AN OVERVIEW OF 10 YEARS OF QUALITATIVE METHODS AT JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES

Abstract

This paper aims to present an overview of articles published in the Journal of International Business Studies (jibs), since 2003 till 2012. According to Web of Knowledge website, jibs is the most impacting publication focused in International Business. We analyzed 498 articles in order to select papers built under qualitative basis. We found 65 articles under this premise. Firstly, we analyzed keywords under topics focusing in the entire period (2003-2012). Secondly, we analyzed whole abstracts, focusing in the last five years (2008-2012). Afterwards, we detailed keywords, objectives, strategy of research, object, industry and region where they took place. We concluded that qualitative papers are losing space in jibs. Last years, quantitative papers are serving more to confirm what we know from other studies. Paradoxically, meanwhile complex institutional environments are gaining evidence in International Business, statistics and calculi are those which have been gaining space. More qualitative studies might provide an enriching strategy for better understanding what is going on in new boundaries of IB, like emerging countries. It is a goal of jibs to expand qualitative studies; it could represent opportunities to researchers from countries less researched, like Brazil.

Keywords

• qualitative methods
• jibs
• keywords
• abstracts
• international business