The International Business research group
The International Business research group at Alliance Manchester Business School (IB@Manchester) is a leading centre for international business and global strategic management research and education with a long-standing reputation.
Established in the 1990s, the group has achieved global impact through cutting-edge international business research. The group boasts unique expertise on Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), sustainability and inclusive development; on expanding the domain of IB; on governance of MNEs in an era of fractured globalisation; and on MNE Innovation in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) world.
Deeply integrated into the local, regional and global international business communities, IB@Manchester members hold leadership roles in major organisations including the European Academy of International Business, the Academy of International Business UK & Ireland, and the Academy of International Business (AIB). It maintains strong networks with global institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Members also hold senior level editorial positions in top-tier academic journals.
The group fosters a collaborative and forward thinking research culture, mentoring rising scholars and doctoral students while delivering high-quality teaching at undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive levels.
Our research
The IB Group at AMBS achieves global impact with cutting edge research around five core critical themes: Global Market and Non-Market Strategies; Global Innovation, Technology & Knowledge; Sustainable Development and Emerging Markets; Global Corporate Governance; and International Business and Institutional Environments.
- Classical research on the relation between political environment/risk and firm outcomes
- MNEs’ socio-political engagement
- Competitive dynamics in IB context
- MNEs hybrid partnerships: EDI and civil society pressures
- (Global) Knowledge dissemination and absorption
- (Global) Innovation, performance, growth and value creation
- MNEs, societal impact and firm performance
- Changing geography of trade and investment, and key stakeholders in the sustainable era
- Role of firms, governments and other stakeholders in achieving sustainable development
- IB and Global Value Chain (GVC) configurations
- Global firms’ ownership and performance
- Global geo-political tensions
- Globalisation
Our people
Headed by Professor Axèle Giroud, the IB Group brings together the expertise and networks of professors, readers, senior lecturers, lecturers, and doctoral students.
| Name | Role | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Matthew Alford | Professor in International Business and Management | |
 |
Murod Aliyev | Senior Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Peter Buckley | Professor of International Business | |
 |
Jose Camacho Caicedo | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Zibang Chen | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Timothy Devinney | Professor and Chair of International Business | |
 |
Renfei Gao | Senior Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Axele Giroud | Professor Of International Business | |
 |
Tuuli Hakkarainen | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Xia Han | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Niron Hashai | Professor of International Business | |
 |
Mario Kafouros | Professor of International Business and Innovation | |
 |
Dimitrija Kalanoski | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
William il-Kuk Kang | Senior Lecturer in International Business and Management | |
 |
Yusuf Kurt | Senior Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Duc Nguyen | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Nuruzzaman Nuruzzaman | Lecturer in Comparative and International Business | |
 |
Diletta Pegoraro | Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Asmund Rygh | Senior Lecturer in International Business | |
 |
Pei Sun | Professor and Chair of International Business | |
 |
Mo Yamin | Emeritus Professor | |
 |
Stefan Zagelmeyer | Reader in Comparative and International Business | |
 |
Xiaoke Zhang | Professor of Asian and Comparative Management |
Our doctoral students (PhDs or DBAs) are:
Kashfia Ameen
Funmilola Asa
Suprit Bhattacharya
Hak Liong Chan
Jiaming Chen
Chih Cheng
Eleni Chiarapini
Lucas Cifuentes Croquevielle
Vasileios Karountzos
Ellis Latham
Weifeng Lin
Yangtong Liu
Yi Shen
Mingfei Yu
Xiaofan Zhang
Our teaching
We deliver two flagship MSc programmes, and IB colleagues run a series of specialised state-of-the-art courses around international business themes at UG, PG and executive levels, for instance:
Masters (MSc) in International Business & Management (Ranked 5th in the UK and 25th globally in the QS Business Masters Rankings 2025).
Programme Director: Dr Stefan Zagelmeyer
Masters (MSc) in Business Analysis & Strategic Management (Ranked 8th UK, Top 100 global Masters in Management, Financial Times 2025; and 23rd globally in the QS Business Masters Rankings 2025)
Programme Directors: Dr Dimitrija Kalanoski and Dr William Il-Kuk Kang
The Manchester Global MBA: International Business Strategy (International Business Strategy)
Includes Global Contexts of Business and Management, International Business, Advanced International Business, Global Contexts of Business and Management, Firms and Management in Comparative Perspectives, International Business Analysis Project)
Includes IB Strategy; Foreign Market Entry
Research Projects
The IB Group at AMBS boasts success in attracting external and internal research funding and running research projects with national, regional and global partner institutions. Recent successes include:
Principal Investigator –Professor Axèle Giroud (Alliance Manchester Business School, UK) with Professor Pervez Ghauri (University of Birmingham, UK), Dr Jorge Carneiro (FGV, Brazil), and with the participation of Professor Maria-Alejandra Gonzales-Perez (EAFIT, Colombia).
