It is with great pleasure that I introduce this special issue of the Journal of Comparative International Management (JCIM), dedicated to examining new business models and management strategies in the global wine industry. This special issue exemplifies the journal’s commitment to advancing our understanding of contemporary international management issues through rigorous comparative analysis across diverse national and institutional contexts.
This study examines how winery tourism contributes to broader tourism competitiveness across France, South Africa, and Romania using a multiscalar framework that integrates national indicators, sectoral tourism activity, and firm-level data. The analysis reveals a clear disconnect between overall tourism rankings and niche performance: South Africa emerges as a leading wine tourism destination despite a relatively low national tourism ranking, France underperforms in winery tourism despite its global tourism leadership, and Romania shows growing potential as an emerging market despite infrastructure constraints. The findings extend traditional competitiveness theory by emphasizing multilevel dynamics, policy-responsive factor conditions, and feedback effects through which niche-sector success can enhance national tourism branding. Practically, the study underscores the value of targeting high-potential tourism niches and adopting more granular performance metrics, offering a more inclusive and forward-looking model of tourism competitiveness that captures innovation and specialization alongside national capacity.
Storytelling has been successfully utilized since the beginning of humankind, long before writing was developed to make stories available longer and to a broader audience. In business, brands are based on stories and therefore the narratives are intended to strengthen market positioning and pricing. In the wine business, offering a luxury product that requires a high level of involvement due to its relative price and the need for a certain connoisseurship, storytelling plays a fundamental role in marketing. An explorative assessment deploying quantitative content analysis of the narratives of German and Austrian wineries screening more than 1,600 wineries provided evidence of a common narrative. The identified key words and narratives speak for prevalence of product-centrism and closeness across all wineries but regional profiling, again with strong reliance on legitimacy. Customer-centric and differentiating storytelling falls short.
This study reconceptualizes luxury consumption as a knowledge-based and emotionally engaged process of distinction. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and habitus, it adopts the concept of epistemic capital, the social and symbolic value derived from consumers’ ability to acquire, interpret, and authentically perform knowledge. Using an interpretive qualitative design, 28 in-depth interviews with luxury wine consumers in New Zealand and the United States were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Findings reveal a developmental continuum of epistemic distinction encompassing three consumer types, Mimic, Metamorphose, and Maestro, that trace the transformation from performed taste to symbolic mastery. This progression is driven by the interaction between objective (factual expertise) and subjective (self-perceived confidence) knowledge facilitated by emotional engagement and experiential learning. As consumers advance along this path, their habitus evolves from imitation toward reflexive authenticity, culminating in embodied fluency where luxury becomes a practice of self-cultivation rather than display. The study contributes to luxury consumption literature by positioning epistemic capital as a dynamic extension of cultural capital that shapes the relationship between knowledge, emotion, and authenticity. It reframes luxury as a process of learning, feeling, and becoming, rather than one of mere acquisition or display. Managerially, it highlights opportunities for brands to foster long-term value through knowledge co-creation and emotional resonance, enabling consumers to transform consumption into symbolic mastery and personal growth.
This study investigates the non-linear relationship between corruption and human development and examines how government budget transparency moderates this nexus across 119 economies spanning a period from 2010 to 2021. Using Prais–Winsten and Hansen’s (2000) panel threshold regression techniques, the analysis reveals that corruption negatively affects human development, with the adverse impact intensifying at higher levels of corruption—supporting the “sand the wheels” hypothesis. Furthermore, strong budget transparency mitigates this negative effect, indicating that transparency, public participation, and oversight enhance development outcomes even in high-corruption contexts. The study contributes to the literature by uncovering the threshold effects of corruption and demonstrating the moderating role of fiscal transparency in promoting human development. The study advances the “sand the wheels” theory of corruption by demonstrating that its adverse effects on human development are non-linear, that is, the marginal harm increases as corruption intensifies.
This research aims to systematically catalogue the antecedents, mediators, moderators, and outcomes of internationalisation for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from emerging and developing countries (EDCs) by conducting a systematic literature review of 113 studies from 2005–2022. The analysis reveals that the antecedents, mediators and moderators of EDCs SMEs’ internationalisation are inherently paradoxical, often acting as both enablers and inhibitors. Our study identifies resource plasticity as the central mechanism that these firms use to navigate these contradictions. Theoretically, this challenges linear internationalisation models and provides a more nuanced understanding of how firms from challenging contexts internationalise by dynamically managing paradoxical forces.
This study examines how alternative wine producers in Baja California, Mexico, are adapting to a rapidly changing environment. These producers have adopted various strategies, including focusing on alternative forms of viticulture and prioritizing sustainable practices, as a strategic response to sustainability challenges in the region. The main findings reveal a fundamental shift in business practices and interpretations of alternative winemaking, resulting in emerging business models. Operating in a relatively under-regulated legal environment compared to many established wine-producing countries, small wine producers, supported by local communities of passionate winemakers dedicated to alternative forms of viticulture, are shifting toward sustainable practices. They are also strengthening their business models by expanding into new domains, such as gastronomy, tourism, and the circular economy. This article contributes to the strategy literature on sustainability by analyzing strategic responses centered on diversification.
