Interview of Professor Carla C.J.M. Millar

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in academia, particularly in international business?
I have always wanted to work internationally, so after the practical side, the academic:  When I joined Thames Polytechnic/University of Greenwich as an SL in International Marketing & Management, and Head of the Department of Marketing, it was after 12 years in IB at Unilever, where I was their first female management trainee / line manager, Bowater Europe [co-opted to the Board to look after international marketing and branding], and four years as policy adviser for a senior industry group member of the Economic and Social Committee in Brussels when the UK joined in 1973. Even as a student, after my BSc in Economics I switched to do two international Masters, a Masters in International Public Administration at Tilburg University, and thereafter a further international Masters in Turin studying East-West European economics, history and law. I also spent some time at the UN in Geneva as a board member of the International Student Movement for the UN.
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Hence, when I was offered this university career in international marketing / IB, I took it, and when Michael Z Brooke asked me to join AIB, I did. I have found that my academic work and interaction with students and colleagues has benefitted greatly from the experience, and particularly the insights, gained from working in the “real world” – though it has sometimes also led me to be dissatisfied with the narrower focus and insensitivity to practical issues of some academic work –something which happily is much less so now than 40 years ago.

2. Contributions to IB
My research, which often was innovative, has focussed on three areas, starting with cross-cultural differences. I did a first ever study of Hofstede’s values for 8 CEE countries, with an EU grant, dubbed EVE: Evolving Values in Europe and a study of the impact of cultural differences when building the Channel Tunnel (the TransManche Link papers).  My next focus was on emerging markets, looking at the factors mostly cultural and economic, that affected how they functioned and how they interacted with international business. This work, often in collaboration with Chong Ju Choi, while largely conceptual showed the strength of cross-disciplinary thinking bringing in economics, social sciences, ethics and legal studies, and starting from a recognition of current issues that were arising in these international markets and business areas. Later my interest in the softer values affecting international business increased and I made contributions in such areas as knowledge intensive institutions, tacit knowledge, especially in global leadership and global governance, international HR, etc.

My wide-ranging interests brought me into contact with academics from a variety of disciplines and from many countries and institutions. This interaction became an IB contribution from 2000 from when I initiated and guest edited 16 Special Issues of major journals, publishing on current topics within one year of the CfP when most journal submissions took more than double that time to appear – thus allowing IB to address current topics effectively.  The fast turnround and high quality benefitted IB and also benefitted from our AIB network as a source of excellent authors and fast quality reviews. The last one was on VUCA challenges, with California Management Review. This guest editing has kept me abreast of academic developments in the IB area and allowed me to make a contribution to progress even at the age of > 80.

3. One sentence academic legacy:
I have shown that an international focus has many dimensions, in theory and in practice, allowing me to leave a decent corpus of IB publications from cultural, ethical and economic perspectives, to know a large group of both colleagues and students whom I mentored towards making deserved progress, to continue to use my organisational capability and to build a beautiful network of friends.
 
4. AIB Chapter contributions

• Organised two conferences; the first one, the 15th conference, on “New Frontiers in IB” in 1988, with only 3 months till conference, as some-one had thrown in the towel -  and with two innovations: for the first time a PhD Forum, and for the first time an ISBN registered bound copy of the Proceedings; the 2nd one was the 25th conference I organised when at City University in 1998 with as theme “IB and Emerging Markets”.
• Served two 4-year periods as secretary of the AIB UK(I) board
• Enabled the chapter to be financially viable by thinking up, negotiating and executing in 1993 the first 5-year contract of the book publishing deal with Palgrave Macmillan, after AIB decided to administer and keep member contributions in the US
• Raising awareness of stagnation in the promotion of women, starting a programme of activities – some still active -, e.g. widening awareness and promoting university policy changes and behavioural changes amongst men and women in universities, attention to women presenting their first paper at AIBUKI conference, mentoring, giving talks on International Women’s Day,
• Early member of WAIB.
• Introducing and promoting IB as a subject in executive education, from 1990.

5. Stay actively involved
AIB UKI is the most dynamic and supportive AIB chapter I know. I enjoyed being a member of the board in those early days when Stephen Young was trying to widen AIB membership to outside the traditional FDI orientation, none asked my age,  and I wanted to make a contribution.  Yet, neither Greenwich where I was in the 80s nor City in the 90s was an AIB core research hub. Moving to the Netherlands in 2000 to be Dean of TSM Business School moved me out of sight of AIB UKI, and AIB W. Europe did not take its place. I moved back to the UK, to Ashridge for 10 years, in 2007 – again not a core AIB venue and though I continued researching and publishing, I was under the radar physically, research area wise, and did not often present at conferences; perhaps a reason why I was never elected AIB Fellow. I have always maintained contact with many AIB colleagues and when I discovered my ability in editing Special Issues of prominent journals, I had enjoyable engagement with AIB colleagues in canvassing and provoking them to extend their influence as authors and reviewers.

6. What does the award mean to me?
The current award is a totally unexpected much appreciated form of recognition, first broached with me well before my current health condition was known. I appreciate it very much and thank everyone involved in the decision and support, especially Noemi.
 
7. What are some lessons you hope the next generation of scholars will carry forward? What advice do you have for early-career researchers looking to make a lasting impact in international business?

• AIB is your window to the world.
• Make good use of supportive environments, especially that provided by AIBUKI, to be challenged in your research and map your career.
• Stretch yourself by looking at how findings in other disciplines can affect your own and regularly consider evidence from the “real life” experience of the people and organisations whose activities you are dealing with.
• Use the new challenges Peter Buckley is talking about in his 2025 JBR article to help shape your views and choices and never forget to follow your dream.

 
Carla Millar, 2025
Interviewer: Prof Noemi Sinkovics