Call for Papers - Africa Journal of Management: "Sustainability and Global Value Chains in Africa"

Call for Papers

Organisation: Africa Journal of Management

Closing date: 30 June 2020

The Africa Journal of Management is calling for papers on the topic of 'Sustainability and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in Africa' for a special issue. The closing date for submissions is 30 June 2020. Click here to apply.

Purpose

The objective of this issue from the Africa Journal of Management is to consider issues regarding sustainability and GVCs in Africa.  It seeks to draw attention to the conditions and terms under which companies in Africa operate in supply chains involving international buyers. Suggested areas and questions include (but are not limited to) the following:

1) African companies’ response to Multinational Buyer Firms’ sustainability requirements:

• What is the effect of Global Value Chains on sustainability policies and practices in Africa?
  • How do multinational companies achieve compliance with sustainability standards when sourcing from Africa countries?
  • Do multinational buyer firms’ "supplier sustainability auditing" and "capacity building" activities successful support the achievement of alignment with African suppliers on sustainability requirements?
• How do African suppliers interpret multinational buyer firms' sustainability requirements, and how do they evaluate the benefit of changing accordingly?
  • Does the rooted diversity within and among African nations affect the interpretation of sustainability requirements?
  • What can be done within local markets to advance sustainability consciousness among producers and consumers?
• Are multinationals promoting the achievement of the SDGs through their participation in African markets?
  • What unique tradeoffs do both multinational and African organisations face in pursuing the AfCFTA goals and SDGs? How are these tradeoffs addressed and resolved – within the company and with respect to external supply chains?
  • What mechanisms are in place particularly in the public sector to assure the alignment of the policies and activities of SDGs with African needs, perspectives, and values?
  • What flagship examples of effective GVCs exist? What are the histories of these GVCs? How were goals aligned, and what problems have participants in these GVCs faced over time?

2) African context: How does supplier readiness to comply with international standards of sustainability – and the SDGs – vary systematically by country?

• What role does ownership structure and investor identity of suppliers play in the GVC’s sustainability performance? What are the mechanisms that account for alignment and malalignment?
• Does the rooted diversity within and among the African nations affect the diffusion of sustainability practices?
• What uniquely African innovations in GVC development have emerged?
  • Which African companies, countries, and jurisdictions have prioritized and pursued the implementation of scaled sustainability goals in negotiations with foreign multinational companies seeking to develop GVCs that involve African organizations?
  • How have African companies dealt with challenges and problems in prioritizing sustainability criteria in GVCs?
  • Which SDGs and AfCFTA goals have been met in Africa? Where has progress been most significant, and where is the opportunity for achievement greatest?

The special issue editors encourage other relevant and interesting research questions not anticipated here but which advance the scholarship of management in Africa with regard to sustainability and GVCs.

How to apply

This Call for Papers has adopted a two-stage process.

Authors must first submit a five-page abstract (double-spaced, 12-inches, New Times Roman, 1-inch margin around the paper with appropriate paragraphing) that specifies the following: 1) research question, 2) hypotheses (for empirical papers) and 3) methodology (for empirical papers). For conceptual papers, we would appreciate clarity on the contribution and model (if any) and how the paper will enhance the science of management. The deadline for submitting abstracts is June 30, 2020.

Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit a full paper. The authors of the most promising papers that fit with the special issue theme will receive a first review with suggestions and recommendations, and be invited to submit a full paper. We expect authors to meet the specified deadline. Papers should be no more than 10,000 words, including references, tables, and figures. They will be blind-reviewed following the journal’s standard review process. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the guidelines of the Africa Journal of Management (AJOM).