The 5th Frontiers of Business Research in China International Conference Held Successfully

The 5th Frontiers of Business Research in China International Conference, cohosted by Frontiers of Business Research in China (FBR), Business School, Renmin University of China (RMBS), and Higher Education Press (HEP), was held successfully on June 10-12, 2018 in Beijing. Near three hundred scholars and business elites from 12 countries and regions attended the conference.

Prof. Jiye Mao, Dean of RMBS, welcomed the conference participants in his opening speech. He pointed out that, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the reform opening-up in China, and without any doubt, globalization has been a major driving force, perhaps the most important one behind the progress in the last 40 years. However, now, the nation has reached a crossroad since the past growth formula has reached a bottleneck, simply because it would not be sustainable. Research in business administration in China has largely mirrored the economic growth in China. Today China is the 2nd in the world in terms of the number of papers publications and the number of citations in the Web of Science. However, it is not possible to publish all good papers form China in the American or European journals. Nor is it desirable to do so. FBR is trying to replicate as close as possible the well-established process to help, and as helpful as possible to local and international authors.

The conference consisted of three keynote speeches, two research method workshops, one graduate consortium, a forum on One Belt One Road and enterprises innovation practices, and 14 parallel sessions.
In his keynote speech, Prof. Jun-Koo Kang of Nanyang Technological University investigated the impact of cyberattacks on target firms. He posited that cyberattacks are more likely to occur in large firms, more visible firms, and more highly-valued firms. After attack, firms will suffer from decreasing in sales growth, decreasing in credit quality (ratings) and shareholder net wealth, increasing in the probability of bankruptcy and cash flow volatility, and increasing in long-term debt and debt maturity.

Prof. Mike Peng of University of Texas at Dallas outlined the four characteristics of theory innovation: inspiration, resources, differentiation and integration by taking the example of developing the institutional-based view. Fulfilling two purposes: explanation and prediction, theory is conceptualized and confined by repeated experiments. He also introduced some practical technics in sublimating and theorizing the empirical findings.

Prof. Jason Shaw of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Editor-in-Chief of Academy of Management Journal, contended that in the social network theory, network position is related to individual’s career development. Structural position research revealed that network relationship resources facilitate establishment of career advantages. Meanwhile, occupational progress is constrained to network position accounting for information sophistication and overload. Degree centrality and brokerage to some extent will exert negative impact on career success.

In the Human Resource and Leadership Research Workshop, Prof. Karin Sanders of University of New South Wales outlined the human resource management process. Building on the theory of self-regulation, Prof. Christopher C. Rosen of University of Arkansas posited that e-mail can negatively affect working effectiveness and perception, thus offered some practical advices.
In the graduate consortium, Dr. Jinlong Zhu, Prof. Lynda Song of RMBS, Prof. Russell Johnson of Michigan State University, and Prof. Dong Liu of Georgia Institute of Technology introduced Experience Sampling Method (ESM). 
Dr. Feng Hong, Panyapiwat Institute of Management, Thailand, Mr. Zhi Li, Executive Vice President of China Human Resource Development Association, Dr. Bin Liu, President of Beijing Zhiben Venture Management Consulting Corporation, and Prof. Yongjun Chen of Renmin University delivered speeches in the forum on One Belt One Road and Enterprises Innovation Practices.
64 papers in the areas of international business, organizational behavior, accounting, corporate finance, international finance, marketing, human resource management, leadership, corporate social responsibility and culture, MS/MIS, entrepreneurship, data mining, knowledge innovation, abusive supervision were presented in 14 parallel sessions. The paper presenters came from mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Canada, Australia, USA, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. Two “Best Paper Awards” and three “Best Young Scholar Paper Awards” were issued.

The 6th Frontiers of Business Research in China Annual Conference will be held on May 24-25, 2019 in Beijing.