Guest editorial: Defining new frontiers of business research across Asian countries

The 20-first century continues to witness a global economic and geopolitical transformation, with Asia emerging as one of the most influential and dynamic regions shaping the trajectory of international business, technological transformation, innovation and economic development. Once regarded primarily as a collection of rapidly developing economies, Asia has now become a critical arena where the future of global business is redefined, transformed and where new business models and organizational forms are actively restructured and recreated. Its growing economic weight, expanding consumer markets and deep integration into global supply chains have positioned Asia not merely as a participant in international trade, but as a dominant player of contemporary global business architecture.Yet, the growing importance of Asia on the global business stage invites a deeper and more nuanced understanding. Asia is not a homogeneous block; rather, it represents a mosaic of diverse cultures, institutional arrangements, histories and socioeconomic trajectories. From the export-driven economies of East Asia to the resource-rich nations of West Asia and the entrepreneurial dynamism of South and Southeast Asia, the region embodies a remarkable variety of business ecosystems. This diversity presents a compelling opportunity for scholars and practitioners to examine how business organizations respond to context-specific incentives, constraints and cultural norms. It also underscores why traditional management theories, most of which were developed in Western contexts, may not fully capture the complexity or richness of business activity across Asian markets. This suggests that theories of capability development, institutional complementarity and strategic adaptation must be context calibrated. Asian firms often operate with hybrid governance (family ownership with professional management, state guided market coordination and relational contracting); and compressed development cycles (rapid sectoral shifts from assembly to design intensive niches). Thus, theoretical frameworks that treat institutions as fixed parameters under explain such dynamics.Over the past several decades, scholarly research on Asian business systems has made phenomenal strides on the global stage. Scholars have analyzed political and economic institutions, have highlighted unique leadership practices, have explored culturally grounded organizational behaviors and have examined distinctive corporate governance structures. Nevertheless, the theoretical landscape remains uneven, with many questions still unanswered. For example: How do Asian firms develop and sustain competitive advantage in the face of rapid technological change? In what ways do unique institutional arrangements, such as state-guided capitalism, family-owned conglomerates or hybrid governance systems, shape global entrepreneurial outcomes? How do cultural values influence organizational learning, innovation and decision-making? These questions, among others, point to the need for deeper, contextually grounded research.This special issue entitled, “Defining New Frontiers of Business Research Across Asian Countries” seeks to contribute to that need by positioning Asia as a catalyst for advancing broader global business theory. Rather than treating Asian contexts merely as sites for empirical testing, the scholarly contributions of this special issue view them as fertile grounds for generating new insights, challenging existing theoretical assumptions and extending conceptual frameworks. When research is deeply rooted in Asian institutional realities, it not only compliments the global literature but also enriches it – revealing alternative pathways of organizational design, market development and cross-border strategy. The 13 papers featured in this special issue represent a diverse array of perspectives, methodologies and focal points. Some papers investigate emerging trends in global entrepreneurship, capturing how individuals and firms navigate rapid digital transformation and shifting regulatory landscapes. Others delve into corporate governance, illustrating how hybrid ownership structures and familial stewardship influence firm performance across Asian contexts. Additional studies explore consumer behavior, sustainability practices, strategic innovation and cross-cultural leadership – all underpinned by Asia’s distinctive institutional and cultural environments. Collectively, these contributions shed light on complex processes that shape organizational success and resilience in the region.Beyond their academic value, the insights provided in this special issue carry meaningful implications for practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. As Asia’s economic influence continues to expand, companies worldwide increasingly engage with Asian markets; either as destinations for foreign direct investment or as sources of innovation, or strategic partnerships or for marketing their products. Understanding how firms operate within Asian institutional systems can help business leaders craft more informed strategies, develop culturally sensitive leadership practices and establish more effective collaborations with regional stakeholders. Policymakers, likewise, may draw upon these studies to design more supportive institutional environments that