Humanities & Social Sciences

Call for papers: The 11th International Symposium on Multinational Business Management--Digital Intelligence, Corporate Transformation, and Strategic Human Resources Management

The Eleventh International Symposium on Multinational Business Management-- Digital Intelligence, Corporate Transformation, and Strategic Human Resources Management (Updated Version)

June 21-23, 2024

Nanjing, China 


Call for Papers


Organizing Institutions

Organized and Sponsored by

School of Business, Nanjing University, People’s Republic of China

bat365中文官方网站商学院


Co-Sponsored by

School of Business, Saint Vincent College, USA

美国圣文森特学院

Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management,

Claremont Graduate University, USA

美国克莱蒙特研究生大学彼得·德鲁克管理学院

Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, USA

美国康奈尔大学约翰逊研究生管理学院

Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany

德国哥廷根大学经济学院

Maastricht University-Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands

荷兰马斯特里赫特管理学院

College of Business Administration, University of Missouri–St. Louis, USA

美国密苏里大学圣路易斯分校商学院 

Woosong University, Republic of Korea

韩国又松大学


Supported by

Department of Management Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China

中国国家自然科学基金会管理学部


[Conference Background]

Since AlphaGo defeated human chess grandmasters in 2016, digital intelligence (DI) has presented unique challenges, been touted as a new technical breakthrough, and has promised new commercial opportunities. DeepMind has tackled long-standing thorny problems, with its offshoot AlphaFold predicting a protein’s 3D structure at incredible speed and precision, a feat that had eluded scientists for decades. AlphaFold’s 3D protein structure predicts positive implications for medicine and life sciences. ChatGPT, a human language model released in 2020 by OpenAI, dramatically surpasses the performance of domain-specific natural language processing (NLP) tools. ChatGPT is able to perform a range of tasks, from producing poetry and philosophical reflections to writing business plans and technical manuals; posing opportunities and challenges to business and business school. Price Waterhouse Coopers estimates that DI will create $15.7 trillion in economic value by 2030. Businesses are embracing and racing to deploy DI in fields as diverse as agriculture, banking, and retail. The DI trend means that managers, industry observers and critics, and academics are grappling with what the rapid progress of digital intelligence means for the future of humanity. The Eleventh International Symposium on Multinational Business Management asks: What are the challenges and opportunities businesses face in the coming digital intelligence era?

With the rapid development of digital technology, the future will witness DI creating significant changes for businesses worldwide. In the post-COVID period, organizations are facing a new set of challenges, including the need to cope with accelerating technology development, environments of heightened competition, new market identification, restructured work processes and modes, and new stakeholder demands. Failure to adapt to these changes will pose a competitive threat to existing organizations. Firms embracing and developing DI will gain competitive advantages in the new business environment. To successfully transform itself in the DI era, organizations must be agile, innovative, and adaptable. These requirements also pose significant challenges. For example, organizations will need to adapt DI and innovate in DI-related technologies, while also managing costs and balancing short-term and long-term objectives. Another challenge is how organizational structures will support agility and flexibility in the DI era, which will require deep-rooted reform to many management aspects, including strategy, HRM, internal financial systems, leadership, and communication practices. It is unclear how organizations will tackle these DI challenges. The Eleventh International Symposium on Multinational Business Management asks: What steps will need to be taken to ensure that businesses can navigate these uncertain DI waters and build competitive advantages?

In the DI era, strategic human resources will become an even more critical factor for businesses to achieve successful transformation. Strategic human resources refers to the collection of knowledge, skills, and abilities embedded in a business’ employees that enable firms to achieve their strategic objectives. While the importance of strategic human resources is undeniable, developing and managing it effectively remains a significant challenge for managers. One of the major challenges that organizations face is the rapid pace of technological advancement, which requires continuous updating of employees' skills and knowledge to maintain firm competitiveness. Another HRM hurdle is the alignment of human resource practices with the organization's strategic goals, which necessitates careful planning and execution. In industries where digital skills are in high demand, businesses may struggle to attract and retain top talents, further complicating the DI challenge. In light of these challenges, how can organizations ensure they are effectively cultivating and retaining strategic human capital resources in this digital intelligence era?

We have chosen “Multinational Business Management—Digital Intelligence, Corporate Transformation, and Strategic Human Resources Management” as the theme of the 11th International Symposium on Multinational Business Management. To explore solutions to these DI challenges, Nanjing University will host the 11th International Symposium on Multinational Business Management on June 21-23, 2024. This symposium follows the earlier symposiums held in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020. The 11th Symposium provides a forum for researchers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and CEOs from multinational firms to discuss opportunities, challenges, and HRM solutions in multinational business management in the digital intelligence era.

We cordially invite you to participate in this international symposium, to be held at the School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China on June 21-23, 2024. It will be our privilege to welcome you to share your research findings, management experience, and creative ideas with national and international participants from diverse backgrounds. We call for academic papers from scholars, experts, and practitioners at home and abroad.

[Conference Theme]

Submissions may include theoretical issues, new ideas, methodological issues, empirical studies, or case studies in the field of enterprise management and developments of Chinese and/or multinational organizations confronting new digital technologies, business transformation, and strategic human capital resource management challenges.

[Research Topics]

Research topics related to digital intelligence, corporate transformation, strategic human resources management, organizational behavior, corporate governance, operation management, and marketing are all welcome. Possible topics include but are not limited to the following:

Digital Intelligence

Digital Intelligence & Human Resource Management Digital Intelligence & Organizational Behavior Digital Transformation

Human Resource Management & New Technologies Big Data & Business Analytics

Data-Driven Decisions in Supply Chain Management New-Retail


Corporate Transformation

Management Strategy

Leadership& Top Management Teams Organizational Culture & Transformation

Mergers and acquisitions in the Digital Intelligence Era Sustainable Transformation

Ethics & Social Responsibility

Risk Management & Accountability


Strategic Human Resources Management

Strategic Human Resources

Talent Management & New Technologies

Selection, Recruitment and Retention in the Digital Intelligence Era Skill Development & Digital Technologies

Performance Management & Digital Metrics Employee Engagement & Well-Being


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