Between Ballots and Bullets: Political Competition, Uncertainty, and MNE Strategies in Politically Challenging Environments

Multinational enterprises encounter political competition in all of the environments in which they operate, whether it manifests as elections between political parties or war between armed factions – that is, ballots and bullets. Yet, the literature on MNE strategies has yet to fully and systematically incorporate political competition and probe the challenges and opportunities that it poses to firms. In my dissertation research, I delve into three distinct contexts – the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, and Russia – to explore political competition and the strategies that MNEs develop to navigate these environments, aiming to build a unified theory to drive new IB scholarship and generate valuable insights for managers.