Downward spiral of firms’ political strategies in conflict zones: A process analysis of an MNE's operations during an active civil war

Applying resource dependence and process theory to an in-depth case study of a French MNE that maintained operations in Syria despite the civil war, we provide a processual and multilevel analysis of how political strategies evolve in response to civil war dynamics and complexity. We show that strategies are mainly conditioned by the firm's interactions and interdependencies with non-state armed groups. We further reveal that rather than ensuring firm survival, political strategies may cause a downward spiral, binding the firm to the warring context as it crosses over to the “dark side” of political strategies, and eventually forcing its exit.