Politicization and political contests in and around contemporary multinational corporations

An introduction

Bibliographic Data

ID9890841
AuthorsStewart Clegg (0000-0001-6083-4283, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia and Nova School of Business and Economics, Portugal, corresponding author), Mike Geppert (Friedrich Schiller University, Germany,, corresponding author), Graham Hollinshead (University of Bielefeld, Germany,, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume71
Issue6
Pages745-765
Publication date2018-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0018726718755880
OpenAlexW2797293518
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited59

This article looks at core arguments in international business, organization studies and surrounding academic fields that focus on the study of politicization and political contests in and around multinational corporations (MNCs). Two evident streams of debate are identified. Equally evident is that these streams hardly connect. One stream is mainly interested in studying politicization from the outside, whereas the other is mainly interested in politicization from within. As a way of connecting both streams, we introduce the circuits of power framework. Next, we introduce the contributions of our Special Issue, followed by concluding comments which distinguish five emergent themes. First, we show how the application of the circuits of power framework sheds new light on the study of political contests of MNCs. Second, we highlight that the role of nation states has not lost its significance as, for example, political corporate social responsibility (CSR) approaches would have us believe. Third, dominant ideologies play an important role in establishing and controlling circuits of power in and around MNCs. Fourth, it is vital to take labour issues into account in this field of study. Fifth, there is increasing evidence that asymmetric and hierarchical forms of organizing do not disappear in new MNC network forms

Economics · Field (mathematics · Ideology · Law and economics · Multinational corporation · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Power (physics · Public relations · Sociology · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Management and Organizational Studies

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