Open research questions in International Business and FDI
584 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 4,855 International Business and FDI papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
Prior conceptualizations of INVs have primarily focused on aspects such as the degree and mode of internationalization, neglecting the diversity of their entrepreneurial approaches - The understanding of the sources of INVs’ competitive advantage and resilience in international markets has been limited
Conceptualizing international new ventures as the nexus of entrepreneurship and international business · 2024 · DOIFurther research could investigate the impact of FDI inclusiveness on corporate ESG performance in other countries, - Further research could explore the role of other factors in moderating the relationship between FDI inclusiveness and corporate ESG performance, - Further research could examine the effects of different types of foreign investment on corporate ESG performance
Can the Inclusiveness of Foreign Capital Improve Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance? Evidence from China · 2024 · DOINovel research into different INVs' capabilities and networks - Empirical and theoretical explorations of the typology
Conceptualizing international new ventures as the nexus of entrepreneurship and international business · 2024 · DOIFuture research might investigate other regional settings and industry characteristics to validate and generalize the purported relationships.
Strategic beginnings and strategic ends: formation motives as predictors of international joint venture termination modes · 2026 · DOIYet, the empirical support for such a positive investment effect of FDI is inconclusive.
How does FDI transmit into domestic investment? Exploring intra-industry and financial channels · 2026 · DOIThe impact of foreign capital inclusiveness on corporate environmental, social, and governance performance remains unclear. There is a lack of studies on the moderating role of corporate competitive advantage and urban entrepreneurial vitality.
Can the Inclusiveness of Foreign Capital Improve Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance? Evidence from China · 2024 · DOIattractiveness of direct in the US. Corporate investment restructuring of US firms has in many cases involved the sale of operating units to foreign firms (acquisitions have been consistently higher than new establishments in the US). and techniques increasing example, earnings these (for and the • Access to a large, stable homogeneous market attraction for potential trade restrictions. foreign investment, as is investment is a continuing to avoid Appreciation of the US$ did not markedly slow foreign investment inflows and acquisitions of US businesses. These continued strongly over the period 1980-1984, despite marked increases in the foreign purchase cost of US assets as the weighted value of the dollar rose 44 per cent relative to other currencies. Dollar-financed investment was less affected by currency appreciation and long-term investment is less prone to the effects of what may be only short-term currency fluctuations. Investment financed in foreign currencies has been more the mix of different affected by currency appreciation. However, types of investment has been sufficient to maintain vigorous foreign investment activity, and dollar appreciation did not apparently slow inflows into the US. Downloaded by [Carnegie Mellon University] at 02:48 09 November 2014 ~ C) i:l ~ r::. ::i ~ q Table 6 INFLOWS AND OUTFLOWS OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: SELECTED OECD COUNTRIES (millions of US $)
The study is limited to a single location, Gili Lampu. The sample size is small, with only eight homestay owners selected. The study does not test hypotheses, but rather builds a deep understanding of the journey of MSME actors to become international.
Becoming International without Leaving the Island: Inbound Internationalization of Homestay SMEs in Gili Lampu, Nusa Tenggara Barat · 2026 · DOIThe literature on inbound internationalization has focused on organizational capabilities, neglecting the experiences of homestay SMEs. The study aims to fill this gap by exploring the process of inbound internationalization of homestay SMEs in Gili Lampu.
Becoming International without Leaving the Island: Inbound Internationalization of Homestay SMEs in Gili Lampu, Nusa Tenggara Barat · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the understanding of the impact of FDI on knowledge-driven economic growth in the Asia Pacific region. The research aims to address this gap by exploring the role of local conditions in moderating the impact of FDI on economic growth.
Foreign Direct Investment and Knowledge-driven Growth in the Asia-pacific: The Role of Host Countries’ Capacities · 2026 · DOIThe lack of a sound cross-border investment risk coordination system in China's industry organizations. The docking gap between China's existing cross-border investment support policies and international risk governance rules. The lack of clear provisions on risk compensation for political regime changes and unilateral sanctions in bilateral investment treaties.
The Impact of Geopolitical Risks on the Cross-border Investment Performance of China's Manufacturing Enterprises and the Coping Mechanisms · 2026 · DOIThere is a lack of research on the effect of national security-related foreign investment screening laws on managers' investment choices. The study fills this gap by investigating the impact of FINSA on national security firms' investment efficiency.
The need to understand the factors governing and affecting FDI in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Traditional neoclassical growth models fail to adequately explain the persistent differences in growth rates across countries. The existing literature lacks a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth within the framework of endogenous growth theory.
