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The untold story: Teaching cases and the rise of international business as a new academic field

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Abstract

The dominant narrative about the rise of international business (IB) focuses on early research and the institutionalization of a new academic field. In this study, we explore the role of case writing in the field’s formative period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Based on an analysis of teaching cases on IB topics, we demonstrate that case-based teaching, including the writing of cases, was an innovative pedagogical method that made a strong impact on the formation of the new academic field. Analyzing the cases and the background and affiliation of their authors offers new insights into the linkages to other disciplines from which the new academic field emerged. The analysis of the cases also provides new insight into how the case authors connected to the new practical experiences from an increasing number of multinational enterprises, particularly from the US, and conceptualized the experiences into a pedagogical language. The investigation covers 489 cases written by scholars located in 18 countries from the early 1950s to 1963, as well as archival studies of the business schools and institutions that initiated the production of cases.

Résumé

Le récit dominant sur l'essor des affaires internationales (International Business - IB) se focalise sur des recherches menées dans les débuts et l'institutionnalisation d'un nouveau domaine académique. Dans cette recherche, nous explorons le rôle de la rédaction de cas dans la période de formation du domaine, du milieu des années 1950 au milieu des années 1960. Nous appuyant sur une analyse de cas d'enseignement sur des sujets en IB, nous démontrons que l'enseignement basé sur des cas, y compris la rédaction de cas, était une méthode pédagogique innovante qui a eu un fort impact sur la formation du nouveau domaine académique. L’analyse de cas ainsi que de formations et d’affiliations de leurs auteurs permet de mieux comprendre les liens avec d'autres disciplines à partir desquelles ce dernier a émergé. L'analyse de cas permet également de mieux comprendre comment les auteurs des cas se sont connectés aux nouvelles expériences pratiques d'un nombre croissant d'entreprises multinationales, notamment américaines, et ont conceptualisé ces expériences dans un langage pédagogique. La recherche porte sur 489 cas écrits par des universitaires situés dans 18 pays entre le début des années 1950 et 1963, ainsi que sur des études archivées des écoles de commerce et des institutions ayant initié la production de cas.

Resumen

La narrative dominante sobre el auge de Negocios Internacionales se enfoca en las primeras investigaciones y la institucionalización de un nuevo campo académico. En este estudio, exploramos el papel de la escritura de cosas en el periodo formativo entre mediados de la década de1950 y mediados de la década de 1960. Con base en un análisis de casos de enseñanza en temas de Negocios Internacionales, demostramos que la enseñanza basada en casos, incluyendo, la escritura de casos fue un método pedagógico innovador que tuvo un fuerte impacto en la formación del nuevo campo académico. Analizando los casos y los antecedentes y afiliación de sus autores, este estudio ofrece nuevas perspectivas sobre las conexiones a otras disciplinas desde las cuales surgió el nuevo campo. El análisis de los casos también una nueva perspectiva sobre cómo los autores de casos conectaron a las nuevas experiencias prácticas del creciente número de empresas multinacionales, particularmente de los Estados Unidos, y conceptualizaron las experiencias en un lenguaje pedagógico. La investigación cubre 489 casos escritos por académicos en 18 países desde comienzos de los cincuenta hasta 1963, así como también, estudios de archivos de las escuelas de negocios e instituciones que iniciaron la producción de casos.

Resumo

A narrativa dominante sobre a ascensão dos negócios internacionais (IB) concentra-se na pesquisa inicial e na institucionalização de um novo campo acadêmico. Neste estudo, exploramos o papel da composição de casos no período de formação do campo, de meados de 1950 a meados de 1960. Com base na análise de casos de ensino sobre temas de IB, demonstramos que o ensino baseado em casos, incluindo a composição de casos, foi um método pedagógico inovador que gerou forte impacto na formação do novo campo acadêmico. A análise dos casos e dos antecedentes e afiliações de seus autores oferece novos insights sobre as conexões com outras disciplinas das quais emergiu o novo campo acadêmico. A análise dos casos também fornece novo insight sobre como os autores de casos se conectaram às novas experiências práticas de um número crescente de empresas multinacionais, particularmente dos Estados Unidos, e conceituaram as experiências em uma linguagem pedagógica. A investigação abrange 489 casos escritos por acadêmicos localizados em 18 países desde o início dos anos 1950 até 1963, bem como estudos de arquivo de escolas de negócios e instituições que iniciaram a produção de casos.

