An analysis of globalisation in international business research 1993–2018: rise of the sceptics

Purpose: The aim of this article is to provide an analysis of the current state of international business research on the topic of globalisation and to guide researchers who are new to international business research as to which journals and authors to consult when studying this phenomenon. Design: The article presents a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database. A multiple correspondence analysis provides a map of keywords and authors, as well as a framework for tracking globalisation literature over the 26 years, 1993–2018. Findings: The findings identify several fundamental themes and significant gaps in the extant literature; the most alarming gap centres around the effect of globalisation on social issues and, consequently, the rise of the anti-globalisation crusaders. Practical Implications: A distinctive contribution of this study is that it investigates the intersection between globalisation and international business. We seek to expose the intellectual structure of globalisation research, identify existing and emerging themes of globalisation research, and discuss future research streams. Social Implications: Our findings show the rise of the globalisation sceptic and reveal the mounting concerns regarding the unequal benefits of globalisation. Originality/Value: There are two key benefits of this review. First, we identify a swing from an alignment of globalisation with the transformationalist viewpoint to rising support in favour of the sceptical viewpoint – a fact that is fuelling the anti-globalisation crusaders. Second, the review has the potential to guide scholars on precisely what needs to be explored in IB globalisation research.