The Political Opportunity of the Outsider: Firm Strategy in the Context of Decolonization

    Publikation: KonferencebidragPaperForskning

    Abstract

    This paper examines the political strategies of two German firms—Siemens and I.G. Farben—in interwar India as a way to consider how multinational enterprises (MNEs) deal with political risk. The interwar period was characterized
    by rising political risks throughout the global economy, as conflicts between developed national economies rose in the wake of World War I, as anti-­‐colonial and communist movements gained ground, and international monetary
    instability increased. Yet, far from retrenching from the global economy, German MNEs capitalized on the growing political risks by developing political strategies and cultivating political capabilities that allowed them to successfully
    pursue international markets in geopolitically turbulent times. Identifying their mechanisms and viewing them longitudinally shows MNEs as political actors, not just adapting and dealing with novel political contexts but actively
    shaping political identities and processes of legitimization. This paper uses this case to argue for a rethink of political risk in international business, to regard it as a source of political opportunities that multinationals can capitalize
    on, and not exclusively as a source of liabilities that need to be managed.
    OriginalsprogEngelsk
    Publikationsdato21 apr. 2016
    Antal sider36
    StatusUdgivet - 21 apr. 2016
    BegivenhedPenn Economic History Forum - University of Pennsylvania - School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
    Varighed: 1 jan. 2018 → …
    http://www.history.upenn.edu/calendar/penn-economic-history-forum

    Andet

    AndetPenn Economic History Forum
    LokationUniversity of Pennsylvania - School of Arts and Sciences
    Land/OmrådeUSA
    ByPhiladelphia, PA
    Periode01/01/2018 → …
    Internetadresse

    Emneord

    • Political risk
    • Multinationals
    • Decolonization

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