摘要

关于国际商务 (IB) 兴起的主流叙述关注早期研究和新学术领域的制度化。在本研究中， 我们探讨了案例写作在 20 世纪 50 年代中期至 60 年代中期该领域形成时期的作用。基于对 IB 主题教学案例的分析， 我们展示了案例教学， 包括案例写作， 是一种创新的教学方法， 对新学术领域的形成产生了重大影响。对案例及其作者背景和从属关系的分析为与导致新学术领域出现的其它学科的联系提供了新见解。案例分析还提供了关于案例作者如何与越来越多的跨国企业（尤其是美国）的新实践经验联系起来并将这些经验概念化为教学语言的新见解。 该调查涵盖了 18 个国家的学者从 1950 年代初期到 1963 年撰写的 489 个案例以及发起案例制作的商学院和机构的档案研究。

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful for valuable comments and suggestions from Editor-in-Chief Alain Verbeke and three anonymous reviewers. Earlier versions of this article also greatly benefitted from discussions at the 2021 European International Business Academy annual conference (Madrid), the 2022 Academy of International Business UK & Ireland and Reading IB conferences (Reading, UK), and the 2022 Academy of International Business annual meeting (Miami, FL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BI Norwegian Business School, Nydalsveien 37, 0484, Oslo, Norway

    Rolv Petter Amdam, Gabriel R. G. Benito & Birgitte Grøgaard

Authors
  1. Rolv Petter Amdam
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  2. Gabriel R. G. Benito
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  3. Birgitte Grøgaard
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Correspondence to Rolv Petter Amdam.

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Accepted by Alain Verbeke, Editor-in-Chief, 15 December 2022. This article has been with the authors for one revision.

Appendix 1: The geography of the teaching cases

Appendix 1: The geography of the teaching cases

  

Focus of the case

Observation point

No outside observation point

Country not specified

 

63

57

 
 

General

58

57

 
 

Developing countries

2

  
 

Pacific Coast

2

  
 

Transatlantic

1

  

North America

 

48

136

 
 

Canada

30

16

21

 

USA

17

120

42

 

Hawaii

1

  

Latin America

 

49

  
 

Latin America

8

  
 

Argentina

2

  
 

Brazil

6

  
 

Chile

4

 

4

 

Colombia

4

  
 

French Guinea

2

  
 

Guatemala

1

  
 

Mexico

16

  
 

Peru

1

 

4

 

Puerto Rico

1

  
 

Venezuela

2

  
 

Virgin Islands

2

  

Europe

 

196

34

 
 

Europe/EEC

24

5

 
 

North Europe

1

  
 

Belgium

4

  
 

Denmark

5

  
 

France

33

5

 
 

Germany

20

1

 
 

Greece

2

 

1

 

Israel

21

1

20

 

Italy

18

  
 

Netherlands

2

4

 
 

Norway

6

 

3

 

Russia

1

  
 

Sweden

5

  
 

Switzerland

18

14

94

 

Turkey

10

  
 

UK

26

4

3

Africa

 

24

  
 

Africa

7

  
 

Egypt

6

 

6

 

Ghana

8

 

8

 

Kenya

  

2

 

Libya

1

  
 

Nigeria

1

  
 

Rhodesia

1

  

Asia

 

107

1

 
 

Ceylon

2

  
 

India

12

 

8

 

Indonesia

2

  
 

Iran

40

 

35

 

Japan

21

1

8

 

Korea

1

  
 

Pakistan

1

  
 

Philippines

27

  
 

Taiwan

1

 

1

Oceania

 

2

  
 

Australia

2

 

1

No explicit outside observation point

  

261

 

Total

 

489

489

261

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Amdam, R.P., Benito, G.R.G. & Grøgaard, B. The untold story: Teaching cases and the rise of international business as a new academic field. J Int Bus Stud 54, 1313–1331 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-023-00609-y

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