The global wine industry has undergone a significant transformation, redefining the traditional boundaries between the “Old World” and “New World” (Villanueva et al., 2023). Argentina’s role in this shift is particularly noteworthy. Historically, the Argentine industry was a high-volume, domestically oriented producer of bulk wine with a negligible international presence (Merino, 2019). However, starting in the 1990s, the sector underwent a radical “Export Emergence,” driven by a shift from commodity-grade table wine to high-quality, differentiated varietals, most notably Malbec (Artopoulos et al., 2013).
For over a century, the global wine industry was analyzed through the rigid lens of geographic and strategic determinism. This binary worldview partitioned the industry into two adversarial camps: the “Old World,” which leveraged the natural endowments of terroir and strict, institutionalized systems of heritage to maintain a monopoly on “authenticity,” and the “New World,” which challenged this hegemony through technological scaling, varietal branding and market-driven innovation. In this traditional framework, competitive advantage was largely static, rooted in the geological and historical “rent” of specific European appellations or the sheer productive and marketing efficiency of the Americas and Oceania.
This study explores the resilience of Brazilian businesses in Porto, Portugal, focusing on those that survivedthe COVID-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurs were interviewed before and after the pandemic, providing insightsinto the local entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) from a migrant perspective. Using a mixed embeddednessapproach, the research examines the pandemic’s impact on these businesses and identifies attributes criticalto their survival. This study highlights conceptual gaps in the EE framework, particularly regarding small businessesand migrant entrepreneurship during crises. Through Eisenhardt’s case study methodology, data werecollected via 32 in-depth interviews before the pandemic, with follow-ups revealing that only 15 businessesremained operational. Five surviving entrepreneurs were interviewed in detail. Resilient businesses, suchas restaurants and computer/cell-phone repair shops, adapted by offering in-home services and leveragingsocial media to engage clients, demonstrating creativity and risk-taking. Unlike many local entrepreneurs,Brazilians exhibited higher risk tolerance, using government financial aid not only for personal needs butalso to sustain their businesses. This research contributes to the literature by addressing theoretical gaps inmixed embeddedness and EE concepts, while applying an innovative analytical framework combining mixedembeddedness, resilience strategies, and resource orchestration theory. It offers practical implications forpolicymakers and stakeholders, emphasizing the economic and social integration of migrants. Tailored supportstrategies are recommended to address the unique challenges migrants face, underscoring the broadercontributions of migrant businesses to economic growth and social cohesion in host communities.
Anti-immigrant sentiment has been one of the most prominent manifestations of rising populism in industrializedcountries in the last decade. Right-wing populists advocate greater restrictions on immigration, especiallyfrom the Global South. In this perspectives piece, we focus on the United States and the European Unionto discuss how global businesses can more effectively navigate the controversial issue of immigration in anera of rising populism. We look at immigration trends over the last decade, discuss different types of populism,and highlight some key events in the last decade that pointed to its rise. We identify several themes asto how managers can effectively engage with policymakers, including emphasizing the importance of attractingtalent to promote national competitiveness, working with policymakers at different levels, highlighting therole of skilled migrants in promoting trade, investment, and knowledge flows, and promoting integration as akey part of organizational training programs.
The dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of international business is increasingly shaped by migration and diverse transnational diaspora networks. These migrant and diasporic communities are not only relevant players in the global economy but also serve as catalysts for innovation, entrepreneurship and the integration of global markets (Kotabe et al., 2013). This special issue discusses the shifting circumstances in international business and entrepreneurship. It explores the complex roles of migration, diasporas and evolving communities and entrepreneurial ecosystems while shedding light on their contributions to the economic, social and cultural landscapes of both host and home countries.
While the Indian diaspora has historical roots in Europe stemming from its colonial legacy of the Commonwealth,the contemporary research has focused on its impact in the United States, both in economic and increasinglypolitical terms. Yet, Indian diaspora is of theoretical and practical interest to the European Union (EU) due to itsmultiple roles in contributing to the economy of the “old continent.” There is limited knowledge about these complexand multilayered roles and impacts of diasporas as economic actors since most research takes a specificdisciplinary focus, for example, ethnic entrepreneurship, rather than an interdisciplinary view. This paper contributesby reviewing extant research and advancing the discussion across disciplines. It assesses the major elementsof relevance for future research by examining and discussing the evolving communities, characteristics,locations, businesses as well as the key roles and impacts of the Indian diaspora in the EU. It shows that Indiarepresents a key sending country of skilled labor to the EU; its diaspora demonstrates significant investments,entrepreneurship and business establishments while contributing to increasing trade relations.
