Organisers:

• * Professor Simon Collinson, Tsingshan Chair Professor, School of Management, Zhejiang University, tsingshanprof02@outlook.com
• Dr Yining Luo, Assistant Professor, School of Management, Zhejiang University, yining.luo@zju.edu.cn
• Professor Ke Rong, Director, Institute of Economics, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, r@tsinghua.edu.cn
• Professor Tian Wei, Vice Department Chair, School of Management, Fudan University School of Management, Fudan University, weitian@fudan.edu.cn

The comparative method lies at the heart of social science research. In the field of international business, it is national and regional diversity, the differences between places that influence business activities and management behaviour, that matter. This creates a range of well-known methodological challenges of comparative international research (CIR). The literature on CIR methods over the past thirty years, whilst stressing the importance of robust methodologies, has been particularly critical of the widespread failure of researchers to avoid the pitfalls of poorly constructed cross-national comparisons.

Goal of the workshop (i.e., learning objectives)

The central aim of the proposed PDW is to help participants gain a better understanding of the challenges involved in comparative international research (CIR) and how to cope with these challenges. This understanding should enable them to make more informed trade‐offs between methodological rigour and operational practicality in the conduct of CIR. This in turn will help develop international business and management articles for peer-review publication.

The workshop will also encompass the core theme of IACMR 2025 by considering the additional methodological opportunities and challenges of the ‘digital age’. This is both in terms of studying new business models, global platform firms and international online services, but also how new data sources from text analysis to dynamic web-scraping and digital network analysis can add insights to CIR.

Content of the workshop

1. The foundations of international comparative research.
   Including units of analysis, equivalency, multi-method, multi-level approaches etc. and the many pitfalls involved. These include: ‘ethnocentrism and naïve positivism in methods of research; the complexity of multiple and reciprocal determinacy; the highly contingent nature of the core theory of Western organizational behaviour; the lack of nomothetic integration soundly based in empirical support; and inadequate epistemological rigour in defining valid units of analysis for comparative social science’ (Collinson and Pettigrew, 2009).
2. Comparative international qualitative research and case studies.
   CIR requires in-depth investigations in both international and regional contexts. This makes qualitative research much more important than ever before. Yet, existing literature on the trustworthiness of qualitative methods mostly follow western methodological convention, which originates from developed economies and is not easy to capture contextual richness in emerging markets. The work of Plakoyiannaki, Wei and Prashantham (2019) identifies challenges and provides suggestions for doing qualitative research in emerging markets in the aspects of researching, theorizing, and reporting. I would like to share some new insights on how to conduct rigorous qualitative research in emerging markets, including China, Thailand and Indonesia. Specifically, I would like to focus on the three constructs of context in emerging markets: culture, language and inequality, and followed by approaches and procedures on contextualization and theorization in overcoming action risks.
3. How to conduct comparative research on Chinese management in a digital age.
   New data sources, new forms of MNE organisation and new challenges.
   The digital age has fundamentally transformed the landscape of comparative research in Chinese management, introducing new data sources and organizational forms that complicate traditional methodologies. The emergence of platform-based multinational corporations (PMNCs) in China highlights these shifts, requiring an understanding of how regulation, ecosystem dynamics, artificial intelligence, and data influence business practices (Parente et al., 2024; Nambisan et al., 2019). For instance, PMNCs must navigate complex, cross-border regulations while leveraging AI capabilities and vast data resources to maintain competitive advantages. Researchers must embrace innovative techniques in analysing digital data to study these firms effectively. These methods offer richer, real-time insights but also present challenges, such as ensuring data privacy and navigating different regulatory environments.
4. Practical coping mechanisms.
   Discussion and sharing of experiences in the field and lessons for those starting out. To address these challenges, researchers must adopt a flexible yet rigorous approach. One practical mechanism is contextualization, which involves adapting research designs to account for cultural, linguistic, and regulatory differences unique to China. This can be achieved through strategies like triangulating digital data with traditional qualitative methods to capture a fuller picture of management practices. Additionally, building local partnerships can provide deeper contextual understanding and facilitate access to crucial data. Sharing experiences and lessons learned from the field, such as managing digital disruptions or interpreting data within evolving ecosystems, can provide invaluable guidance to researchers in comparative international research.

Intended participants and admission criteria for the participants

All levels of faculty and PhD students would be welcome. They should have an active interest in improving their methodological approaches and ideally some specific challenges they are facing.