The MNEDEVELOP research project examines how multinationals (MNEs) from advanced markets can strategically contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project explores their innovative approaches in creatively serving disadvantaged, poverty-stricken, and marginalised communities in emerging markets, such as Brazil and Colombia.
The primary focus lies in the actions, mechanisms, and strategies employed by these companies to orchestrate resources effectively. The aim is to advance knowledge on how MNEs coordinate multi-actor perspectives to address the unique needs of vulnerable communities, ensuring their active inclusion in the social and economic ecosystem.
Principal Investigator - Matthew Alford
Principal Investigator - Nuruzzaman Nuruzzaman
Principal Investigator - Peter Buckley
Principal Investigator - Peter Buckley, with Mario Kafouros, Peter Enderwick, Nicolas Forsans, and Hinrich Voss.
Humanities New Investigator Fund 2023-2026 (£200,000) for a research project on digitalisation, global value chains and decent work
Principal Investigator - Matthew Alford, in collaboration with the Ms Margareet Visser (University of Cape Town, South Africa) and Professor Laurens Klerx (University of Talca, Chile)
AMBS Research Support Fund (RSF) 2024 (£7950) for a research project on sustainability governance in wine value chains
Principal Investigator - Matthew Alford
AMBS Research Support Fund (RSF) 2024 (£7,320) for a research project on the microfoundations of social responsibility
Principal Investigator - Nuruzzaman Nuruzzaman, with Gerard Hodgkinson (IMP) and Simon Hayward (PMO). External collaborator: Donal Crilly (LBS)
University of Manchester Global Scholars Fund (£11,868) for a research project on problem solving vs. masking for environmental underperformance?
Principal Investigator - Renfei Gao
AMBS research support fund (£7,800) for a research project on female entrepreneurs and firm commitment to poverty alleviation
Principal Investigator - Renfei Gao
University of Manchester Global Scholars Fund (£11,820) for a research project on the roles of entrepreneurs and the state in driving corporate investments in poverty eradication
Principal Investigator - Renfei Gao
The University of Manchester - The University of Melbourne Research Fund: (£4,701, UoM funding; AUD$9,874, UniMelb funding) for a research project on understanding governance and internationalisation of Asian multinationals
Principle Investigator - Pei Sun
Editorial roles
Researchers in the IB Group at AMBS shape the international business domain through senior level editorial positions of top-tiers academic journals:
- Timothy Devinney is Consulting Editor for the Journal of International Business Studies and Past Co-Editor for Academy of Management Perspectives
- Axèle Giroud is Area Editor for the Journal of International Business Policy and Senior Editor for International Business Review
- Mario Kafouros is Senior Editor for the International Business Review
- Pei Sun is Associate Editor for the British Journal of Management, and Senior Editor for the Management and Organization Review
- Peter Buckley is Consulting Editor for the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of International Business Policy and International Business Review.
Events
The seminar series is a vibrant research forum fostering scholarly exchange on international business and management topics.
Running bi-monthly, over the years the series has gained reputation by featuring distinguished scholars from around the world, including Becky Reuber (Rotman), Shaker Zahra (Minnesota), Mark Casson (Reading), Sim Sitkin (Duke), Geoff Jones (Harvard), Dana Minbaeva (KCL), Tine Koehler (Melbourne), Patrick Haack (Zurich), Ulf Anderson (Mälardalen), Richard Langlois (UC), Eric Tsang (UT Dallas), Stewart Miller (Durham), Bo Nielsen (Sydney), Grazia Santangelo (CBS) and many others. These sessions have provided an invaluable platform for engaging discussions on cutting-edge research, theoretical advancements, and emerging trends in IB and Organization and Management studies.
The IB Group seminar series is ongoing and inclusive. We continue to engage with world-class scholars and adopt a supportive approach to more junior researchers.
If you are interesting in perhaps presenting your work or want to be on the mailing list for our hybrid seminar series, please contact Dr Nguyen.
The IB Group at AMBS hosts high-profile academic workshops, including the Global Strategy Journal Paper Development Workshop and publishing workshops for Organizational Research Methods and the Academy of Management Review. By connecting scholars across continents and disciplines, the IB@Manchester series is a cornerstone of our research community, driving thought leadership and collaboration.
The IB Group at AMBS, along with the Leeds University Business School, are the UK leads for the NORD-IB Consortium. NORD-IB operates a rotating two-year training programme for doctoral students in IB from universities in all the Nordic countries plus the UK.
AMBS will be the host of the 2026 Academy of International of Business Conference. This conference will be operated in co-operation with Manchester Metropolitan University, who will also be holding a related local conference preceding the AIB Conference. The City of Manchester will also be a partner, promoting an ‘International Week’ in the city to celebrate both conferences and Manchester’s global impact. The conference will bring nearly 1,500 delegates to the University.
Members of the IB Group are co-organising the ICGS 2025 conference at Manchester
International Corporate Governance Society (ICGS) Conference 2025 >>
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