Research and Publications

International business faculty stand out not only as dedicated teachers, but also as accomplished researchers—experts in their fields doing important work on current issues. Their research, covering topics such as Islamic finance and building doctoral programs in developing countries, appears in renowned academic journals on a regular basis. They also often work collaboratively with undergraduate students. As an international business student, you won’t just read about groundbreaking research in class, you’ll be part of it.

Faculty Research

Heaston, W. R., Mitchell, M. & Kappen, J.A. (2020). Towards an Institutional Model of Organizational Corruption Controls: The Case of FIFA. Global Governance. 26(3):403–427.

    This article applies and expands on a typology of organizational corruption control to analyze the various mechanisms used to address corruption within the Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA). It uses case study evidence in tandem with insights from neo-institutional theory to construct a conceptual framework in which corruption control types are more completely examined within their broader institutional context. Using this framework, the article shows how the persistence of corruption in FIFA and its checkered reform process are attributable to an organizational filtering phenomenon that has limited the operation of internal and external corruption controls. Finally, it discusses some implications of this framework for transnational organizational governance reform.

Kappen, J. A., Chawla, K., & Mitchell, M. (2018). Institutionalizing Social Impact: Implications for Islamic Finance. International Journal of Social Economics, 46(2), 226-240.

    This paper examines the institutionalization of screening criteria and impact investing metrics in conventional finance and reflect upon the implications of these processes for Islamic finance. The study involves the analysis of archival data, interviews, and fieldwork with current impact investors in North America and the European Union to trace the historical development of impact investing screening and metrics. First, the paper explores how conventional investors have applied positive and negative screens in the creation of their values/mission-based investment strategies. This is followed by a historical analysis of the development and implementation of impact metrics and regulatory frameworks that influenced the growth of conventional impact investing. The possible benefits of learning from these experiences for the Islamic finance industry are then considered. The paper concludes with an analysis of the potential value of mission/values-based investing for the economic development of the MENA region.
Though not a comprehensive study of institutionalization, this study supports recent calls for more intentional use of capital for blended returns within Islamic markets. To support these initiatives, it provides scholars and practitioners with multiple recommended points of entry into this growing market.

Mitchell, M.C., Kappen, J.A. & Heaston, W.R. (2015). Taboo No More: Life Insurance in China and India: A Qualitative Country Institutional Profile. Management Research Review, 38(8): 813-839.

      This paper aims to compare the emergence and evolution of organizational fields through an analysis of the life insurance industries in two large emerging markets. Using institutional theory as a conceptual framework, we compare the regulatory, cognitive, and normative dimensions of the life insurance industry in China and India. The authors introduce a qualitative variation of the country institutional profile (CIP) that has been traditionally implemented as a quantitative analytical tool used to describe differences in national environments. This newly proposed methodology captures the socially embedded aspects of the phenomenon more completely than commonly employed survey-based methodology. This analysis leads to a three-dimensional typology of constructs and themes within each national environment. These themes include the importance of regulation and protectionism, the domestic savings culture, family support structures and human capital development within the industry. The authors conclude by comparing these typologies to consider the implications for studying change in organizational fields across contexts.

Mitchell, M., Rafi, M. I., Severe, S., Kappen, J. A. Conventional vs. Islamic Finance: The Impact of Ramadan Upon Sharia-Compliant Markets. Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, 5(1).

The Islamic financial industry is growing at a rate 50% faster than that of conventional banking and is expected to be worth USD 2.1 trillion by the end of 2014. This rapid growth and institutionalization of an alternative financial market highlights a growing need to further investigate Sharia-compliant markets and how they compare with their conventional market counterparts. This paper investigates this broad relationship by focusing on the effects of Ramadan upon the performance of Sharia-compliant financial instruments. Specifically, we utilize an event-study methodology to compare the performance of Sharia-compliant stocks to their conventional counterparts across a large sample of countries and regions. We find strong evidence for a significant Ramadan effect within Muslim majority countries and regions. The effect is strongest in the days leading up to Ramadan, and also around the beginning of Ramadan’s third Ashra on the 20th day. This timing reflects the mental, emotional and practical preparations that individuals go through during the course of the month-long observance. These results are not consistent with traditional economic expectations and therefore reflect the unique socially-embedded nature of this emerging and religiously inspired financial system.   

Mitchell, M., Vandegrift, D., 2014. Student Perceptions of Internationalization, Multiculturalism, and Diversity in the Business School. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 25(1).

Over the last five decades, business schools all over the world have adapted their strategies for introducing the theoretical and pedagogical consequences of globalization. Educational institutions have gone to great lengths to internationalize their curricula to stay current with the most recent trends in the globalizing economy. As this evolution takes place, the issues of multiculturalism and diversity are increasingly included in the internationalization dialogue. In this article we use qualitative focus groups to examine how U.S. business students experience the relationships among internationalization, multiculturalism, and diversity. Next, we consider the role of international business faculty in addressing this issue. We conclude by offering recommendations for successfully integrating these perspectives into a coherent curriculum. 

Miller, C., Mitchell, M., Kappen, J., Banzuela-de Ocampo, M. 2014. Whither the Professor: Crafting a Viable Business Doctoral Program in a Developing Country. Journal of International Business Education 9(1).

Universities in many developing nations seek to enhance their business education programs to support their national economies. One problem often faced by such institutions is a shortage of fully trained doctoral faculty. This paper uses an institutional lens to identify and explore the material and non-material factors that have influenced the efforts of one private university in the Philippines to establish a doctoral program in business. Recommended strategies for addressing these challenges are provided.