AI for Empirical Research in IB – The New Econometrics
AOM IM Division Research Methods Committee Webinar
15 April @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm UTC+0
Registration Link: https://aibworld.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uv2pC6wcRROWdN0aEUDmbw
Date & Time: 15 April 2025, 16:00 UTC (View Local Time)
Host: AIB Digitalization SIG
Point of Contact: Noman Shaheer (noman.shaheer@sydney.edu.au)
Event Overview: Digitalization and AI are dramatically changing the way business is done, and even the ways in which scholars analyze, create, and disseminate new knowledge. Simply put, we need to carefully evaluate both the ontology and epistemology of IB scholarship. Over three webinars, we invite you to join leading scholars to explore the challenges and opportunities to advance scholarship around four themes: Theory, methods, publishing mechanisms, and publishing ethics. The second "AI in IB" webinar series presents opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the methodological arena. Machine learning, deep learning, as well as the use of LLMs in literature review and writing are ushering in new possibilities for IB scholars. We will explore some of these questions in depth:
1. AI is often seen as a game-changer in empirical research. How do AI techniques differ from traditional econometric methods in IB research?
2. What are some key AI tools and techniques that IB researchers should be familiar with, even if they don't have a technical background?
3. Data quality and availability are crucial in empirical research. How can AI help address challenges related to data collection, cleaning, and structuring in IB studies?
4. Causal inference is a cornerstone of econometrics. How can AI enhance causal analysis in IB, and what are some best practices or potential pitfalls?
5. Can AI reshape the future of econometrics in IB research? What emerging trends should researchers as well as reviewers and journal editors prepare for?
PANELISTS
Prithwiraj Choudhury is the Lumry Family Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School. His research is focused on the Future of Work. In particular, he studies the productivity effects of geographic mobility of workers, causes of geographic immobility and productivity effects of remote work practices such as 'work from anywhere' and 'all-remote'. His research has been published in leading academic journals and has been cited in major business and news outlets. In 2023, Forbes included him in the Future of Work-50 list. He earned his Doctorate from Harvard, has a bachelor's degree in computer science from IIT Kharagpur, and an MBA from IIM Calcutta. Prior to academia, he worked at McKinsey, Microsoft and IBM. He is currently an Associate Editor at Management Science.
Andrew Delios is Professor and Vice-Dean MSc Programs at NUS Business School. He was Head of the Department of Strategy and Policy at NUS for 8 years. His research looks at strategy, governance and global competition in emerging economies, with a particular focus on international business issues for companies operating in East and Southeast Asia. Andrew has authored close to 100 journal articles, numerous case studies and book chapters, as well as eight books. He has been an Editor for several leading journals. From 2011-2013, Andrew served as the President of the Asia Academy of Management. He is an elected AIB Fellow and served on the AIB Board. He earned his Ph.D. from Ivey, Western University, Canada.
Qian (Cecilia) Gu is an Associate Professor at J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of strategy, international business, and entrepreneurship. Her research advances the understanding of how emerging-market firms navigate fast-evolving institutional environments, such as technological advancements, global competition, and government intervention, and how their strategic decisions influence firm performance. Cecilia focuses on the Venture Capital (VC) industry and family-owned businesses. She has published in several top journals and was recognized as the Best 40 Under 40 Business Professors by Poets & Quants. She is a recipient of John H. Dunning Fellowship from the University of Reading. She currently serves as the Associate Editor of the Global Strategy Journal and Journal of Management Studies.
Arjen van Witteloostuijn is Professor of Business and Economics at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam and Dean of the VU School of Business and Economics in the Netherlands. He is a highly productive scholar with numerous publications in top international journals and is also active in political debate. His research contributed to the development of two of the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the UN formulated in 2015. Central to his work is the question why some institutions are successful while others are not. He combines insights from general economics, business economics, business science, and the social sciences in innovative studies that examine the behavior and structure of organizations. He is Area Editor of the Journal of International Business Studies and elected AIB Fellow.
MODERATOR
Noman Shaheer is Senior Lecturer in International Business Discipline at the University of Sydney. He received his PhD in International Business from Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. He has published in several top journals including JIBS and HBR, and is recipient of several prestigious awards including ABDC Network for innovation and excellence in research, the Lazaridis award for the Best Paper in JBV, AIB Conference Best Paper Award, Buckley & Casson Dissertation Award, AOM International Management Division Best Dissertation Award and Alan M. Rugman Award for the Most Promising Scholar. He is a guest editor of special issues at JIBS and APJM. Journal of International Business Studies and Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Noman Shaheer is currently serving as the chair of Research Methods Committee at Academy of Management International Management Division as well as Founding Vice chair of AIB Digitalization SIG.
SUGGESTED READINGS
Choudhury, P., Allen, R. T., & Endres, M. G. (2021). Machine learning for pattern discovery in management research. Strategic Management Journal, 42(1), 30-57.
Delios, A., Tung, R. L., & van Witteloostuijn, A. (2024). How to intelligently embrace generative AI: the first guardrails for the use of GenAI in IB research. Journal of International Business Studies, 1-10.
Delios, A., R. Tung & A. van Witteloostuijn (2024), Conducting Research and Running a Journal in the Modern Day and Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence: A quest for future-proof practices, Journal of International Business Studies 55 (forthcoming).
Beugelsdijk, S., A. van Witteloostuijn & K. Meyer (2020), The Evolving Rules of Data Management in the Publication Process: Enhancing Data Access and Research Transparency (DART), Journal of International Business Studies 51: 887-905.
Bosma, B. & A. van Witteloostuijn (2024), Machine Learning in International Business, Journal of International Business Studies, 55 (available online): 676-702
Gu, Q.C., Wang, Y. and Zhang, J., 2025. Foreignness as a double-edged sword for internationalizing cultural goods: deep learning–based semiotic analysis of Hollywood movies in China. Journal of International Business Studies, pp.1-21.
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Alex Settles
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Florida
Gainesville FL
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