Endogeneity of innovation and FPI. The need to control for country-specific legal and institutional characteristics.
The Effects of Innovation on Foreign Portfolio Investment: The Role of Institutions and Risk-Taking · 2026The existing literature does not provide a clear understanding of the relationship between innovation and FPI. There is a need to study the causal effect of innovation on FPI.
The Effects of Innovation on Foreign Portfolio Investment: The Role of Institutions and Risk-Taking · 2026SMEs face liabilities of foreignness and resource scarcity in emerging markets. Market volatility and rapid economic growth characterize the emerging economy context. SMEs need to overcome domestic market constraints and access new technological knowledge to achieve critical economies of scale.
The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the determinants of SME export performance in emerging economies. The research highlights the need for a comprehensive framework to understand the internal, external, and technological factors that drive SME internationalization.
Further research could explore the specific mechanisms by which FDI affects growth in different countries. Investigating the role of human capital in absorptive capacity could be a fruitful area of study.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Output: The Conditional Roles of Financial Development and Institutional Quality · 2026 · DOIOur findings show that attracting FDI alone is insufficient for expanding output; countries must also develop robust financial infrastructure and effective governance to fully benefit from foreign capital.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Output: The Conditional Roles of Financial Development and Institutional Quality · 2026 · DOIThe empirical literature on the FDI-growth relationship is fragmented and inconclusive. Prior studies have methodological limitations and endogeneity concerns. There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of the FDI-growth relationship in Morocco.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Morocco: Revisiting the Evidence with 2SLS · 2026 · DOIBackground and Motivation: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been widely examined as a potential driver of economic growth, yet empirical evidence for Morocco remains inconclusive due to methodological limitations and endogeneity concerns.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Morocco: Revisiting the Evidence with 2SLS · 2026 · DOIThe proliferation of ISP status diminishes its functional benefits. The variation in strategic functions across different ISP types. The need to prioritize relationships with key external partners.
The study identifies a gap in the existing literature on the determinants of FDI in emerging countries. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the impacts of the digital economy, productivity, corruption, and innovation capacity on FDI.
Future research could address these limitations by employing larger, more representative datasets, conducting comparative cross-country analyses of unified IPA models, and applying longitudinal designs to track the impact of institutional reforms over time. Doing Business 2020: Bangladesh Improves Business Climate, but More Remains to Be Done.
Most-cited papers in International Business and FDI
- The Internationalization Process of the Firm—A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments · Journal of International Business Studies · 1977 · 7,085 citations
- OVERCOMING THE LIABILITY OF FOREIGNNESS. · Academy of Management Journal · 1995 · 3,662 citations
- The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership · Journal of International Business Studies · 2009 · 3,473 citations
- How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth? · Journal of International Economics · 1998 · 3,350 citations
- STRATEGY IN EMERGING ECONOMIES. · Academy of Management Journal · 2000 · 3,034 citations
- From the Editors: Common method variance in international business research · Journal of International Business Studies · 2010 · 2,909 citations
- International R&D spillovers · European Economic Review · 1995 · 2,793 citations
- Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms · American Economic Review · 2004 · 2,723 citations
- Toward a Theory of International New ventures · Journal of International Business Studies · 1994 · 2,649 citations
- An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies · Journal of International Business Studies · 2008 · 2,643 citations
Most recent work
- Knowledge diffusion through FDI: Worldwide firm-level evidence · Journal of International Economics · 2026
- New rules and no rules: international business in the age of Trumpism · Critical Perspectives on International Business · 2026
- Actions speak, signals guide: ESG performance and firms' overseas R&D · International Marketing Review · 2026
- International business strategy and the bifurcated world of ‘Sunset’ industries · Long Range Planning · 2026
- Preferred Entry Mode Choices and Transformation of Indonesian Contractors' Strategy in International Markets · Journal of Construction in Developing Countries · 2026
- Digital dampening and internationalization of digital firms · Journal of International Business Studies · 2026
- Growing international inequality, guilty countries and patterns of extractivism and subordination · Journal of Post Keynesian Economics · 2026
- When governments act as strategists: Geopolitical turmoil and global strategy theory · Global Strategy Journal · 2026
- Enhancing CSR performance in emerging market firms: The effects of pro-market reforms, government support, and internationalization · Journal of Business Research · 2026
- How can data trading platforms promote cross-regional capital flow? A quasi-experiment based on syndication investment networks · Journal of Business Research · 2026
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