Navigating wartime communications
Multinational corporations in the Russia-Ukraine war
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12846262 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Volodymyr Kulikov (0000-0002-8759-0650, The University of Texas at Austin, corresponding author), Mykhaylo Simanovskyy (0000-0002-9269-3400, The University of Texas at Austin), Abigail Eichenberg (0009-0003-3107-8740, The University of Texas at Austin), Ksenija Angelina Braese (0009-0004-3873-7515, The University of Texas at Austin) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-23 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Society and Economy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1588-970X • E-ISSN: 1588-9726 |
| Publisher | Akadémiai Kiadó (PUBLISHER • HU) |
| DOI | 10.1556/204.2023.00024 |
| OpenAlex | W4388233124 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
This article explores the communication strategies of multinational corporations in response to the Russo-Ukrainian War and the public pressure to divest from the Russian domestic market. By content analyzing official statements from the top 50 revenue-generating multinational corporations in Russia, the article identifies patterns in corporate narratives about the war, their actions and concerns, and potential solutions. The findings reveal that most companies declare scaling down their presence in Russia while maintaining certain basic obligations, prioritizing employee safety, and expressing concerns about the global economy. While few explicitly condemn Russia's aggression, many adopt neutral language to avoid naming Russia as the aggressor. Corporations emphasize the importance of diplomacy, adherence to international law, and the pursuit of peace, but often avoid proposing concrete solutions. Despite variations across industries, countries of origin, and decisions to stay or leave Russia, the differences in statements were not significant. The uniformity of corporate statements and evidence that companies frequently do not follow their declared promises suggest potential “bluewashing” – making vague or false claims of social responsibility or anti-war stances to improve their public image. These findings emphasize the need for multinational corporations to develop sincere and original wartime communication strategies
Acquiescence · Business · Diplomacy · Divestment · Economics · International business · International trade · Multinational corporation · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public Diplomacy · Public relations · Revenue · Ukrainian · Economic Sanctions and International Relations · Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · Law · Accounting
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |