The 4^th International Conference on Services Management will address cultural and socio-economic complexities of internationalization of service organizations and their social responsibilities to different stakeholder groups. The conference will provide you with an opportunity to illuminate the challenges services organizations face globally and also a chance to discuss the options that they may consider as part of their strategies.

This conference is a forum for sharing knowledge about the practices of the organizations in dynamic economies of different contents including Europe, Middle East, America, Australia and Asia. The conference will incorporate both conceptual and empirical research papers that link knowledge to different country contexts and thus enables both academics and practitioners to understand the influences of socio-cultural issues on services internationalization, branding and social responsibility practices. Papers incorporating comparisons of sectors or types of service firms are particularly welcome. Case studies may be drawn from different sectors, for example, knowledge-based business services healthcare and educational services, hotels, airlines, tour operators, fast food, banking and financial services, as well as retailing and may focus on different geographical regions.

We hope you will participate in stimulating and thought-provoking sessions, enjoy the lively social events and develop research networks during the conference. We look forward to seeing you in Oxford, the historic centre of education and culture, in May 2009.
 

Papers from the following areas and other relevant subject areas are welcome:

• Internationalisation of Service Firms (Track Chair: Dr Levent Altinay)
  This theme explores the cross-cultural issues affecting the internationalization of service firms.
   
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics (Track Chair: Dr David Bowen)
  This theme explores the corporate social responsibility and business ethics practices of both public and private organizations in different countries.
   
• Services Branding (Track Chair: Dr Yuksel Ekinci)
  This theme explores the marketing and management strategies adopted by service brands both in public and private sector.
   
• Postgraduate Student Papers on Internationalisation, Corporate Social Responsibility/Ethics and Services Branding (Track Chair: Prof Mark Saunders)
  This track is designed to enable postgraduate researchers to present their work whilst it is at a developmental stage. The track will include a timetabled open forum “question and answer” workshop session.