested in research that investigates how habits are transformed (Phipps & Ozanne, 2017), how consumption can be seen as a process (Giesler, 2016), how new markets emerge (Diaz Ruiz & Makkar, 2021; Martin & Schouten, 2014), how the dynamics of market innovation take place (Kjellberg, Azimont, & Reid, 2015), how innovations are spread (McCracken, 2003; 2008; Rogers, 2014), how the organization learns along with the foresight process (Vänttinen e Pyhältö, 2009), and how such changes imply visions of futures and their intervention in the present (Poli, 2019).

Themes of interest

This INTERNEXT special issue welcomes articles on a wide range of subjects relating to futures, trends, consumer behavior change, and market transformation and its application to business strategy in several industries. This SI especially encourages submissions that explore the intersection between future studies and international business, offering innovative and strategic insights for the corporate world.

We are looking for contributions on the following topics (but not limited to these) that might be suitable for the special issue:

  • Methodologies for designing future scenarios and trend forecasting
  • The relation of change pattern in consumption and future studies
  • Market agencing and market shaping aiming for future market configurations
  • The performative aspect of the trend forecasting/ hunting market
  • Research and analysis of trends in international business
  • Cross-country comparisons of transformations in markets and consumer practices
  • Theoretical or theoretical-empirical studies on the foresight of futures in various fields, such as environmental and climate change, international security and defense, information and communication technologies (ICT), public management, consumer goods, finance, education, and hospitality
  • The role of innovation and technology in modeling future business scenarios
  • Ethical and sustainable implications in the foresight of futures in international business.

 

We are particularly interested in articles that combine theoretical rigor with practical applications, offering new perspectives on how companies can adapt and thrive in uncertain futures. We seek contributions that challenge conventional thinking and offer new approaches to understanding and shaping the future of international business.

 

Article Submission

Articles should be original, not previously published, and comply with the journal's submission guidelines. For details on format, style guidelines, and review process, please consult the author guidelines on the website.

 

Selection of papers

Invited articles and those applying for the special issue must meet the journal's standards, as indicated on its website. The entire evaluation process will follow the rules in force at INTERNEXT, and the articles will be subject to double-blind review.

 

Deadline for Submission: 01 November 2024

 

Publication of the Special Issue: Accepted papers are expected to be online by August 2025

 

We look forward to your innovative contributions and unique perspectives to enrich the field of international business. For more information, visit our website or contact the editorial team.

 

References

Araujo, L., Finch, J., & Kjellberg, H. (Eds.). (2010). Reconnecting marketing to markets. Oxford University Press.

Bell, W. Foundations of Futures Studies: Values, objectivity, and the good society. Routledge, 2017.

Brondino-Pompeo, K. (forthcoming). Factishing a market. In S. Geiger, K. Mason, N. Pollock, P. Roscoe, A. Ryan, S. Schwarzkopf, & P. Trompette (Eds.), Market Studies: Mapping, Theorizing and Impacting Market Action. Cambridge University Press.

 

Cochoy, F., Trompette, P., & Araujo, L. (2016). From market agencements to market agencing: an introduction. Consumption Markets & Culture, 19(1), 3-16.

 

Corrêa, C. R., & Cagnin, C. H. (2016). Prospective games for defence strategic decisions in Brazil. Foresight, 18(1), 4-23.

Giesler, M., & Thompson, C. J. (2016). A tutorial in consumer research: Process theorization in cultural consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(4), 497-508.

Kjellberg, H., Azimont, F., & Reid, E. (2015). Market innovation processes: Balancing stability and change. Industrial Marketing Management, 44, 4-12.

Janick, V., Leite, J., & Martins, C. C. B.. (Orgs.). (2021). Explorando futuros possíveis: Fundamentos e práticas sobre ferramentas prospectivas. Alpheratz.

Lauro, A., & Corrêa, C. R. (2022). Futures for the Maritime Domain: Signs and Trends that Shape Scenarios. In Greg Kennedy, William S. Moreira. (Org.). Power and the Maritime Domain. A Global Dialogue, 1, 286-301. Routledge. Available at: https://www.routledge.com/Powerand-the-Maritime-Domain-AGlobal-Dialogue/KennedyMoreira/p/book/9781032288840.

Marcial, E. C., Schneider, E. R., Pio, M. J., Leal, R. M., Fronzaglia, T., & Gimene, M. (2022). Post-COVID-19 scenarios: A method for moments of crisis. Futures, 142, 102996.

Martin, D. M., & Schouten, J. W. (2014). Consumption-driven market emergence. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5), 855-870.

McCracken, G. (2003). Cultura & consumo. Mauad Editora.

 

McCracken, G. (2008). Transformations: Identity construction in contemporary culture. Indiana University Press.

Nenonen, S., Kjellberg, H., Pels, J., Cheung, L., Lindeman, S., Mele, C., Sajtos, L., & Storbacka, K. (2014). A new perspective on market dynamics: Market plasticity and the stability–fluidity dialectics. Marketing Theory, 14(3), 269–289.

OECD (2021). Global Scenarios 2035: Exploring implication for the future of global collaboration and the OECD. Paris: OECD: http://doi.org/10.1787/df7ebc33-en.

Onyas, W. I., McEachern, M. G., & Ryan, A. (2018). Co-constructing sustainability: Agencing sustainable coffee farmers in Uganda. Journal of Rural Studies, 61, 12-21.

Phipps, M., & Ozanne, J. L. (2017). Routines disrupted: Reestablishing security through practice alignment. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(2), 361-380.

Poli, R. (2019). Handbook of anticipation: Theoretical and applied aspects of the use of future in decision making. Springer.

Popper, R. (2008). How are foresight methods selected? Foresight, 10(6), 62-89.

Rogers, E. M., Singhal, A., & Quinlan, M. M. (2014). Diffusion of innovations. In An integrated approach to communication theory and research (pp. 432-448). Routledge.

Shekhar, S., Manoharan, B., & Rakshit, K. (2020). Going cashless: Change in institutional logic and consumption practices in the face of institutional disruption. Journal of Business Research, 114, 60-79.

Shove, E. A. (2003). Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience: The Social Organization of Normality. Berg.

Vänttinen, M., Pyhältö, K. (2009). Strategy process as an innovative learning environment. Management Decision, 47(5), 778-791.