The structure of JIBS's social network and the relevance of intra-country variation: A typology for future research

We examine articles published in the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) and introduce a typology to support the relevance of intra-country variation in international business (IB). Based on social network theory, our analysis uses multidimensional scaling to study 53,203 citations from 1158 qualifying JIBS articles to determine the journal's social structure. The results indicate that three current research clusters (multinational enterprise knowledge development, foreign entry and cultural effects, and the internationalization process and national culture) are based on established IB theory. Then we respond to calls in the literature to improve research concerning intra-country variation, and propose a typology of three dimensions (social, demographic, and geographic) to study the diversity of individual, firm, and economic activity in a country. The social dimension evaluates the importance of modernist and traditionalist values, the demographic dimension proposes differences between urban and rural settings, and the geographic dimension discusses the relevance of border and interior locations. We suggest a nested typology that unifies these three dimensions for continued use in IB. Future research opportunities related to JIBS's social structure and the intra-country variation typology are recommended.