Space is becoming a new frontier for business, with both private companies and governments eager to explore and exploit its resources. The Space economy is rapidly expanding and is projected to reach nearly $3 trillion by 2045. This shift from exploration to exploitation presents new challenges and opportunities; this podcast episode discusses a recent JIBS article that provides a perspective on how businesses and scholars need to rethink IB to address these changes.

Citation: Raswant, A., Nielsen, B.B. & Buckley, P.J. (2025). Space: a new frontier for international business. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00783-1

Discussing the introductory editorial to a new JIBP special issue on industrial policy and global value chains, this podcast uncovers how firms are navigating backlash, bias, and political headwinds abroad, as their focus shifts from economic prosperity to security in light of recent global disruptions.

Citation: Gereffi, G., Pananond, P., Tell, F. et al. Navigating industrial policy and global value chains in an era of disruptions. Journal of International Business Policy (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-025-00223-9

Emerging markets (EMs) have become a focal point of academic inquiry and policy interest as they complement and sometimes even challenge established paradigms based on developed economies. International Business scholars, practitioners, and policymakers have long debated how unique emerging markets and their firms are, and if this uniqueness warrants or requires special attention, distinct policies, and new theories. Developed in cooperation with the AIB Emerging Markets Special Interest Group, this AIB Insights special issue explores these questions, articulating novel and actionable insights to understand EMs’ distinctiveness. Our introductory editorial to this issue briefly discusses the nature and dimensions of the uniqueness of emerging markets and their firms. It then surveys the seven issue articles, highlighting their main findings and insights. Given current global developments, the significance of EMs and their firms is likely to grow further, underscoring the importance of continued academic and practical focus on them.

Citation: Awate, S., Brandl, K., Hobdari, B., & Newburry, W. 2025. How Really Unique Are Emerging Markets and Their Firms? AIB Insights, 25(3). https:/​/​doi.org/​10.46697/​001c.137979.

Foreign companies often face more regulatory challenges than local ones when operating in different countries, which is partly due to unfamiliarity with local rules and networks. However, discrimination against foreign firms has not been studied as much, as discussed in this podcast episode focusing on a new study that explores how the political beliefs of a host country’s government can increase the regulatory risks for foreign firms, particularly through discrimination.

Citation: Muratova, Y., Dhanaraj, C. & Svystunova, L. (2025) Revisiting the liability of foreignness: political ideology, globalization, and discrimination. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00782-2

This podcast dives into policies that can make value chains more resilient and the potential reactions of firms to these policies. It’s a fresh take on value chain reconfiguration with practical insights from the frontlines of public health and the global pharmaceutical industry, discussing a recent JIBP article about value chain disruptions and policy responses to antibiotic shortages in GVCs.

Citation: Baraldi, E., Ciabuschi, F. & Fratocchi, L. (2025). Value chain disruptions: policy responses to antibiotic shortages in global value chains. Journal of International Business Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-025-00214-w

How can we better understand the challenges and strategies of emerging market multinational companies as they expand globally? One answer lies in this podcast, which describes a new multilevel approach that helps firms and policymakers see how macro conditions, institutions, industries, and firm-specific choices all shape success, and thereby guide companies as their own GPS that provides navigation advice through complex markets.

Citation: Shukran, K. (2024). Rethinking Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Emerging Market Multinational Enterprises: Implications for Management and Policy. AIB Insights, 25(3), https://doi.org/10.46697/001c.133788.

While multinational enterprises often aim to do good through corporate social responsibility and other initiatives, their efforts are not always seen positively by local stakeholders. The article discussed in this episode examines how MNEs are perceived by local communities in East Africa in relation to their societal impact. It explores why some MNEs have better reputations for societal impact than others and how their actions influence these perceptions.

Citation: Makarius, E.E., Kahindi, A.M., Stevens, C.E. et al. (2025). Reputational judgments of foreign MNEs’ societal impact in frontier markets: the role of compatible, crossed, and conflicting signals. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00795-x

In recent times, the world has seen the deep effects of violent conflicts on the global economy. This podcast episode discusses a recently published study addressing how multinational enterprises (MNEs) are affected by violent conflict and how they respond.

Citation: Liu, C., Eden, L. & Li, D. (2024). Violent conflict and multinational enterprises: identifying key frontiers in international business policy research. Journal of International Business Policy 7, 260–275. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-024-00187-2