Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

 

Special Issue on: "Business Development: An Essential Factor in Corporate Growth"

Guest Editor:
Christophe Loué, Novancia Business School Paris, France

In the last few years there has been much talk of business development as an activity or skill that enables firms to develop value and, consequently, to stand out from the competition in a hyper-competitive globalised environment. Business development involves detecting opportunities and turning them into solid business, and implementing growth strategies, thus creating value for all the firm’s stakeholders, including employees, clients, partners and suppliers. A number of similarities can be observed between development practices and practices associated with “corporate venturing”, “corporate entrepreneurship”, “intrapreneurship” and “new product development”.

Consequently, in order to take a closer look at the function of the business developer, we need to assume the posture, competences and attitudes of the entrepreneur and apply them to an analysis of the environment, the market, and the pursuit of objectives concerning the detection of new business opportunities. Innovation is also an important issue, since the aim of the business developer is to help introduce new products, procedures and services into a hypercompetitive market. Also central to the activities of the business developer is the commercial aspect, which consists in prospecting, negotiating and selling goods and services to clients or prospects. The business developer is also a manager who must not only act effectively within his own team, but also transversally within the firm as a whole by negotiating with other teams the best way of adapting products and services to specific client demands (research and development, marketing, production).

Business development covers many different sectors of activity. IT, new technologies, biotechnology and industry are often mentioned in this regard. It is also relevant to different types of firms, including SMEs, large companies, firms present in international markets, and multinationals.

It is impossible to talk about business development without addressing the problem of international development (detecting opportunities and developing business in other regions of the world). Many firms with international interests apply business development techniques in order to carve out a niche for themselves in a globalised context.

This special issue will be dedicated to business development, to its intrinsic and extrinsic particularities, to the different contexts in which it is exercised, and to the function of the business developer.

Subject Coverage
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The business developer: characteristics, profile and competences
• Business development, leadership, team management, managing change
• Corporate commercial development at the service of business development: issues and specific practices
• Innovation and business development: open innovation
• Business development and strategy
• Business development case studies
• Project management and business development
• Very small enterprises/SMEs and business development
• Sectors of activity and business development
• Business development in an international context

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper).

All papers are refereed through a peer review process.

All papers must be submitted online. To submit a paper, please read our Submitting articles page.

Important Dates

Manuscripts due by: 31 March, 2015