Knowledge flows in international business: A JIBS citation analysis

Purpose – As an interdisciplinary, integrative field, international business exchanges knowledge with other academic areas. The inflow of theories, models, constructs and empirical findings infuses the field's theoretical and methodological base, while outflow represents impact on other academic areas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge flows into and from international business, using journal citation counts as the primary indicator. Design/methodology/approach – Following Salancik, the paper opted to use an index of structural influence over the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) impact factor, focusing on the sub-area of management. It analyzed cross-citations between the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) and a group of the leading management journals over a 13-year period. Findings – Using cross citations method, JIBS was found to be a net importer, especially from strategy; however in the most recent period the journal has become a net knowledge exporter. Research limitations/implications – The present analysis confirms that international business is at a crossroads. While its outflow level can be explained in a narrow domain and its high import level can be interpreted to be the result of a more open market than that of its competitors, the fact that its largest deficit is with a competing area that is itself integrative is not encouraging. Originality/value – Implications for the network location of the field, its content, impact and competitive position are outlined in this paper. Suggestions for the future direction and development of international business are drawn.