Rethinking International Business Through the European Lens: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

Abstract This study examines the foundational role of Europe in international business (IB) scholarship. To assess the current state of knowledge and extend its intellectual boundaries, we conduct a systematic review of 115 articles published between 2000 and 2023 across 13 leading IB journals. Combining bibliometric and qualitative content analyses, we identify major research trajectories, theoretical developments, and practical insights related to Europe-focused IB research. The review synthesizes findings across five central thematic domains: (1) internationalization, (2) corporate social responsibility practices of European firms, (3) location strategies in the European context, (4) multinational enterprise partnership dynamics, and (5) knowledge transfer within and across European MNEs (EuMNEs). These clusters are examined through the lens of institutional embeddedness and strategic divergence, highlighting how EuMNEs manage both regulatory harmonization and persistent institutional diversity across intra- and interregional contexts. Beyond synthesizing extant research, the study adopts a problematizing review perspective to critically interrogate dominant explanatory templates and to surface the assumptions underpinning Europe-related IB theorizing. Through keyword co-occurrence analysis, we further highlight promising avenues for future research, including: (1) global R&D and innovation strategies, (2) geopolitical risks and informal institutions, (3) subsidiary autonomy and entrepreneurship, (4) strategic divergence among MNEs, and (5) cultural frictions in emerging markets. By embedding both the synthesis and critical interrogation within a comparative and context-sensitive perspective, the review repositions Europe not merely as a geographic setting but as a multilayered institutional space that serves as a conceptual lens for rethinking foundational assumptions in IB theory. In doing so, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of European-focused IB research and outlines a roadmap for future research on this important topic.