Online IB@Manchester Research Seminar – Professor Len Treviño (Florida Atlantic University)
The International Business (IB) Group at the University of Manchester invites you to our next IB@Manchester Research Seminar with Professor Len Treviño (Florida Atlantic University).
Title: Multinational Enterprises’ Strategic Responses to Geopolitical Tensions and Sanctions
Date: 19 November 2025
Time: 2:30–3:30 PM (London time)
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Access: Join on Teams
Meeting ID: 341 197 970 785 2
Passcode: gM3oW7YV
Abstract:
Rising geopolitical tensions and concomitant sanctions significantly affect MNEs yet the paucity of theory hampers understanding of how MNEs respond. Through a qualitative study using the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a natural experiment, we investigate how and why MNEs choose between divesting, quiet staying—freezing some operations, and staying—continuing operations, in the host country.
Association with a stigmatized location and cross-border stigma translation threaten MNE network resources and non-location-bound firm-specific advantages (FSAs). Some MNEs divest to prevent stigma translation risk from tainting such resources and FSAs. However, other MNEs chose to quiet stay, which mitigated cross-border stigma translation risk while preserving subsidiary resources for generating potential non-location-bound subsidiary-specific advantages (SSAs). We identify two novel mechanisms, ‘downgrading non-location-boundFSAs’ achieved by resource transfer, isolation and recombination processes and ‘downgrading SSA exploitation’ achieved by embedding a non-location-bound SSA in a product restricted to Russia, that enable MNEs to stay while mitigating stigma. Insights from how MNEsmanage stigmatization risks help generate a theoretical model explaining why MNE strategic configurations drive MNE responses. Our model disentangles the location of the MNE’s resource bundle from location of advantage exploitation to offer a dynamicunderstanding of how resources and advantages shape MNEs’ strategic responses under geopolitical risks.
Join us for a timely discussion on the intersection of international business strategy, geopolitics, and organizational resilience.