The utility, or otherwise, of models found in international business research

Abstract

It is argued that an adherence to the use of 'hard', applied mathematical models is a major factor in achieving publication of papers on international business topics in top rated journals. However one may readily find examples of papers which meet this test but which are less than reliable in terms of what their models tell us about the real world of international business. As such, these sorts of papers and models fail a key test of accessibility and utility for the practitioner. On the other hand there are papers with models which are apparently less theoretically complex but which fully meet the accessibility and utility criterion. Such papers are quite likely to appear in 'lower ranked' journals. The argument is illustrated by examining twenty papers as evidence cases. This critique should assist the improvement of research methods used in international business and management research.