foster global entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable economic growth.As Asia continues to evolve economically, socially and technologically, the relevance of contextually grounded research will only grow. It is our hope that 13 studies presented in this special issue will inspire further inquiry into the rich and dynamic business landscapes that characterize Asian countries. We believe that these contributions will serve as a foundation for future comparative research, inform policy debates and provide valuable insights for organizations seeking to navigate and succeed within the diverse markets of Asia.Bringing this special issue to publication has been a collaborative and intellectually rewarding endeavor. We express our deep appreciation to all contributing authors for their dedication, scholarly rigor and high-quality submissions. Their efforts reflect a commitment not only for advancing academic discourse but also for shaping real-world understanding of business environments across Asia. We also extend our sincere gratitude to the reviewers, whose thoughtful evaluations and constructive feedback significantly enhanced the clarity, depth and theoretical contributions of each article. A special word of thanks is owed to the editorial team at the Journal of Asia Business Studies, whose guidance and support made this issue possible.Finally, we hope that this special issue not only enriches academic conversations but also encourages a new generation of researchers to explore the Asian context with fresh perspectives, methodological rigor and theoretical curiosity. Asia is not merely a geographical region, it is a laboratory of economic innovation, cultural diversity and institutional transformation. Understanding its complexities is essential for understanding the future of global business itself.The paper # 1 entitled “A cross-cultural longitudinal analysis of the effect of corporate social performance on corporate financial performance: an Asian perspective” by Abdullah Obaid Almashayekhi catechizes the corporate social performance (CSP) by exploring if its adoption actually impacts corporate financial performance (CFP) across various cultural contexts in Asia. The results show that cultural context meaningfully conditions the CSP–CFP link: individualism and uncertainty avoidance strengthen the positive impact of CSP on CFP, while motivation toward achievement/success and long-term orientation weaken it; power distance does not significantly moderate the relationship. The study extends the CSP–CFP literature beyond its Western-heavy evidence base by providing a large-scale, longitudinal Asian test that directly addresses cross-cultural heterogeneity in CSR effectiveness.The paper # 2 entitled “Sustainability tweeting triumphs during the COP events: analyzing environmental, social and governance (ESG) communication on twitter” by Amr ElAlfy, John Quigley, Leilei Tang, Youssef Al-Hariri and Olaf Weber studies companies’ tweeting after major sustainability events. It investigates how S success depends on context-specific strategies, institutional policies and local ecosystems.The paper # 4 entitled “Determinants of CRM implementation success: a cross-national analysis” by Obaid Mobarak Al-Shuridah dissects customer relationship management across different countries. It investigates the influence of customer and system characteristics on customers’ willingness to adopt CRM systems. The study found that two forces consistently shape customers’ intention to use CRM: positive attitude toward the system and trust in it. The study argues that CRM success is built on universal foundations (trust + value-driven attitudes) and refined through local levers – community influence in one context and user confidence/support in the other.The paper # 5 entitled “Innovativeness, Adaptation, and Continuance Intention to Use MHealth: An Empirical Investigation in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta Provinces” by Giang-Do Nguyen analyzes mobile healthcare (mHealth) application dimensions across Vietnam by examining factors shaping users’ continuance intention toward mobile health-care applications in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The study confirms that satisfaction, perceived usefulness and confirmation drive continued use, while adaptation also enhances both satisfaction and intention. Overall, the study contributes to the literature by integrating adaptation and innovativeness into the expectation-confirmation model to provide a more comprehensive explanation of mHealth continuance and offering the first empirical evidence that innovativeness moderates the adaptation–continuance relationship.The paper # 6 entitled “The impact of innovations on the export performance of Saudi small and medium-sized enterprises” by Abdullah Abdulrahim Almeer examines the exports dynamics of Saudi SMEs. It evaluates whether innovation improves Saudi SMEs’ likelihood of exporting, distinguishing product from process innovation. This study finds that innovation among Saudi SMEs is generally low, but exporters tend to be more innovative; when both innovation types are considered together, process innovation remains the only robust predictor of export propensity, while product innovation’s effect is not robust. The study concludes that policies aiming to boost SME exports should prioritize strengthening firms’ innovation capacity.The paper # 7 entitled “Boosting customers’ e-word of mouth in online shopping platforms: the role of artificial intelligence through a mixed methods approach a Vietnamese perspective” by Khuong Thanh Nguyen, Nhat Tan Pham, Vo Thi Ngoc Thuy and Michal Pilík explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Vietnamese e-commerce. It investigates how customers’ perceived benefits of AI on Vietnamese e-commerce platforms translate into electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This study found that perceived AI benefits significantly increase trust and satisfaction, but they do not directly increase eWOM; instead, eWOM is driven indirectly because trust and satisfaction act as full mediators. The qualitative themes corroborate these mechanisms by showing that users value chatbots’ time savings, personalization and problem-solving, yet they tend to recommend platforms only after these benefits solidify into a confident and satisfying experience.The paper # 8 entitled “The frame of reference used by key boundary personnel in SMEs in diverse cultures: a comparison of Japan and Qatar” by Allam Abu Farha, Hitmi Alhitmi, Othman Althawadi and Mahmoud Mofleh Karasneh compares and contrasts the cognitive frameworks across different countries. It examines mental models, conceptualized as organizational frames of reference (OFoR), by comparing how boundary personnel in Japan and Qatar acquire, process and act on external information in relationship-driven decision-making. The results show that managers in both countries display elements of all four frames, yet the dominant emphases differ: Qatari SMEs show notably higher Political OFoR intensity, whereas Japanese SMEs exhibit stronger Professional OFoR (and higher Bureaucratic alignment), while Entrepreneurial OFoR is prevalent in both settings; clustering further indicates Japan is largely characterized by Professional–Bureaucratic combinations.The paper # 9 entitled “An Emergent Toolkit For Digital Technology Application In Talent Management Practices: Evidence From The Vietnamese Banking Sector” by Nhan Truong Thanh Dang, Van Dung Ha and Do Tuong Vy Pham digs into digital transformation in the Vietnamese banking industry. It explores how can Vietnamese banks harness new technologies to win, grow and keep scarce talent, without losing the “human” side of talent that technology cannot replicate. This study found that technological advancements and innovation are currently embedded across the talent lifecycle – attraction/recruitment, development and retention. This reflects that Vietnamese banks increasingly deploy integrated HR management systems alongside social media and online platforms to widen applicant reach.The paper # 10 entitled “A systematic literature review of Japanese SMEs: trends, challenges and insights for future research and practice” by Said Mohamed Mokhtar Mohamed Elbanna, Fareeda Begum and Nasrina Mauji scans the history of Japanese SMEs, by conducting a literature review of research on Japanese SMEs to clarify what is already known, what remains fragmented and what can be learned for SME practice beyond Japan. The review shows that scholarship on Japanese SMEs clusters around six recurring themes: (i) firm management practices, (ii) innovation/technology/R rather than simply “testing grounds”, this special issue establishes a broader rethinking of how capabilities are built, how institutions orchestrate strategies and how firms adapt under fast-moving technological and regulatory change.Equally important, the scholarly research presented here speaks beyond academia. For practitioners, the findings offer grounded insights into how business organizations can compete and collaborate more effectively across Asia’s diverse markets, whether by designing strategies that local institutional culturally leadership practices or cross-border partnerships with to and governance norms. For policymakers, the studies provide evidence that can inform institutional and policy choices at global entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable that will only as Asia’s economic influence continues to In this collection to rigor with advancing conceptual conversations while offering guidance for real-world this special issue to has been both collaborative and intellectually We our sincere and gratitude to all contributing authors for their dedication, scholarly rigor and the of their We also extend our appreciation to the reviewers, whose evaluations and constructive significantly the clarity, and of each we are deeply to the editorial team at the Journal of Asia Business for their continued and support the editorial we hope the scholarship in this special issue as a future research that to Asian countries and comparative inquiry and continues to assumptions embedded in dominant theoretical frameworks. We also hope these research papers will help shape policy debates and operate as a reference for organizations and seeking to engage Asia’s business landscape with and as Asia continues to evolve and technologically, the need for research that is grounded and will to grow. It is our that this special issue not only enriches academic but also a new generation of scholars to approach Asia with methodological rigor and theoretical the region as a laboratory of institutional transformation, cultural diversity and economic innovation that is increasingly central to understanding the future of global