Knowledge Platform: Global Mind – Business competitiveness in changing landscapes

How is it possible that we can buy very cheap clothes in some webshops and have those delivered next day? Is 3D printing just another emerging technology or is it rapidly changing the way we do business? What does it take firms to keep customers satisfied in the ever-changing global business environment? These and other questions lie at the heart of International Business and of Marketing.

The Global Mind footprint

The Global Mind platform is deeply involved and committed to an array of projects that underlines the School of Business and Economics’ contributions to reach the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

As we are an active member of the EUniWELL consortium we work with the other partner universities on the well-being of international entrepreneurs (SDG 3) and inclusion of citizen leadership (SDG 5) in our education. We contribute to the multi-use offshore platform KK- project and the - Building Resilience for Food Event & Festival Entrepreneurs in the South Baltic Sea Region (Svenska Institute) with our knowledge on international strategic entrepreneurship (SDG 14 & 3).

We are also proudly partner in the KIC-HEI Erasmus project NOBALIS with the Nordic live-science universities on international entrepreneurship and business (SDG 4 & 9). Hence, we play an important part in EIT food program (European Institute of Technology and Innovation) financed by EU. We are active in the MIRAI 2.0 on Business Development of Vertical Aquacultures (with University of Hiroshima).

We participate in two seed projects for the South Baltic Interreg program; DECADE 2030 on developing smart port solutions (SDG 11 & 9) and DIGI-PRENEURS with our colleagues from digital transformation environment where we look at new sustainable business model for new ventures (SDG 8 and 9). Together with 4 other business schools we are engaged in the ERASMUS+ project IETN: International Entrepreneurship Network for PhD and PhD Supervisor Training (SDG 4).

The digital transformation knowledge environment is our focal area for developing the next generation of international business – sharecoms and circular economies are only a few examples of our commitment to SDG 8 & 9. We are involved in a Digital transformation project on platform urbanism (SDG 11) and one on Training of Emigrants (SDG 8). Through our drive for the NOS-HS workshops on Migrant Talent & Language we take the discussions of SDG 8 and 1 to the next level of international entrepreneurship as praxis. Connected to Linnaeus Palme projects we study international business entrepreneuring and returné entrepreneurship, transnational entrepreneurship (SDG1, 2, 5). We work closely together with Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration by creating partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

Alligation and Co-creation are focal to the platform for eradication of poverty and Entrepreneurial Digital Talent Promotion across borders.

In education, this knowledge platform specializes in strategy, marketing, and business models relevant to international business firms. We offer a global approach with a local basis in our educational programs extending from courses for Ph.D. candidates to specialized programs on the masters and bachelor levels, and courses for management.

Calendar

Research

Research Platform

No business is an island and no business is immune to the pressures of increased globalization. The fact of most modern firm is that most companies are engaged in e-business and do either export to overseas markets, import parts and raw materials from abroad, and/or face competition from foreign rivals.

The Global Mind aims to provide the necessary knowledge and understanding to effectively manage the pressures of globalization for the benefit of businesses concerned and wider society. In broad terms, research at the platform considers not just firm strategies and management, but also issues related to corporate social responsibility, sustainability and the impact of foreign trade on and investment in e.g emerging markets. The research platform Global Mind focuses on border crossing activities of business firms within the setting of an increasingly globalized world.

Goals

The goal of the research platform is to contribute to an improved understanding of performance of business firms in international markets, through the study of strategy and activities such as E-commerce, marketing and international entrepreneurship, both of the individual firm and through the relationships with other actors. In particular, the platform rests on a distinct competence in research on international strategy, business marketing and digital business models. The global approach includes studies of firms operating in Europe and the USA, and in the so-called BRICS countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The Global Mind platform at Linnaeus University already has a significant reputation within Sweden and Europe, with members of the platform publishing in top international journals and receiving awards for outstanding work. The platform aims at providing high quality knowledge to the academic community and interest groups with an impact.

Local insight – Global reach

We are also actively contributing to the academic society by attending leading research conferences and editing leading journals like; Journal of International Entrepreneurship, European Business Review, and European journal of International Management.

A large part of the empirical research at the platform is carried out in close and interactive collaboration with the business actors in the Swedish region of Småland. Thus, local and regional actors, students and the researchers take active part in the knowledge production.

Areas

The research of the members of the platform covers different topics; hence, these are organized in the overall areas of:

International Strategies and Performance (Business Strategy, E-business Marketing)
International Business Management and Emerging markets (International Entrepreneurship, Emerging market management)
International Marketing and Sales (Sales Management, Global Sourcing).