Discursive legitimation of controversial internationalization in the home country: the case of Japanese manufacturers’ nuclear power plant exports after nuclear disaster

Purpose While international business scholarship has begun to explore cross-border legitimacy building, less attention has been paid to multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) legitimacy building within their home countries for international actions. To fill the research gap, this paper aims to uncover how MNEs’ internationalization is discursively legitimized in domestic public discourse, even under contentious circumstances. Design/methodology/approach This study examines an extreme case: Japanese manufacturers’ export of nuclear power plants following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Employing a discourse-based approach, it analyzes 766 Japanese newspaper articles to identify dominant discourses, the power and political dynamics embedded within them, and the discursive practices used to construct legitimacy. Findings The analysis reveals four distinct types of discourse, each interpreting core themes differently depending on the actors involved. Dominant discourses emerged through collaboration between corporate managers and politicians to legitimize internationalization. Three key discursive practices were identified: (1) framing legitimacy through neoliberal and nationalist interpretations, (2) silencing resistance by invoking alternative cosmopolitan interpretations and (3) authorizing legitimacy by references to host country authorities. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited literature on MNEs’ legitimacy building within their home countries. It also demonstrates the value of discourse-based methodologies in critically examining the sociopolitical dimensions of international business.