Non-Business Organizations and Multinational Firms in Emerging Markets

Description

Emerging markets are of growing importance in the world economy and many multinationals strive to enter and expand their activities on such markets. Several researchers have pointed to the growing importance of social and political actors (non-business actors) for firms’ development and prosperity, and when studying firms’ internationalization strategies it is increasingly noted how socio-political uncertainty in emerging markets affects such strategic choices. Researchers also stress that further studies of this particular phenomenon are urgently required. Hence, the aim of this project is to contribute to a deeper understanding of how multinational companies interact with socio-political actors in emerging markets, as well as to contribute to the evolution of a theoretical framework surrounding the study object.

The study includes both qualitative and quantitative elements. It focuses on companies with headquarters in Sweden and with activities in the BRIC countries, i.e. Brazil, Russia and/or India/China. Focus is on how interactivity between firms and non-business actors influence the expansion of such firms. It is assumed that a firm through relationships with social actors can acquire strategic advantages, such as legitimacy, access to knowledge and access to new networks.

The project is based on our previous research on how companies manage their political surroundings in a European context, but focus is now shifted to include also social actors and emerging markets.