On November 6, ZIBS and ANU College of Business and Economics jointly held a forum titled "Beyond Borders, Beyond Innovation – Bridging Business Strategies and Digital Innovation", providing a platform for in-depth discussions and insights into various facets of the dynamic relationship between business strategies and digital innovation.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Prof. BEN Shenglin, Dean of ZIBS, who emphasized the event's significance as it aligned with ZIBS fifth anniversary. BEN Shenglin also highlighted the positive developments in Sino-Australian relations, particularly during the China International Import Expo. He underscored that this forum marked a substantial milestone in the collaborative efforts between the two institutions, preceded by the successful invitation of the ANU vice-chancellor. BEN Shenglin recognized the pivotal impact of digital innovation in China over the last two decades, exemplified by digital finance, led by Alipay, which originated in Hangzhou and reshaped China's economy. While entrepreneurs played a significant role, academia is now actively working to understand and promote best practices in digital transformation. He stressed the importance of globally disseminating the benefits of digital transformation, especially to achieve inclusive growth.
Prof. Steven Roberts, Dean of ANU College of Business and Economics, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to learn about the remarkable work undertaken by both his ANU colleagues and the academics at ZIBS. Steven Roberts commended ZIBS for its remarkable achievements over the past five years, noting that the facilities and academic prowess at the school are world-class. He also extended his gratitude for hosting the event and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the two institutions. Steven Roberts invited ZIBS to visit ANU's campus and experience their facilities, with the aim of deepening the partnership.
In a series of thought-provoking presentations, eight scholars and researchers from various disciplines shared their insights and findings on a range of topics, offering valuable insights into their respective fields and contributing to our understanding of consumer behavior, organizational dynamics, and societal challenges in a digital era. (Detailed articles will be released soon. Please stay tuned!)
The presentations covered a wide range of topics, including the transformative impact of social media on consumer behavior, prefigurative organizing and its potential to confront marginalization and promote sustainability, business group dynamics and their strategic change within the Asian context, environmental jolts' influence on the determination of organizational aspirations, the way Chinese firms develop non-traditional competitive advantages, creativity in business model innovation, the effect of attention-action misfit on hidden champions' performance in China, and the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumers' purchase intentions and behavior. Each presentation brought unique insights to their respective fields and contributed to the existing literature.
After the forum, faculty members from both institutions visited Ant Group and Tuya Smart to gain firsthand insights into their operations and digital innovation practices. They also engaged in discussions on the development of digital talent and exchanged ideas on best practices in this field. This visit provided an excellent opportunity for both institutions to deepen their understanding of the practical applications of digital innovation and foster closer ties between academia and industry. The collaboration initiated through the ZIBS-ANU Joint Forum, along with the corporate visits that followed, has established a solid groundwork for future partnerships between the two institutions. This is poised to significantly contribute to the progress of corporate innovation discussion, not only in China but also on a broader scale.
