Periodizing history is always somewhat arbitrary. However, it enables a more focused analysis of a stream of events. It contributes to highlighting ups and downs, moments of change, and presents different visions about the challenges faced at each stage. It may also show how the coalitions of people who have pushed EIBA forward have evolved.
As a result of the analysis carried out, seven periods were identified in the history of EIBA:
• The Creation of EIBA, covering the pre-EIBA workshops and the first EIBA Conference in December 1975;
• Teething troubles, spanning between 1976 and 1981, a difficult time when EIBA was trying to establish itself;
• Bridging troubled waters (1982-1988), when EIBA, after gaining some traction, struggled for survival again;
• Stabilising and expanding EIBA towards Southern and Eastern Europe, from 1989 and 1995, a period characterised by the expansion of EIBA not only in geographic scope but also in membership;
• Change at the turn of the century (1996-2002), marked by the digitalization of EIBA, the establishment of the EIBA Fellows, the link with International Business Review and the increasing role played by women in the management of EIBA;
• Consolidating the organisation, extending between 2003 and 2012, a time when key changes were made in EIBA’s governance, leading to increased stabilization and growth; and
• A new generation at the helm (2013-2020), characterized by the replacement of the older EIBAians, those who had been involved since the early years of the Academy, by a younger generation of scholars, fully committed to foster EIBA’s development, even in pandemic times. The highlights of the developments that occurred in each of these periods are presented here. For more detailed information, a book on the EIBA History is being prepared.