Employing the Getis-Ord local indicator of spatial autocorrelation and a combination of publicly available and restricted-access data on new business formation in Sweden, we document a novel set of results to extend the existing discourse on native and immigrant entrepreneurship. First, we find that the weak global interconnectedness in the data obscures the otherwise strong underlying local dynamics, with Swedish startups forming spatial clusters around the country’s largest economic hubs of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Second, we find that spatial dependence appears slightly stronger among immigrants than among natives. We rationalize our observations using the selection and agglomeration theories of economics and the disadvantage and cultural-capital theories of entrepreneurship research.
International business and management operating across the world are increasingly influenced by internationalmigration and evolving diasporas. As a result, the landscapes of business, different business actors,and the respective patterns of diverse activities are shifting and influencing the world as a whole, especiallyhost and home countries. This Special Issue addresses these impacts reflecting not only entrepreneurial andmigratory behaviors, international mobility, entrepreneurship, trade and investments but also frameworks andinstitutions that shape and govern such processes. The contributions presented in this editorial provide multipleinsights not only into future avenues of research, specific populations, types of businesses, and areasbut also to respective policies and particular challenges and opportunities.
The Uzbek diaspora plays an important role in Uzbekistan’s economic development by easing internationaltrade, promoting Diaspora Direct Investment (DDI), and transferring knowledge and skills. This study examineshow diaspora networks in Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Türkiye influence trade and investmentflows, highlighting their impact on Uzbekistan’s economy. The findings reveal that while remittances andinvestments contribute significantly to national development, challenges such as informal labor markets,regulatory inefficiencies, and weak engagement frameworks continue to limit their full potential. Addressingthese barriers through targeted tax incentives, dual citizenship reforms, and structured diaspora engagementpolicies could significantly enhance economic contributions. This study emphasizes the strategic importanceof diaspora networks and calls for proactive policy measures to optimize their role, positioning theUzbek diaspora as a key driver of sustainable economic growth.
This article contributes with the insights and reflections by Professor Helena Barnard, a distinguished scholar in the field of international business. Drawing on her extensive experience and knowledge, this interview provides a specifically African perspective on diaspora and migration in the context of international business and entrepreneurship. Professor Barnard’s research has illustrated various mechanisms and actors shaping international business, organizational practices, and global business landscapes. Her insights on diaspora and migration contribute to theorizing their role and impact and provide novel suggestions fostering scholarly research and critical discussions.
This study introduces an updated conceptual model that extends the contextual literature on self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) into the opportunity recognition framework. Integrating individual and contextual factors, this model examines opportunity recognition by SIEs in informal economies, an under-researched area. The current global migration context, characterized by economic opportunities, geopolitical conflicts, and environmental changes, is leading to significant demographic and labor transformations. These changes are having a substantial impact on international entrepreneurship. The new model extends experiential learning and self-construal theories, incorporating work experience in informal economies, cultural intelligence, individualism, and risk aversion. This model illustrates how SIEs leverage their diaspora connections and advanced cross-cultural competencies to navigate and utilize the entrepreneurial ecosystem effectively. Additionally, the study provides new and testable research propositions. This approach offers a comprehensive understanding of how SIEs recognize and pursue opportunities in informal economies, highlighting the intricate interplay between individual attributes and contextual influences.
Western societies address skill shortages via skilled migration programs, primarily utilized by ethnic minorities.Many first-generation skilled professional migrants (FGSPM), lacking prior entrepreneurial experience,choose entrepreneurship over employment in the host country. Understanding the psychological reasonsunderpinning this choice necessitates scholarly focus. Through an interdisciplinary literature review, we theorizea conceptual framework wherein the post-migration experiences of FGSPM engender a eudaimonic identity(EI) and eudaimonic well-being (EWB) crisis, which serves as the antecedent for entrepreneurial entry.This entry decision is enabled by the disposition of FGSPM and involves leveraging their unique human capital.Thus, entrepreneurship supports in resolving the FGSPM’s EI and EWB crisis. This framework contributesto migrant entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the EI and EWB crisis as the precursor to entrepreneurialentry, preceding disposition, and guiding future empirical research.
This study examines the moderating effect of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations on the relationship between financial inclusion and economic growth, and investigates whether this impact is threshold-specific. Utilising a panel dataset from 213 countries (2012–2019), we employ a two-step system, Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) and the Seo et al. (2019) dynamic panel threshold regression model. Our findings confirm that financial inclusion generally stimulates economic growth. Crucially, we demonstrate that the impact of financial inclusion on economic growth is contingent on the intensity of AML regulations. Specifically, financial inclusion promotes growth below a certain threshold of AML regulation, but surprisingly, it inhibits growth when AML regulations exceed this threshold. This threshold effect is particularly pronounced in developing and African economies compared to developed countries. Theoretically, this study extends the understanding of financial inclusion and economic growth by introducing a critical non-linear moderating role for AML regulations, suggesting that an optimal level of regulation exists beyond which the intended benefits may be reversed. Policy implications underscore the need for regulators to consider these threshold effects when designing and implementing AML frameworks, ensuring that financial inclusion continues to drive economic growth effectively.
